General Routines

Starting Wednesday, September 26, all line-up will take place indoors. All entrance to the school will be through the main entrance, along the driveway.

Arrival and Line-Up

	Teachers will pick-up extended-day students from the cafeteria at 8:02 a. m., Monday through Thursday.
	First and second graders gather with their classmates in the cafeteria, while third, fourth and fifth graders assemble in the gym.
	At 8:35, students in grades three, four, and five will line-up by class in the gym. Fourth and fifth graders will be dismissed to walk up independently, with school staff monitoring the stairways. Third-grade teachers will meet their classes in the gym.
	First and second-grade teachers will meet their classes in the cafeteria.
	Staff will continue escorting kindergarten students from breakfast to the classrooms. Family members may continue escorting kindergarten students to classrooms, as well.

We ask that all adults say their goodbyes to students (1-5) at the cafeteria entrance. Adults may continue to join kindergarteners at breakfast. With an eye towards lessening congestion and maintaining security, only adults escorting kindergarteners or going to the office are permitted in the hallways as the children are going to their classes. We ask that adults refrain from entering the gym and the cafeteria during breakfast or line-up. To maintain the utmost safety for our children, parents who wish to converse may do so in the area between the main entrance and the security desk, keeping the lobby clear. We will have plenty of adult supervision at breakfast, with at least two teachers and an administrator joining the school aides and a school safety agent.

Our children have shown a lot of independence, responsibility, and maturity during morning line-up. The fourth and fifth-graders are acting as role models for the younger students as they walk to class independently

Dismissal

	Kindergarten will dismiss from the classrooms.
	First and second graders will dismiss from the gym. Classes will line up behind cones. We ask that adults remain on the other side of the cones, to maintain an orderly dismissal.
	Third graders will dismiss onto the driveway through the main entrance.
	Fourth graders will dismiss onto the driveway through the set of doors just past the main entrance.
	Fifth graders will dismiss onto the driveway through the rear set of doors.
	We ask that adults picking up children on these days do not wait in the lobby, in order to make dismissal flow more easily.

Breakfast
A free breakfast is available from 8 - 8:25 in the cafeteria. Children will be brought to their appropriate drop off area after breakfast.

Lateness
Children who arrive after the teachers have escorted their students to class are considered late. Children arriving late should enter the school via the main entrance and must first stop and get a late pass before going to their classroom.

Lunch and Recess
P.S. 163 has staggered lunch/recess periods currently scheduled as follows (but subject to change at the administration’s discretion):

Hot lunch is available to all. Families are billed every two months according to ability to pay. Forms are available for reduced price lunch in the office. If you prefer, you may provide your child with a lunch from home. Note that there are no refrigerators or heating facilities, so please pack an appropriate lunch.

Recess is held outside in the schoolyard, weather permitting. Depending upon weather and temperature conditions, children will have indoor recess as necessary.

Gym Schedule
Please make sure that your child is appropriately dressed for their scheduled Physical Education (PE) class. All children should be wearing sneakers or flat rubber soled shoes. Girls must have shorts or pants available if they are wearing skirts or dresses to school on PE days.

Dismissal
Only parents or others specified on a child’s School Emergency Information form may pick up a child from school. You must notify your child’s teacher in writing if someone else will be picking up your child.

Dismissal times are as follows:
2:55 – Children taking school buses leave their classroom for the bus. Students will be brought to the cafeteria until they are escorted outside to their buses.
3:00 – Dismissal:
Kindergarten students may be picked up at their classrooms just prior to 3:00 p.m. At 3:00, teachers will escort remaining Kindergarten students to Room 111.
Grades 1 – 5 are dismissed from the schoolyard, weather permitting. Please wait until your child’s teacher lines up the class and acknowledge the teacher before you leave the schoolyard.
In inclement weather, the dismissal procedure is as follows:

First and Second Grade – Parents may enter the building through the main entrance. They must proceed directly into the auditorium and remain on the right side of the room until dismissal. Do not sit on the left side. The left side is reserved for children who are being picked up for after-school. At 2:55, teachers will bring students to the gym, where they will be seated on the floor. At 3:00, parents will exit the auditorium through the front entrance, proceed to the gym and pick up their children. Families will then exit the gym through the gym entrance.

Third and Fourth Grade – Students will exit the building through the main entrance onto the driveway.

Fifth Grade – Students will exit the building through the back exit onto the driveway.

Parents and guardians with children in more than one grade – many of you have come up with inventive ways to handle this situation. Parents may choose to have one child dropped off in the late room and pick up the child from that location.
Shortly after 3:00, teachers will escort remaining children to room 111. Please make every effort to be on time as staff resources are limited.
Children must be in Grades 3 or higher to be allowed to leave the school unescorted.

If You Need To Pick Up Your Child Early
If you need to pick up your child before the end of the school day, go to the school office and ask a staff member to page the child’s class, then sign your child out in the signout book. No child will be paged from 2:30 pm until dismissal. Please avoid unnecessary absences by scheduling doctor and other appointments after school hours.

In Case of Absence
All children must bring in a signed note from their parent or guardian upon their return to school from an absence. For absences of 3 days or more, a doctor’s note confirming medical clearance to return to school is required. Class time is important to student achievement so please avoid unnecessary absences. The school also loses funding with each absence. Note that sufficient attendance is one of the criteria for promotion.

In Case of School Closings in Severe Weather
For information on school closings or delayed openings during severe weather conditions, please listen to local radio or television newscasts on WINS (1010 AM), WCBS (880 AM), WCBS (Channel 2), WNBC (Channel 4), WNYW (Channel 5), WABC (Channel 7), WNYE (Channel 25), NY1 (Channel 1), and in Spanish, WADO (1280 AM). Do not call the school. You can also check the Department of Education website at http://www.nycenet.edu.

On occasion, weather conditions may cause a two-hour delay at the beginning of the school day. Should this happen, please do not bring your child to school before the announced time. Also, please provide your child with breakfast at home, since we will not be in a position to serve breakfast in school that morning.

Should a storm occur during the school day and cause an early closing:

1. Check the news stations listed above to determine the exact closing time.
2. Please arrange to pick your child up at the early closing time because after school programs will be cancelled as well.

A delay in school opening will not change the 3:00 PM school closing time unless you hear otherwise on the radio or TV announcements. If you learn of a change in the afternoon pick up time before your child leaves for school, let your child know of any change in the afternoon pick up arrangements for the day. Write a note to your child’s teacher and remind your child to give the note to the teacher.

If there are any problems with this website, please contact us at web@ps163pta.org