Estabrook's Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Estabrook! We know that you may have many questions about our school. We hope you come to a PTA meeting to learn more about our school and the many opportunities for parent involvement. Following are a few of the basic facts you may find helpful in getting started at Estabrook. If you have any other questions, feel free to call at 781-861-2520 or email us at mbatten or mzottoli @sch.ci.lexington.ma.us. - Martha Batten, Principal & Michelle Zottolli, Assistant Principal

Whenever your child is absent from school, please call the office before 8:30 on the day of the absence or anytime before the day of the absence and leave a message with your child's full name, the reason for the absence, anticipated date(s) of absence, and the teacher's name. The voicemail is on whenever there is not someone in the office. Our number is 781-861-2520. We will check teachers' absence lists against parent calls. If your child has been marked absent but you did not call him/her in, we will contact you or, if necessary, your emergency contact. If we cannot locate you or your child, we will call the police for assistance. It is NOT necessary to send in a note once your child has returned to school. Children who will arrive to the classroom after 8:45 should stop in the office to check in. A child not in the classroom at 8:45 a.m. according to the school office clock is considered tardy.

Families are strongly encouraged to use the bus service, since traffic is quite heavy at drop off and pick up times. Bus routes are published in the Lexington Minuteman during the last week of August. After that, see the school secreatary to sign up for the bus and find out what the closest stop is. Students who live more than two miles from school ride the bus free. Other families may pay for the bus. Only students who have paid for the bus may take another bus home to a friend's home per bus company policy. In these cases, students must bring a note from home. Two of the buses make one run. The third makes two runs, (both of which arrive to school on time). Kindergarten students are picked up with other students at the bus stop in the morning and dropped off at the stop on Thursday afternoons. On all other afternoons, students are dropped off at their homes (ONLY if an adult is visible to accept the child).

For your child's safety and well-being, we ask every family to fill out a form listing your routine plans for dismissal for each day of the week. When there is a question, we follow this plan. If you need to make a change in your child's dismissal plans, we ask that you provide us with a note with all pertinent information, including your child's name and teacher, what the change is, who the adult taking the child will be, that person's phone number, your phone number in case there are questions, and the date of the change. The Change in Dismissal Form is on our website and copies are available in the office. These notes/forms are seen by the teacher and then sent to the office for our reference. (Often the office may be dealing with dismissal issues when teachers have left the building to go to meetings.)

In case of an emergency or unexpected change (e.g. you are stuck in traffic and are arranging for someone else to pick up your child), please call the office and speak to someone directly. For the children's safety, we can only take changes in dismissal plans from parents or guardians. In addition, we may need to call you back at the phone number you have provided us to confirm parent or guardian identity. We realize that sometimes all lines are busy, but we ask that you not leave a message about dismissal after 1:30 or so; we may not be able to get to all messages before 3:15. Please note: There are only four telephone lines into the building. Arrangements for play dates should be made at home and a note sent in by the parent.

For the children's safety, Estabrook follows the district sign-in policy. Except for the 8:30-8:40 walk-in period each morning (when the halls are supervised), all visitors and parents enter via the front door and must check in at the office, speak to an office staff member about the nature of the visit, sign the register, and obtain a badge. We will call the classroom to ensure that the staff member is expecting you. All staff members have badges, and staff are instructed to query anyone in the building without a badge. If you have something to drop off for your child, please leave it with Mrs. Bello, who will see that it gets to your child. Please understand that even if you are known by many in the school, not every adult can know every other adult in the school community.

Each grade level holds a curriculum night early in the fall for parents. In addition, the district publishes grade level expectations for each grade, which are also available on the district website. You may contact the teacher if you have a specific question, and teachers may send out information about classroom studies and activities as well.

The Lextended Day program shares our space; however, they are a privately run organization and not part of the school system. If you are interested in the program, please call them directly at 781-862-8318. A bus does go from Estabrook to the Hayden Center, which also runs an extended day program.

Please bring any forgotten items you need delivered to the office. We will make sure they get to the classroom at a time that does not interrupt student learning. Per district allergy policy, all food brought to share with other students must be checked by the school nurse (it is best to call ahead of time to check about allergies).

In order to receive a directory, parents become members of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Memberships are $20. Requests to become a member of the PTA may be made in writing and accompanied by a check. Please note that school committee policy and state law does not allow staff to release the phone numbers or addresses of students without a written release.

Drop Off: Supervision is available for students who are dropped off by the bus beginning at 8:15 a.m. Students may not be dropped off prior to that time, as there is not supervision.

