Parent Resources

Medical Forms

Click here for medical forms.

Dress Code

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

Kindergarten-Grade 8 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 may participate in Friday Spirit Days. 
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. 

Water Bottles, Lunch & Snack

  • 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.

Absences, Tardies & Travel

  • 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).

Before and After School Care

Click here for details and fees.

Car Line

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.

Morning Entry

  • 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.
  • School personnel walk students of all ages into the building. 
  • 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. 

Dismissal

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.

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.

Reading Half Days

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.

Birthday Recognition

  • 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.  

Sick Policy

Sick Policy & Communicable Disease Notification
This is the season when more students may become ill and be absent from school. Please contact Nurse Morales at mmorales@birchwoodschool.org if you have any questions regarding illness or communicable diseases. 

Sick Policy: All students that are absent three or more consecutive days due to illness require a return to school note from a health care practitioner. The note may be sent with the child when they return to school or emailed to health@birchwoodschool.org. This note is required to qualify as an excused absence that complies with State of Ohio attendance laws. Please refer to the complete sick policy below:

Birchwood School Sick Policy

Communicable Diseases: Please notify the school if your child has been diagnosed with a communicable disease at health@birchwoodschool.org and for further instructions regarding exclusion criteria for the student. We also email a notification to all families in the affected grade of potential exposure. Communicable diseases: RSV; COVID-19; influenza; strep throat; pink eye; lice; hand, foot, and mouth disease; croup; scabies; whooping cough; molluscum contagiosum; impetigo; pinworm; and ringworm.

Weather-Related School Closings

Administrative Resources

Questions

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.  
 
Cristiana Parrino
School Secretary
cparrino@birchwoodschool.org
Text only at 216-712-9380
Call 216-251-2321
 
Claudia Bixler
Director of Operations
cbixler@birchwoodschool.org
Call or text 216-789-0865

Birchwood Spirit Store

Click the link to shop the Birchwood School of Hawken Spirit Store.

Browse and purchase a variety of branded Birchwood School of Hawken apparel, including T-shirts, polos, hoodies, and activewear.

Great for gifting, Spirit Day attire, and showing off your Birchwood Pride.

4400 West 140th Street  |  Cleveland, OH 44135  |  216.251.2321