August 8, 2023
Welcome Nottingham West Families:
It is with great pleasure that we WELCOME you to the 2023-24 school year at Nottingham West Elementary School. We hope everyone had a safe and relaxing summer and is ready to begin another school year. We love the excitement of beginning each new school year, and all the opportunities it holds.
1. “MEET AND GREET YOUR TEACHER”
“Meet and Greet Your Teacher” will be held on Friday, August 25th from 12:00-2:00PM. This is an opportunity for students and parents to stop by the school to meet the teachers, walk around the building, and get a sense of your child’s surroundings (teacher assignments will be posted to the Parent Portal on August 15th).
2. ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL
Drop-off/Pick-up Options:
We have three choices when it comes to drop off and pick-up; car drop off/pick-up, independent walker, or riding the bus to and/or from school.
AM: In the morning, bus students will enter through the front of the building (door 2) and will go directly to class. Car drop off students will enter through the back door (car line) and go directly to class. Independent walkers will enter the through the main lobby door and go directly to class.
PM: In the afternoon, bus students will be dismissed from the classrooms. Car pick-up students will exit through the back door, with duty staff grouping students inside to be dismissed to waiting vehicles. We will have 4 car lanes, and as cars pull up with numbered placard on car dashboard (pick-up number that corresponds to your child), students will be grouped accordingly and released by duty staff to vehicles. Independent walkers will exit out of main lobby door to walk home self-reliantly.
**Students will not be dismissed to anyone other than their parent or guardian. If you wish to arrange to have another person pick up your child, please send in a note or call indicating the change of dismissal. No exceptions. (If permission is not granted, we will contact you.)
Students in grades 2 thru 5 can arrive from 8:20AM to 8:40AM; when the bell sounds at 8:45AM, students entering after that bell are considered tardy for the school day. Staff members are not on duty until 8:20AM, so please do not send or drop off your child before that time. No one will be present to supervise, and the door is locked; they may not be able to enter the building. At the end of the school day, car pick up students will be dismissed at 3:00PM and bus students will be dismissed at 3:05PM.
AM Preschool can arrive from 8:50AM to 9:10AM. Our preschool staff will be present to assist you and your child upon entering. Dismissal will be 11:20AM to 11:40AM. Again, our preschool staff will be present to assist you and your child.
PM Preschool can arrive from 12:20PM to 12:40PM and will be dismissed from 2:50PM to 3:10PM. Our preschool staff will be present to assist with both arrival and dismissal.
Car Pick-up Students
For those students who will be carpooled every day or on specified days during the week, we ask that you pick up a numbered carpool placard during our Meet and Greet. If you are not able to get your pass on that day, you will need to contact the main office to get a carpool placard. Please display your placard on the dashboard each time you pick up in the back of the school. If you received a placard last year, we are going to keep your child’s pick-up number the same but will issue you new placards. Please stop by the main office to pick these up. We will be providing 2 copies for your convenience.
**IMPORTANT: We need a completed NWES Dismissal Form to be completed for each student. This tells us how the student will be getting home at the end of each day. We will have these forms in each classroom during our “Meet and Greet” on August 25th, but if you cannot make that event for some reason, please have your child come to school on the 1st day with a completed form. The form is posted to our website.
3. PARENT/STUDENT HANDBOOK
The Nottingham West Parent/Student Handbook can be found on our website at https://www.sau81.org/nws/index, under Families. If you would like a hard copy, please request one
through the main office.
4. ATTENDANCE, TARDINESS, AND TRUANCY
There is a district policy for Attendance, Tardiness, and Truancy, which is available online https://www.sau81.org, under School Board, Policies, Section J/Students. If needed, you may request a hard copy by contacting the main office.
5. BUS INFORMATION
Bus schedules and routes will be posted on the district website as soon as available and will also be posted on the lobby windows of the school.
6. CONTACT INFORMATION
Please be sure we have your up-to-date phone numbers and email addresses on file at all times. Each family can do this through notifying the main office. This will ensure that we have your most current information.
All parents will need to go online to the PowerSchool Portal (the Hudson School District’s student management system) to complete a handbook and policy review, signing off on several required forms. In order to complete this process, it is important for each student to have a parent/guardian with access to a PowerSchool Portal (this is also where you will have access to report cards). Use the following steps to complete this process: Go to https://sau81.powerschool.com/public/home.html
All parents should already have an established username/password. Use that information to log in to complete the review process. If you some reason you do not have a username/password, please contact lmcdermott@sau81.org for assistance.
**IMPORTANT: Through the Portal, teacher assignments will be available mid-August, after completion of the handbook/policy review process.
7. REPORTING ABSENCE
We have a school CALL-IN PROGRAM in effect at Nottingham West Elementary School. The Hudson School District has a policy that if your child is absent or tardy, parents are to call the school and may do so at any time. You may call the night before or the morning of the absence. Our automated telephone system directs you to our absentee line (595-1570, x3). For your convenience, we also have an Absentee Form on our website (under Families) that can be completed to report your child’s absence. Doctor notes are required for excused/documented absences.
8. SCHOOL SUPPLIES
We provide school supplies for all students for their daily classroom use. Although we provide all the basic supplies for students, please feel free to allow your child to bring in supplies that you purchase (we know many students like to have their own, personalized supplies). Children will find it helpful if you set up a work area at home with pencils, crayons, markers and such to help with homework and projects. A backpack or school bag is helpful for carrying things to and from school.
9. STUDENT HEADPHONES
As most of our formative and state testing is now through adaptive, computerized assessments, students are required to have headphones to accomplish these requirements. The Hudson School District provides adequate headphones for students. However, if you would rather your child bring in their own headphones, teachers will gladly allow them to do so. If you would like Nottingham West to provide a set of headphones for your child, please sign and return the Student Headphone Notice that will be going home within the first week of school.
10. SNACK TIME
Every class sets aside a SNACK TIME during the day. This is a very important part of your child’s day. It is a time to replenish their energy by eating/drinking the things you have packed. Please be sure your child has a healthy snack daily. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle each day to keep hydrated.
11. PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS
The school nurse can only administer medications when a prescription from a doctor directs her to do so. Please keep this is mind when you bring a prescription item to school. All medicine (in its original container) must be brought in by an adult and logged in by the nurse or other school official. NO medicine may be transported by a student.
NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION: Over-the-counter medications require that parents fill out a medication permission form available from the school nurse. All medications (in original container) are kept in the nurse’s office.
12. MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Please keep up-to-date with all the ‘happenings’ at Nottingham West by reading the monthly newsletter and visiting our school’s website (https://www.sau81.org/nws/index) regularly, which includes a calendar of all monthly activities.
13. HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION FOLDER
On the first day of school, each child will bring home a ‘Home/School Communication’ folder. This folder will be used to go between school and home daily, so please send it back each day with your child. If you have any questions, please feel free to call the school at any time at 595-1570.
Your Nottingham staff is eagerly awaiting the start of a wonderful school year and look forward to seeing families and students very soon!
Scott G. Baker, Principal