Heathcote

Welcome to Heathcote!

On behalf of the Heathcote PTA, we welcome you and your families to Heathcote Elementary School!

Join us for the Newcomer Reception and first PTA mtg on September 25th, 2019 at 7pm

Whether your child is starting kindergarten, or you are simply a new family to Heathcote, we know that this experience can be exciting AND overwhelming for parents and students alike. We hope to make your transition to the Heathcote community easier. Most information can be found on our school’s website and under the PTA pages to the left, but here are a few things to note which should help make your transition to Heathcote a little smoother.

Eblasts

Please make sure you sign up for the PTA e-blasts, via the “Eblast registration” tab to the left. PTA information is sent out every Sunday during the school year, and occasionally during the week as time-sensitive information arises. Receiving e-blasts will ensure that you stay connected! 

District Parent Portal

Class lists, reports cards and other district information can be downloaded electronically though the Scarsdale School District’s Infinite Campus Portal. If you haven’t already registered for access to the Parent Portal, please do so now by registering on the Portal Page by clicking on the “PARENTS” tab above and scrolling down to the “Infinite Campus Portal” page to follow instructions.

Joining the PTA

We hope that all Heathcote families will join the PTA! It is a great way to meet new families, collaborate with Heathcote staff and get involved in our school. To participate in PTA-sponsored programs and to have access to our online directory, we ask that all families join the Heathcote PTA. PTA membership information is sent out in late August via our e-blasts. If you are a new family entering Heathcote during another time, please contact Nicole Lemerond for membership information. 

Drop-off & Pick-up

Getting your kids to school (and picking them up!) can be one of the most difficult tasks to navigate the first few weeks of school. (We assure you, this process becomes easier as we get deeper into the school year!) Morning drop-off takes place between 8:20am-8:39am. (Students are not permitted in the building prior to 8:20am, unless attending Instrumental Music instruction or morning Boys/Girls Club.) Students riding district or private busses are dropped-off/picked-up in the rear circle.

The first bell rings at 8:35am. At this time, all students are expected to proceed to their grade-wings and into classrooms by the second bell, which rings at 8:39am. Any students arriving to school after 8:39am must report to the nurse’s office for attendance. 

There are 3 drop-off locations in the morning:

• Rear Circle, enter at Innes Road (all grades, you CAN assist your children getting out of the car)
• Front Circle - Door #1, Main Entrance (all grades, only if your child can exit the passenger side of the car without assistance)
• Front Circle - Door #3 (grades 3-5, only if your child can exit the passenger side of the car without assistance\)

Students may walk or be dropped off by car in the front circle at either door. There is no parking anywhere in the front circle at any time. Only students who are able to exit cars without assistance should be dropped off in the front circle. Please have students exit cars CURBSIDE for safety reasons. IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS ASSISTANCE EXITING YOUR CAR, PLEASE USE THE REAR CIRCLE AS YOUR DROP-OFF LOCATION.

Bus Dismissal

All students who ride the bus home will gather in the Multipurpose Room. (Students in grades K & 1 will be escorted by an adult; older students will walk themselves to the Multipurpose Room.) A Teacher Aide will be there to help direct the students to their bus.

If you will be picking up your child(ren) from school, please note the following procedures: There are 5 dismissal locations, at 3:10pm:

Grades K-2 pick-up by foot:

• Kindergarten students being picked up by foot will be dismissed at the kindergarten wing door
• 1^st grade students being picked up by foot will be dismissed through Front Door #1
• 2^nd grade students being picked up by foot will be dismissed through Front Door #2

Grades K-2 pick-up by car:

• All K-2 students being picked up by car MUST be picked up in the rear circle. At dismissal, teachers will escort students to the rear circle dismissal door located beside the gym. A Teacher Aide will direct children to their cars. Cars will queue up in a pick-up line in the rear circle. 
• Older siblings may join their younger siblings at the rear door to be picked up together. Due to safety reasons, younger siblings are not permitted to meet older ones in the front of the building for car pick-up.

 Grades 3-5 pick-up by Foot or Car:

Parents may pick-up students in grades 3-5 at door #3 in the front circle, where they are dismissed. There are 2 lanes for dismissal. The outer lane is for pick-up. The inner lane is to allow cars to circle around again in the event that students being picked up are not yet outside. Students are not allowed to leave the curb until their car has pulled up to the dismissal area in front of Door #3. 

School Dismissal Manager

Please see the School Dismissal Manager link under the Parents tab above to submit your child’s regular dismissal schedule. School Dismissal Manager should be used if changes to your planned pick up need to be made during the school day. All changes must be submitted by 1:30pm.

