Parent Resources

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Our dress code is designed for students to feel comfortable while learning:

Kindergarten-Grade 8 Dress Code

• Dress Code

Weekly Schedule Kindergarten-Grade 8   
Mondays and Reading Days

• Dress down or school uniform

Tuesdays - Thursdays

• School uniform

Fridays

• Spirit Day or school uniform

Preschool Dress Code
Preschool students are not required to wear school uniforms. They are also welcome to participate in Friday Spirit Days. 

Standard daily preschool clothing requirements are as follows:

• Athletic shoes with rubber soles (if possible, Velcro or slip-on). No open-toed or open-heeled shoes.

Preschool students will be participating in hands-on art activities during which they may get their clothes dirty:

• Parents are asked to dress their children accordingly in order for the children to explore all aspects of the preschool curriculum with the freedom they desire.
• Appropriate attire includes outdoor gear which will adequately protect the children as they enjoy nature – rain or shine.

Parents please note:

• Lunch and recesses will often be held outdoors; make sure your child has the appropriate clothing. 
• Label your child’s jackets and hoodies. 

• Preschool and kindergarten rooms are nut free.
• Send your child to school with a full water bottle each day (no glass bottles). Water bottles will be refilled throughout the day. 
• Label your child(ren)'s water bottle with their name.
• Microwaves are available to students in grades 1-8 for quick heating of lunch foods. Children in the Kindergarten, Sprout and Seedlings classes DO NOT have access to microwaves.
• Send your child to school with all eating utensils needed. 
• Practice opening lunch containers with your child at home. 
• Clearly label all food (morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, after school snack). 
• All food that will be consumed by each child will be brought from their home. 
• There will be no sharing of food.

• Parents should use the Absence/Tardy form to notify the school of absences or tardy arrivals.
• Dismissal arrangements/changes should be made through the PikMyKid app. 
• For our community's safety, keep your child home if they are sick.
• Notify the school of an extended absence. 
• Click here to view our policies regarding absences, tardies, and parent homework responsibilities in cases of unexcused absences (vacations).

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Drop-off/Pick-up Map

• Enter the car line from the W 143rd St entrance (drive south on W 143rd St and turn left into the school entrance).
• Do not park or block driveways on W 143rd St. 
• Display your car line tag on your car passenger dashboard/visor.
• Follow directions from staff while in the car line.
• Do not use your cell phone once the car line begins moving.

• Car line gates on W 143rd St open at 7:45 am.
• School doors open at 7:55 am.
• Car line closes at 8:10 am (parents arriving after 8:10 am must use the main entrance and come into the building with their child(ren) to sign them in at the main office).
• Students begin their day at 8:15 am.
• Please make sure your child arrives on time.

Students will be assisted

• Do not let your child out of your car until a Birchwood staff member opens the door to your vehicle.
• Parents are not permitted to walk their children into the building (except for late arrivals - see above).

Before School Care

• Before School Care only accepts students before 7:45 am.
• Students who arrive after 7:45 am must be dropped off through the car line using the W 143rd St entrance. 

Birchwood School of Hawken now uses the PikMyKid dismissal platform. The mobile app- and online-based tool offers Birchwood families both convenience and safety in dismissal procedures.

Parents, please visit the PikMyKid Parent App Guide document to get started. You may also visit PikMyKid Parent Page and follow the steps outlined there to download the app and register.

Afternoon Carline – Helpful PikMyKid Hints
1. Allow your phone settings to read your location.
2. Announce yourself via the app upon arrival at Birchwood School of Hawken.
3. When changing your child(ren)’s default dismissal mode, please update their status in the app as needed:

• Absent (illness, travel, etc.)
• Leave Early (indicate time of pick up)
• Carpooling (please delegate the driver of the carpool vehicle)
• Afterschool Club/Activity (ex.: Math Club, Science Olympiad, POP, Afterschool Care, etc.) 

If you encounter any problems with the app, log out and then log in again. If that doesn’t fix the problem, contact Mrs. Basmajian at abasmajian@birchwoodschool.org.

Pick Up Via Car Line

• Car line gates on W 143rd St open at 3 pm (drive south on W 143rd St and turn left into the school entrance).
• Dismissal is at 3:20 pm each day (except for Reading Days when dismissal is at noon).

Dismissal Changes

• All dismissal changes are required by 2 pm using the PikMyKid app.  
• Please do not email or text your child’s teachers about dismissal changes.
• If your child has an appointment they must be picked up from the main office by 2:30 pm.

Remaining Students When Car Lines Closes

• After all students have been picked up from the car line, any remaining students will be sent to After School Care.

Each month a half day Reading Day is scheduled for all students. Reading Days for students in grades 3-8 will be in the form of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). Younger students will have their own schedule. Following the noon dismissal staff will take part in professional development.

• Noon dismissal for ALL students in preschool through grade 8 via the car line.
• After School Care will be provided with normal charges.

• Children are allowed to dress down on their birthdays. If they have a summer birthday they can choose a day to dress down in May. If your child’s birthday falls on a weekend during the school year, they can dress down on the following Tuesday after their birthday. 
• Children are recognized on their special day with an announcement and they may choose an item from the Birchwood Treasure Box. Birchwood does not allow birthday treats, party bags, or anything brought from home to be distributed to students, with no exceptions.
• If you would still like to share something with your child’s class, you may choose a book to donate to the class library or the Birchwood Treasure box. If you donate a book, the classroom teachers will put a label with the child’s name and birthday inside the book.
• It is our desire to make your child’s day special while maintaining a low-key atmosphere that does not distract from academics. Please know that we are not trying to take the fun out of birthdays. Classroom teachers and the Main Office will continue to recognize children on their special day in special ways.
• When organizing parties outside of school, we respectfully ask that, in order to minimize hurt feelings and classroom disruptions, all invitations for parties should be managed outside of school.  

During school hours if you have any questions, please contact the main office at 216-251-2321. If you have questions for our teachers, please email them directly and they will respond at their earliest convenience.