In the morning, when driving to school, we ask you to proceed into the parking lot, discharge children near the greeting staff member and cones near the basketball hoops, circle through the parking lot, and exit via the school roadway.
Do not drop off children on the hill, in front of the building, in the parking lot, near the gym, on right side of the school, or at any other location. On rainy or poor weather days, students may be dropped off at the covered porch door and will proceed through the hall to the designated location. An adult will always be available between 8:15 and 8:45 to greet your child(ren) either beyond the basketball hoops or on the porch.
Children should ONLY disembark from the right side of the vehicle. Please do not move your car until your child is fully away from the car.
In consideration of other families and to keep traffic moving, please park if you need to talk or have extended goodbyes with your child, locate an item or get out of the car yourself.
Walking Your Child to Class: If you wish to walk your child in to school between 8:30 and 8:40, please park and proceed in the side or front doors. Please note that school begins promptly at 8:45, and that students should arrive no later than 8:40 to ensure a successful transition to school. Parents need not sign in at the office during this time, but may walk children directly to the classroom.

Dismissal locations:, Children in grades 1-5 will come to either the side covered porch by the gym or the front hallway to meet you. Please tell your child in which location you will meet him/her. The side porch is supervised by staff members. Kindergarten students are picked up from teachers on the front patio. On Thursdays, students with kindergarten siblings are asked to go with the kindergartner to the front patio for dismissal.

Safety Issues: The adults meeting the children are requested to walk to the building and escort their child(ren) to the car. Students should not go to cars on their own. It is definitely in the children's safety interests to have adults get out of their cars and provide additional pairs of eyes, ears, and hands for them as they leave the school. NOTE: Children may ONLY go home with someone else if we have written permission from the child's parent on file.
Drive-up Pickup location: When traffic is moving freely (after 3:15 only), parents may also pick up their children directly from the car by pulling up to the side porch (near the basketball hoops). Please do not park along the porch, or along the roadway leading to the porch. Two-way traffic is impeded and visibility is greatly reduced.

General Traffic & Parking Guidelines: To ensure the safety of everyone and to permit the flow of two-way traffic in designated areas, please observe all of the traffic flow and parking signs along the school roadway.

The upper part of the traffic circle is designated for buses, handicapped parking, and emergency vehicles. Please do not park or stop for any reason in this circle in front of the school between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Families should park in the front or side lots in marked parking locations. Parking or stopping is not allowed on the hill, in the driveway next to the school, along the edge of the school or in any areas not marked for parking.
It is the aide's responsibility to ensure that traffic moves efficiently and that students are safe. Please follow her instructions.

We are interested in your ideas! The Site Council surveys parents each year and uses that feedback to help set goals for the coming year. Ms. Batten is always happy to meet with any parent to discuss issues or questions.

School begins promptly at 8:45 and ends at 3:15, except Thursday, when school is over at 12:15. We ask that students be present in their classrooms by at least 8:40, so that they have time to transition into the day.

Students may bring a lunch from home or purchase a lunch or drink from Chartwells, the district cafeteria service. A menu comes home monthly and is posted on our website. Lexington School lunch prepaid tickets make the lunch line move faster. Ticket prices are 35 tickets to a sheet for $105.00, individual ticket prices as follows:
Lunch $3.00, Breakfast $2.00, Milk Tickets: $.50

Tickets May Be Purchased at the Chartwells LHS Office (behind kitchen at Commons One) Monday through Friday 7:00 am to 10:00 am or 1:25 pm until 2:00 pm. If you wish to purchase by mail, please enclose a stamped, self addressed envelope to expedite your receipt of tickets, make all checks payable to "Lexington Public Schools" and mail them to:
Chartwells Lexington School Lunch, C/o Lexington High School, 251 Waltham Street, Lexington, Ma 02421

We strongly recommend your write your child's name on the back of each ticket. Chartwells does not replace or refund lost tickets. The PTA provides a small fund for lending money for students who forget, however, once we run out, students who have forgotten money will be served grilled cheese. Applications for free or reduced lunches are available from the Estabrook Office. Students have a 45 minute period for lunch and recess. Students may take as long as necessary to eat their lunches, although students who have finished eating may be dismissed after 15 minutes.

In the cafeteria, students are to eat only food provided by their family or purchased in the cafeteria per district policy. Students may not to give one another money, trade, or buy one another food. Families of students with allergies must inform the school nurse of the condition and provide protocol information in order to ensure student safety.

Children have a 15 minute recess each morning and most bring a snack. Kindergarten students have a separate snack time and may purchase milk or juice. (Look for a notice the first week of school.) Some classrooms may be designated as peanut or nut-free due to life-threatening allergies. Because these allergens do not have to be ingested to cause problems, children in peanut or nut-free classrooms may not bring these items to school.

