Start of School Message

Dear HunneBates Families,

With the start of school just days away, I am full of excitement about the year ahead.  I can’t wait to greet our students on the first day of school, Wednesday, August 30.  

I’d like to encourage all new Bates and Hunnewell families to join us on Tuesday, August 29 for the following activities: 

1:30-2:00	New Family Meet & Greet: Please enter through the main entrance and you will be directed to the library courtyard
2:00 – 2:30	New Student BuildingTour and Classroom Visit:  Kindergarteners please meet your teachers on the front playground at 2:10;   Kindergarteners will enter the classroom  with their teacher.   All other new students may go directly to their classroom.
2:30 – 2:45	Popsicles on the playground for kindergarteners

I hope that you are enjoying the last few days of summer while also beginning to plan for the year ahead.  Now is a great time to establish structures and routines at home that will support your child in school, such as routines for homework, bedtime, packing a snack and water bottle each day, making a plan for lunch and getting ready for school in the morning.  We ask that your family plan for a morning routine that supports an on time arrival at school.  When students arrive by 8:25 am, they have the opportunity to briefly visit with classmates, enter the building along with their peers, unpack their backpack, order lunch and get organized for the day.  We greatly value this time with students and find that these start of the day routines help students to have a successful day.

We also ask that you review the plan for arrival and dismissal as described in the Insider’s Guide to Bates.  Kindergarten and grade 1 arrive on the front playground; 2nd – 5th grades arrive on the back playground.  On the first day we will have classroom signs posted to show students where to line up.  

There are several options for dismissal at the end of the day at Bates.  Each family is asked to indicate their dismissal plan in PickUp Patrol.  For those picking up their student as a “walker,” please note that each classroom has an assigned exit door.  Please see the map in Appendix B of the Insider’s Guide.

In addition, if you plan to use the car line at any point in the year, I ask that you view this video  for detailed directions.  Please also share it with any caregiver who may also use the car line.  We appreciate your help with all of our guidelines and procedures.  

Please reach out to the Bates office at (781) 446-6260 or wps-bates-office@wellesleyps.org  if you have any questions.  We look forward to seeing you next week!

Warmly,