STAFF MONTHLY SCHOOL CALENDAR WHAT'S NEW
YEARLY SCHOOL CALENDAR ALUMNI PROGRAM
MEMO
2007-2008
Early Dismissal Procedure without bus transportation
Centennial bus riders will NOT have bus transportation on any early dismissal day other than the first one of the school year. Parents of all Centennial bus riders will have to provide their child’s dismissal transportation for early dismissal days for the rest of this school year. Other districts will provide transportation for most early dismissal days. Please consult the monthly school calendar for information on buses for your district’s transportation.
In order to insure the safety of all our children during early dismissal, and in cooperation with the Warminster Police Department, we ask that you follow these procedures on days for early dismissal when any school districts do not provide buses. We are grateful for everyone’s cooperation as it will assure a quick and safe dismissal for all. Dismissal times will be:
11:55 Central Bucks, Council Rock buses – front school yard.
These same districts, when busing days run out, will follow directives for car riders.
12:05 Centennial students and students who are usually car riders.
12:20 Street Road, Orchard Road walkers and bike riders
FOR CENTENNIAL STUDENTS AND USUAL CAR RIDERS:
Those whose last name begins with the letters “A” through “J” will park in the BACK school yard facing the field. To insure the safety of the children, parents should stand near the exit your YOUNGEST child will use, and walk them to your car.
HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 103, 105, 106, 107, 202, 203, 204, 205
will be dismissed through EXIT A (facing Brandow’s).
HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 108, 109, 115, 117 will be dismissed through the Courtyard (near library)
HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 208, 209, 212, 213, 215, 217
will be dismissed through stairway “D” (Father Healy Annex).
Those whose last name begins with the letters “K” through “Z” will park in the FRONT school yard facing WEST (York Road). Parents should stand near the exit your YOUNGEST child will use, and walk them to your car.
HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 103, 105, 106, 107, 202, 203
will be dismissed through EXIT A (facing Brandow’s).
HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 108, 109, 204, 205, 208, 209
will be dismissed through EXIT B (middle of building).
HOMEROOM NUMBERS: 115, 117, 212, 213, 215, 217
Will be dismissed through EXIT C (closest to Church).
HALF DAY KINDERGARTEN & ALL PRESCHOOL STUDENTS: The half day kindergarten van for Centennial will still transport half day students on the regular schedule. Call school office by 10:00 am if you do not want your child on the van on early dismissal days. All Preschool students will dismiss at Door “C” at 11:45 am on early dismissal days.
If your child is normally a bus rider, but will be a car rider/walker on early dismissal days, or if your child is car-pooling with another family, please send a note to the homeroom teacher with that information.
We cannot stress enough the importance of observing a 5 MPH speed in the parking lot AT ALL TIMES to assure the safety of all our children. We would all be devastated should any accident happen to one of our students in the parking lot because of someone’s inattention or excessive speed.
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When winter weather becomes a reality, what do we do about school?
Many factors enter the decision to close school for the day or close early once we are already in school. The decision to close our school or open later than usual is usually made by the public school district that is providing transportation. The decision is not taken lightly. Safety of the children waiting at bus stops or on the roads is the primary concern. While finding child care for your child is difficult at the last minute, every parent that has children in school should have a backup plan for child care in the event school is closed and the parent has to be at work.
Since we are located in the Centennial School District, any announcements pertaining to Centennial Schools will apply to Nativity in the event of emergency school closings or early dismissals or late start times. However, someone will remain at school until all students have been picked up or delivered to the C.A.R.E.S. program. Information on the C.A.R.E.S. program can be obtained from their answering machine at (215) 672-5914.
Other announcements by the other school districts will pertain only to their transportation. For example, if Council Rock School District is running two hours late but Centennial is opening on time, Nativity school will open on time but Council Rock buses to school will be two hours late. It is then your decision to have your child take the bus at the adjusted time or provide your own transportation. Half day kindergarten attendance is at the parents’ discretion in the event of a delayed opening. Conversely, if Nativity is opening two hours late but Council Rock is opening on time, their transportation will run at the regular time. It is your decision to use the bus or transport your child at the delayed opening time. Someone will be at school to receive children using the buses that are running at the regular time.
Please listen to KYW radio (1060 am) for the school closing numbers or listen to/watch Channel 6 (WPVI), Fox Philadelphia, Channel 10 (WCAU) for closings listed by name. Each station’s website will also have a school closing link.
We will also put a message on the school answering machine with information about overnight decisions to delay opening or closing for the day. Please dial 215-675-2820 to hear the message.
In addition, we will post a message on the school website (www.nativity-school.org) to check for school closing information. As soon as any information is available regarding our status we will get it posted to this website link so you will be informed of the situation (if the internet is cooperating).