We are fortunate to have a full time nurse on our staff. Please note that all medications (even over-the-counter such a throat lozenges and Tylenol) must be dispensed by the nurse and require a doctor's note per state law. Please plan to bring any medication in personally. Per state requirements, all kindergarteners must have a physical and updated immunizations prior to entering school.

A. Please refer to the calendar sent home with the Estabrook Update or Estabrook News weekly or the web page calendar.

Due to the large number of allergies and health issues, per Lexington Public School policy, parties are food free. Curricular events which involve food must be approved by the principal per policy, and all food brought in for such an occasion must be checked with the nurse.

A. If your child arrives later than 8:45 a.m., she/he needs to sign in at the front office before going to the classroom. If she/he is being dismissed early, you need to go to the front office. One of our staff members will call your child's classroom and your child will come to meet you at the office. You will need to sign your child out before leaving the building.

Yes, both. The PTA publishes a monthly newsletter called the Estabrook News and on other weeks we generally publish The Estabrook Update. They feature PTA news, school information, dates, and updates about coming events and are sent home weekly with the youngest child in each family. The most recent edition of the newsletter, along with other helpful information, is posted on our website at http://estabrook.ci.lexington.ma.us.

Please see our office administrative assistant in the school office between 8 and 1 or 2 and 4 p.m. You will need: birth certificate, proof of residency (e.g. purchase and sale or rental agreement), & immunization records. You will also need to complete a registration form, have a physician complete a physical form, and bring in or request in writing all school records from the child's previous school. If you come after the school year begins, you will also need to fill out Emergency, Dismissal Plan and other paperwork. Please note that all entering kindergarteners must be 5 by August 31 per school committee policy.

As part of our regular education program, we have a Counselor, English Language Learner Teacher, a Title 1 Math and Reading Teacher and Reading Specialists. If you have concerns in these areas, talk with your child' teacher or contact the specialist directly. The specialists will talk with the teacher and may test your child if appropriate. Teachers may also consult with curriculum coordinators in the other curricular areas. Students with disabilities may be eligible for one or more of the following special education services: speech and language, occupational therapy, adaptive physical education, or specialized instruction from one of the resource teachers. If you have concerns about your child's success at school, the first step is to speak with your child's teacher. The teacher may consult with our Teacher Support/Child Study multidisciplinary team which may recommend specific strategies for your child and/or additional assessments.

Estabrook School is committed to creating a culture of collaboration among school staff and families. The key to collaboration is open communication. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you have a question, suggestion, or concern. To contact your child's teacher, you can either send a note in with your child asking the teacher to call you or leave a message with the office. Teachers have email and voicemail, however, please keep in mind that their priority is with the children, and they do not check these messages during the school day. For issues directly related to the classroom, please speak first to the teacher before contacting Ms. Batten. For school-wide issues or unresolved classroom concerns, please contact Ms. Batten any time, We welcome your comments and suggestions. You may call at 781-861-2520.

A. Call our office at 781-861-2520 to set up an appointment to visit. A staff member will meet with you, and, if you wish, give you a tour of the school.

Estabrook has a strong tradition of parent involvement, and we are always looking for new volunteers with fresh ideas! The PTA is a vibrant organization with many committees. Be sure to join (only $20) and attend meetings, held every other month on Tuesday nights, to find out how you can be involved. Parents are elected to serve on the School Site Council, which sets goals for the school, and volunteer on subcommittees, including the AntiBias Committee, the Safe Environment Committee, and Homework Committee. Our newsletters regularly announce volunteer opportunities as well.

Estabrook comes together at school meetings generally held on one or two Wednesdays a month from 9-9:30. At these assemblies we meet together to build community, learn together, and have fun! Family members are always invited. Past meetings have included: individual students playing instruments or sharing favorite memories about the year, student skits about getting along on the playground, a whole-school spelling lesson, parents sharing their cultural background through dance or song, formal choral and dramatic performances by Estabrook students, and guest performances sponsored by ACT. We hope you can attend at least one during the year and invite you to participate!

If students do not ride the bus, they may walk (there is a crossing guard on Grove Street) and students in grades 3-5 may ride bikes if they wear helmets and parents show the students a safe route. There is a bike rack in front of the school. Students may not skate, skateboard or roller blade to school nor are these items allowed at school.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact PTA co-presidents Kim Coburn or Jan Geller, our administrative assistant, or principal Martha Batten at 781-861-2520 or check out our website at http://estabrook.ci.lexington.ma.us