Kent Heights School

Kent Heights Elementary School 2016 Blue Ribbon School 2680 Pawtucket Avenue East Providence, RI 02914 401-435-7824 401-435-7839 (Fax)

Kathryn Crowley Stephen E. Prew Superintendent Principal

September 1, 2017

Dear Kent Heights Families, I hope that you and your child have had a great start to the 2017-2018 school year. It was wonderful to see all the smiling and eager faces arriving on the first day. I would like to thank our amazing PTA for all their help on the first day of school. You may have noticed them out in the recess area helping you and your child find their classroom teachers as well as answering any questions that you may have had. They are a dedicated group who want Kent Heights to continue being one of the best schools in the country. This year, this incredible group of parents, have been recognized as National PTA School of Excellence for all that they do for our school community. Congratulations!!! You may have noticed that it is very congested around the school at the drop off and pick up times of the day. I continue to meet with the Superintendent, our Director of Safety, and the East Providence Police Department to ensure the safe entering and exiting of our students during these times of the day but I need your help! I understand that we are all busy. I understand that we all want to see our children enter the school and we have procedures in place to facilitate a safe a entering and exiting of school. Please review the below procedures to maintain the safety of all. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Drop Off: Drop off should occur on the Howland Avenue side of the school between 8:30 AM and 8:40 AM. I am unable to allow students into the building prior to 8:30 AM, unless they are our safety patrols. After 8:40 AM, all students should enter through the main office. If arrival occurs after 8:40 AM, please walk your child into the main office and sign them in. After 8:40 AM students are considered tardy, and need to have a parent/guardian present to sign them in. During drop off, parents should park on the far side of Howland Avenue (away from the school) if they plan to walk their children to the door. There is no parking on the school side of Howland Avenue. The cones are set up to help keep the traffic moving as children are let out of their cars. Please be careful when crossing Howland Avenue!!! If you are dropping off your child please pull your vehicle up to the kindergarten area. This area is designated for this purpose. Stopping in the middle of the road only impedes others and creates an unsafe situation. Between 8:30 AM and 8:40 AM, students should not be dropped off on Wannamoisett Rd. (Main Office side). Wannamoisett Rd. is designated for the buses drop off students and this area becomes extremely congested when you add vehicles to the situation. Pick Up: Non-bus students should only be picked up on the Howland Avenue side of the school. Please be at the doors so that teachers can identify you, and safely dismiss your children. We do not want students walking across Howland Avenue unless escorted by an adult. Our buses arrive anywhere between 2:40 PM and 3:05 PM. At times, our buses can be late for a number of different reasons. If you happen to be late picking up your child, or have had to make other arrangements for their pick up, please notify the school ASAP. During pick, please do not park in the front of the building on Wannamoisett Rd. Cars parked in front of the school block the buses and interfere with the safe dismissal of students. Please keep in mind that you must come into the building if you are dismissing your child from the main office. We will not allow any child to walk to a parent/guardian’s car unsupervised by an adult. Your child’s safety is our number one priority! As stated above, these procedures and protocols have been put in place to ensure the safety of your child when arriving and leaving school. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Respectfully,

Stephen E. Prew Principal Kent Heights Elementary School 2680 Pawtucket Avenue East Providence, RI 02914 (401) 435-7824