August 20, 2017

Dear Brent Community,
 
The first day of school is just hours away and we have been busy with the last details of classroom set up, construction clean up, and the thoughtful planning needed to ensure our students have a safe and joyous launch to their year!
 
We also want to make sure you are informed about the details of the day and this letter aims to provide you with all the information you need. Even if you are a returning Brent Bear, please review these notes as some procedures have changed or are new this year.

Arrival
August 21st is the first day for grades K-5 and we will welcome PS/PK on August 24th and 25th (depending on last name). Our arrival procedures are:

• Arrive early if it suits your family’s schedule. Free breakfast for all students is available at 8:00am. Brent adults will be in the multipurpose room to supervise, or parents can choose to sit with their children as they enjoy this morning meal. To access the multipurpose room, please enter through the main doors.
• Enter the playground area through the front gate on North Carolina Avenue.
• Play, greet and socialize until the 8:36 bell/signal when faculty will arrive.
• Line up in your class parking spot (please see the map at the bottom of this note). Don’t forget to note your classroom number on class lists (brentelementary.org). Our K and PS/PK classes will line up at the dots closest to the rubber playground surface, with Ms. Santora’s/Ms. Homayoun’s class and Ms. Miller’s classes proceeding directly to the classroom doors.
• Say goodbye to students at their parking spots. We want to ease the transition to school and ensure that our students feel an early sense of ownership for their space. If you need to visit the main office, please loop around to the main doors so that we can make sure the playground entry doors stay clear for efficient student arrival. Brent adults will be there to direct you or to answer questions.

• Students will enter into the building at the 8:40 bell or signal.
• Start morning activities in the classroom at 8:45. Students who arrive in classrooms after that time will be marked as tardy, so please set your alarms early. On the rare occasion when you do arrive late, perhaps after a doctor’s appointment, be sure to sign in to the tardy log and receive a late pass before proceeding to the classroom. Students will not be permitted to enter the class without a late pass.
• Before care, provided by Springboard, begins at 7:30am on the second day of school.

Dismissal
In most ways, dismissal is a reverse of the arrival process:

• Enter the playground area through the front gate on North Carolina Avenue after 3:05pm.
• Wait for classes to arrive in their parking spots or for exterior doors to open at 3:15. Even those classes that use parking spots at arrival will use their exterior doors as congestion is a bit lighter than during arrival.
• Take part in our safe dismissal process: Once teachers begin to dismiss students, they will make eye contact with caregivers and physical contact (high five, fist bump, etc.) with each student to say goodbye for the day. Please do not attempt to collect students from their lines as they travel to their parking spots because it inhibits this safe dismissal process.
• Know that Springboard aftercare students will be picked up by counselors in/near classrooms before proceeding to the cafeteria and library for a snack.
• Know that students who ride busses will be directed to main office where they will remain seated, along the entry wall, while waiting for their bus to arrive.

 
Early Dismissal, Authorized Pick Up and Absences
Sign out in the main office for early dismissal. You will receive an early dismissal pass to show both the teacher and our friendly security officer. If you anticipate early dismissal, or any absence, please email your classroom teacher and our Director or Operations Denise Diggs at denise.diggs@dc.gov. Please also email Ms. Diggs if you would like to add an adult to your authorized pick up list.
 
Inclement Weather
In the case of inclement weather, both for arrival and dismissal:

• Enter through the main doors.
• Drop off/pick up students in grades K-5 in the multipurpose room. Teachers will be there holding up signs to show their room numbers.
• Drop off/pick up early childhood students in the library.

 
The Eclipse (Monday, August 21st only!)

• All Brent students will receive eclipse glasses (or should bring them to school after receiving them from their teachers during Friday’s Open House). Many classrooms will engage in other eclipse preparation activities including the design of pin hole viewers.
• Classes, at the discretion of their teacher, will head outside to the playground during the eclipse window with a focus on the 2:42 maximum eclipse time.
• Many classes will remain outside until dismissal at 3:15.
• Please review safe eclipse viewing guidelines with your child(ren), to be reiterated in classrooms. Resources can be found here: https://dcps.dc.gov/publication/guidelines-viewing-great-american-eclipse.  If you would like to opt out of eclipse viewing, please email me at norah.lycknell@dc.gov prior to 10am on August 21st.

 
A general reminder that the first day can be crowded and that we are there to help. If we see any ways to refine our procedures, we will quickly take action to adjust them. We will communicate any updates through TuesNews, with the first edition arriving in backpacks and email inboxes on August 22nd.
 
We cannot wait for the start of an incredible year!
 
Sincerely,
 
Norah Lycknell
Principal
Norah.lycknell@dc.gov
 
 
Please click below for the Playground Arrival and Dismissal Map
Playground Arrival and Dismissal Map