Our new automated notification system, ParentBroadcast, will call your home number with a message regarding school during weather situations provided you have not opted out of receiving this message from the service.
EMERGENCY EARLY DISMISSALS
(for storms during a school day or other situation that creates the need for an emergency early dismissal..)
ParentBroadcast, our automated notification system, will contact you via the numbers you submitted to the system in addition to your home phone number as soon as we can give you accurate and complete information about the various districts' decisions to close and transport when conditions deteriorate.
Should you choose to pick up your child instead of their usual bus transportation in the event of an emergency early dismissal, you must come to the office to collect them. Parents may not go to the classroom to take their children home. All students must be signed out in the office.
If you need to notify us of a change in your child's usual transportation, please fax the information to the school office at (215) 675-9413 or email Mrs. Chirillo at mchirillo@nativity-school.org.
This is for the safety and well being of your child so that we know where they are and who is responsible for their care. Usual car riders will be dismissed at a time announced with the early dismissal information.
IMPORTANT!!!!
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL OFFICE to inquire about the situation so that we can keep the school lines open for calls from the various school districts to inform us of their individual decisions. We do not hear from all the districts at the same time and they do not all make the same decision. We will not release incorrect information based on hearsay. We recommend you do not make a decision based on hearsay either.
We have provided many ways for you to check on the status of the day without tying up the phone lines. We hope you understand our need for your cooperation in this matter.
Thank you for your cooperation in these matters.
SUMMARY OF PROCEDURES
For overnight storms, to check for school closing or delays…
You will receive a phone call from ParentBroadcast at your home number with school closing or delay information.
 | Listen to KYW or check the internet (www.kyw.com) for school closing numbers for both Centennial and the district that provides buses for your children. |
Centennial #753 Central Bucks #755 Council Rock #756
OR for closing/delay information by school name…..
| Check the websites or watch the broadcast of |
Channel 6 (www.wpvi.com) Channel 10 (www.nbc10.com)
Fox 29 (www.fox29.com)
OR for school information if you cannot do either of the above,
| Call the school number (215) 675-2820 to hear the answering machine message about opening or delays. |
|
For storms during a school day or other situation that creates the need for an emergency early dismissal…..
Nativity of Our Lord School will send a message via ParentBroadcast when information is received from each transportation department to notify you of dismissal changes. (These times will only be ESTIMATES as to arrival for pickup at school.)
Nativity of Our Lord School will NOT answer phone calls from parents about dismissal because it is imperative to keep our two phone lines open to receive calls from the districts that serve our students for information gathering and updates. The school will place an updated message on the answering machine when information on all districts is received.
If you need to change your child’s transportation home for an emergency early dismissal, you may….Fax the school office at (215)
675-9413 with the pertinent information OR email Mrs. Chirillo at mchirillo@nativity-school.org to convey the information.
Reminders for parents:
If you are aware that an emergency early dismissal is possible during the school day, please have a conversation with your child before school about after- school arrangements or write a note for them about how they should be going home.
No student will be allowed to use a cell phone at any time to call a parent to request the parent to come to school to pick them up. Please do not put your child in an awkward position by asking them to call you on a cell phone.
EMERGENCY EARLY DISMISSALS
For Emergency Early Dismissals ONLY, we will activate the Home and School Emergency Call Chain to those families who have returned the Call Chain form issued by the Home and School by the required deadline. We will make every attempt to notify you from the emergency numbers that were turned in to the Home and School in September. If you have had phone number changes since September, please direct any new information DIRECTLY to the Home and School Association, Attention: Trish Johnson via the school office. If you did not return this form by the deadline, you will not be on the call chain.
Should you choose to pick up your child instead of their usual bus transportation in the event of an emergency early dismissal, you must come to the office to collect them. Parents may not go to the classroom to take their children home. All students must be signed out in the office. This is for the safety and well being of your child so that we know where they are and who is responsible for their care. Usual car riders will be dismissed at a time announced with the early dismissal information.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL OFFICE to inquire about the situation so that we can keep the school lines open for calls from the various school districts to inform us of their individual decisions. We do not hear from all the districts at the same time and they do not all make the same decision. We will not release incorrect information based on hearsay. We recommend you do not make a decision based on hearsay either.
We have provided many ways for you to check on the status of the day without tying up the phone lines. If you need to notify us of a change in your child’s usual transportation, please fax the information to the school office at (215)675-9413 or email Mrs. Chirillo at mchirillo@nativity-school.org We hope you understand our need for your cooperation in this matter.
Please consult the back page of this pamphlet for a summary of what to do in the event of a weather or other emergency closing or early dismissal.
Thank you for your cooperation in these matters.