Parking:

There is no parking available in the rear of the school during school hours, or during dismissal. Parking is available in designated "visitor" spaces in the front of the school. If you need to park at school for pick-up, please allow extra time to exit the parking lot as traffic can be heavy during this time and pulling-in and out of parking spaces can be tricky

District Bus:

Students who qualify for bus transportation should receive a letter in August with their bus stop location and pick-up/drop-off times. New residents, or anyone with questions, should contact Gerson Katuemutima, the Supervisor of Transportation at (914)721-2435 or transportation@scarsdaleschools.org. For more information, visit the “Transportation” page of the district website. For those that do not qualify for the District bus, private bussing may be available. 

(Please refer to the PTA Handbook for more information on drop-off/dismissal procedures and Inclement Weather dismissal procedures.)

School Schedule

Scarsdale schools use a 6-day timetable, which determines when your child will have “specials” such as PE, music, library, art, Spanish and technology. Each school day is assigned a letter day – A through F. Once day F has been completed, the schedule reverts back to Day A. If your child has Art on Day A and it corresponds to a Monday, he/she will have Music the following Tuesday (assuming there are no holidays during this time.) The district and community calendars note the “Letter Days” for each school day. Your teacher will note the specials at the start of school. PE is one to note as children are not allowed to participate without athletic shoes. 

These days are indicated on the PTA calendar.

School Supplies

The PTA offers grade-specific school supplies for purchase, which are conveniently delivered to your child’s classroom. If you did not have the chance to purchase school supplies through the PTA last Spring, please contact your child’s teacher to find out which supplies are needed.

Lunch Program

The students eat lunch during two lunch periods, in 2 separate areas. Kindergarten and 1^st grade eat in the older Multipurpose room, now known as MPR C, and 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grades eat lunch in the new Multipurpose Rooms, aka MPR A and B. Students sit with their classes at assigned tables, which are set up specifically for lunch during their lunch period. Kindergarten, 2^nd and 4^th grades have lunch from 11:45-12:15, followed by recess from 12:15-12:45; 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th grades have lunch from 12:15-12:45, with recess prior from 11:45-12:15.

The Scarsdale School District runs our lunch program. Lunch service will begin on Monday. This optional program offers daily lunch options for purchase during the school year.  Please look out for communications from the District. Tara Cook runs the prgram.

Snacks

Children in all grades can bring a snack from home to eat during the morning recess. Snacks are eaten in the wings and must be tree-nut and peanut-free.

After School Clubs

Our PTA offers After School Clubs, for 2 trimesters (Fall and Spring) during the school year from 3:15-4:15pm.  Please refer to the “After School Club Program” tab to the left for more information.

Lastly, the PTA relies on volunteers to make all of our programs successful for our children. If you are interested in getting involved, your child’s class parent can help or contact Deborah Lichtenstein, our VP of Class Parents at heathcoteptaclassparents@gmail.com to send you in the right direction! There are many ways to volunteer and whether or not you choose to chair a committee or simply support just one PTA initiative– we depend on parent involvement.

Once again, we welcome you to Heathcote! Please do not hesitate to contact anyone on the Executive Committee – especially over these next few weeks!

Other sources of information for New Residents:

Scarsdale Inquirer

This weekly newspaper (distributed on Fridays by subscription) covers local news as well as school and community events. Please visit www.scarsdalenews.com for more information.

 Local Cable TV

Cablevision:

Channel 77 – Covers information and televised school district meetings, including snow days and school-related programs.

Channel 75 – Scarsdale Village information and televised meetings.

Verizon Fios:

Channel 27 – Covers information and televised school district meetings, including snow days and school-related programs.

Channel 42 – Scarsdale Village information and televised meetings.

 Newcomers Information Packet

Information about Scarsdale Village facilities and activities is available at Village Hall, located at 1001 Post Road.

 Scarsdale New Residents Club

If you are new to the area and interested in meeting new people, the Scarsdale New Residents Club is a social club established to provide support and new friendships. Activities include informal monthly coffee mornings, social events such as golf, tennis, walking groups, book clubs, game nights, movie nights, playgroups and trips. To find out more, please visit their website at www.mysnrc.com.

 Scarsdale Recreation Programs

To receive email regarding registrations for Scarsdale Recreation Sports, you must set up an account with Scarsdale RecOnline. Please visit www.scarsdale.com and click on “Online Recreation Registration” to be directed to the registration page or to view programs and memberships (such as for the Scarsdale Municipal Pool or Tennis court permits.)

New Heathcote Families Coordinator: Deborah Lichtenstein