Dear Berea Families,
I am thrilled and honored to introduce myself as the new principal of Berea Elementary School! As we embark upon this exciting new journey together, I look forward to establishing a strong and productive partnership with you, your child’s first teacher. Our staff is working diligently to create a vibrant and nurturing learning environment which supports the success of each child as we welcome our students back to classrooms filled with engaging learning experiences and opportunities for growth.
Here are some housekeeping items for your review as we prepare for the 2024-2025 school year:
Bus Information:
- Information pertaining to bus routes will be sent home via postcard.
- Any deviation from the regular bus dismissal plan, due to childcare arrangements, requires parents to complete a transportation form found on the Transportation page.
- Please send in a pickup note to school with your child if you plan to pick up your child early or at dismissal. (Please specify if it is for a single pickup, an everyday pickup, or for the same day(s) each week.)
AM Arrival:
- Student drop-off begins at 8:50 a.m. Our instructional day begins promptly at 9:15 a.m.
- Breakfast begins at 8:50 a.m.
- Morning drop-off is “Kiss and Go” and our staff will escort students from their vehicles into the building where we will have additional staff available to direct students to their classrooms.
PM Dismissal:
- Parents arriving for student pickup will wait outside along the wall near the Kindergarten playground.
- A staff member will verify your ID and check you in.
- Once you have been checked in, please line up along the fence of the Kindergarten playground to await your child’s dismissal.
- All students who are being picked up will be dismissed from the door closest to the Kindergarten playground beginning at 3:25 p.m.
- Teachers/Paraprofessionals will escort bus students to their designated buses.
Late Arrival/Early Pickup:
- Visitors will not be granted access into the building without permission from the building administration.
- If you are dropping off your child to school after the 9:15 a.m. arrival time, please park in the parking lot, escort your child to the main entrance, and ring the bell.
- Our greeter will request you display Photo Identification for the camera.
- In the event of an early pickup, the same procedure will be followed, and the student will be escorted to the door at the main entrance by a staff member and released to the parent.
In your letter, we have provided your child’s placement for the 2024-2025 school year. Please be advised that class placement is a collaborative process that involves your child’s previous teacher, various support staff, teachers in the subsequent grade band, and building administration. We consider a variety of important factors, such as academic achievement, social skills, and the unique needs of individual students when determining the best placement for each student and, for this reason, we will refrain from making placement changes.
The first day of school for students is Thursday, September 5th. Our annual Open House will be held on Wednesday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m. This will be an in-person event with more information to follow.
On behalf of the entire Berea Elementary School staff, we wish you health and happiness in these final days of summer and look forward to an exciting 2024-2025 school year with your child. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.
Warm Regards,
Kara Raap
Principal