New Student Welcome Packet
Ashford Park Elementary
2968 Cravenridge Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
678-676-6702
Dear Kindergarten Parents and Students,
Welcome to Ashford Park Elementary School! This packet is designed to help answer questions you may have about entering school this fall and guide you through the next step of your child’s educational career.
We hope you and your child have a wonderful experience here! Please feel free to contact us any time with any questions/comments/suggestions you may have.
Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Welcome Committee-
Caroline Campbell
404-408-1231/ckc222@bellsouth.net
Kathy Ramsey
770-630-8685/katramsey@hotmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does school start and end?
Breakfast eaters may enter the building at 7:00. Classrooms open at 7:20 and announcements begin at 7:35. Teachers encourage students to be in their classroom at 7:30. The tardy bell rings at 7:45; students entering the building after 7:45 will be counted as late.
If your child is tardy (arrives after 7:45), please accompany him to the school office and request a Tardy Slip.
Pre-K dismisses at 2:05 and all other grades at 2:10. For special education classroom times, please check with the school office.
What is the dress code?
At Ashford Park Elementary, we ask that you follow our uniform policy. The uniform dress policy includes white, navy, or light blue tops and navy or khaki bottoms, with brown, black or navy closed-toe shoes (or school appropriate tennis shoes). We observe the Dekalb County School System dress code, which can be found athttp://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us Details are in the Student Handbook.
Spirit wear can be worn each Friday, along with dress code approved bottoms or Denim bottoms (pants, full length shorts, capries, skorts or skirts, all of the appropriate length. Spirit Wear can be purchased at the School Store (every other Friday in the school cafeteria), as well as at various school functions (such as Open House, Registration, PTA Meetings, etc.).
How do I pick up and take my child to school?
There are three transportation categories-
Car-rider, Bus-rider, and Walker.
Please see questions below for details on each.
**During the first couple of weeks of school, you may see parent and teacher volunteers in safety vests helping direct traffic. Please be mindful of their safety and cooperate with their instructions. Thank you for helping us ensure the safety of our students and improve the efficiency of our carpool procedures**
My child will be a car-rider. How does carpool work?
At Sneak Peek, the week before school, you will receive a carpool number regardless of transportation choice.
If your child is a car rider, drop off and pick up are at the back door beginning at 7:20 and ending at 7:45am. Please drive carefully when you are around the school at all times. Please be patient, especially during the first few weeks of school while everyone is learning the routine.
Dismissal for carpool begins at 2:15. Children will exit for carpool from the back door to their cars on a first come, first served basis. Please follow all traffic laws while waiting in the carpool line. A school bus has right-of-way.
**If there are any changes in your child’s dismissal plan, a note MUST be sent to both your child’s teacher AND the office explaining your pick-up procedure**
My child will ride the bus. How do I find out the route and times?
Use the DCSS Bus and School locator www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/transportation. Or, you may follow the Bus Route link from the Ashford Park page. You may also call the school office at 678-676-6702.
My child will be a walker. How does this work?
You may walk your child into the front doors of the building. The first week of school, you may walk your child to his/her classroom. After the first week, please say your good-byes in the front lobby outside the office, and your child may walk to his or her classroom on their own. For pick-up, please remain in the front lobby and your child will come to you after they are dismissed by their teacher at 2:30pm.
Can I walk my child into school?
We know it is important for many parents to walk their child to his or her classroom the first day or week of school. Please feel free to do so! However, after the first week, please say goodbye to your child in carpool line or the front door if you are a walker. Teachers and student patrol will assist them to their classrooms, if needed. Separation anxiety can actually escalate when parents linger inside classrooms. Your child will develop a sense of independence that will be great for their confidence!
In addition, during carpool, please park in a designated parking space if you are walking your child into school. Cars are not allowed to park alongside the street by the school. Doing so can disrupt carpool traffic, block neighbors from being able to get in/out of their driveways and cause a safety issue for our students.
Can I volunteer in my child’s classroom?
In most cases, yes!! Please speak with your child’s teacher about the ways which you can help. It might be reading to the class once a week, assisting with special projects and holiday celebrations, running errands (e.g. getting pictures developed), putting together flyers or handouts that go home in backpacks, eating lunch with the class, or some other activity.
How does school lunch work?
You can arrange to make automatic payments for school lunch by credit or debit card, phone or fax – go to Food Services at http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/school-nutrition/online-payments for details on how to sign up with MyLunchMoney.com. Parents must have their children’s seven digit student identification number from his/her teacher to establish an account. Parents who do not have access to the Internet may pay by phone or fax. The sign-up form will be available during Sneak Peek from the school’s food service manager and should be returned to the address listed on the top of the form. Free and reduced lunch applications will also be available at Sneak Peek. Lunch menus are also posted to this site every two weeks. Student lunch is $1.55 (reduced is .40 cents). Students may also bring their lunch.
Each student will be given a lunch number-you can get this number from his/her teacher before school starts. Please work with your child so they know his/her number.
Breakfast is served between 7:00 and 7:25 a.m. for $1.00 (reduced is .30 cents). Pre-K and some Special Education classes eat breakfast with their teachers between 7:45 and 8:30.
May I eat lunch with my child?
Yes! We love for parents to come visit their children and your child will love it too! We do ask all parents/lunch guests to wait until after Labor Day before making a lunch visit. This allows students to get adjusted to the first few weeks of school without the temptation of wanting to go home with Mom, Dad, etc. You don’t need to make a reservation, just check in at the front office and wait in the lobby or cafeteria to meet your child’s class. Adult lunches may be purchased for $2.50 and include lemonade or punch.
What about After School Care Options for my child?
Here is a list of a few after-school care programs-
Boys and Girls Club- 404-237-0765
Camp Wieuca- 404-467-4252
KinderCare- 770-458-6506
YMCA-Prime Time- 770-451-9622
How can I be involved at the school?
The PTA has many fun and helpful activities you can support during school hours, including the School Store, the fall and spring Book Fairs and Picture Days, Field Day, and Teacher Appreciation Week. Please go to the PTA website at www.ashfordparkpta.org for volunteer opportunities.
The Ashford Park School Foundation (APSEF) is another way to be involved in the improvement of your child’s educational facility. APSEF supports curriculum and capital improvement. Please visit www.ashfordparkschool.com for more information.
The Brookhaven Bolt, www.brookhavenbolt.com, is also a foundation which gifts 100% of their proceeds to the improvement of Ashford Park School. This 5K race takes place through the neighboring streets of Ashford Park each May.
Also, ask your child’s teacher how you can get involved in his or her classroom.