Information for ParentsSchool Hours
Our school day officially starts at 8:55 a.m. following a brief school-wide meeting in the courtyard at 8:50 a.m. Students are not permitted on school grounds until 8:40 a.m. when school personnel are available to supervise. Breakfast is available for those who choose starting at 8:40am. Students are considered tardy past the 8:55 a.m. bell. For dismissal, walkers begin to dismiss at 3:05 p.m. onto the courtyard, with the primary grades going first. Student walkers in grades K-2 are escorted outside by their teachers and individually dismissed to parents. Please have a photo ID on you at all times. There is no supervision after 3:10 p.m., and thus students should leave the school grounds and report home unless being supervised a parent or designated adult. Buses begin departing shortly after 3:10 p.m. and usually conclude by 3:25 p.m. Drop Off/Pick Up Parents who drop-off/pick-up their students should do so on Stoneham Street, preferably in front of the playground with students exiting passenger side doors. You may also park cars in the Stoneham Street parking lot to meet children in the courtyard. Parents should not be dropping students off/picking up (via car) within the parking lot as doing so is a serious safety concern and delays parents who are following proper protocol. Signs are clearly posted and failure to comply could result in a ticket from the Cranston Police. Lunch/Recess Primary Grades
Intermediate Grades
Please see the school lunch menu that goes home at the beginning of each month for school lunch choices. A lunch selection/milk count is taken each morning within homerooms. Parents may either pre-pay for school lunches/milk, and lunches/milk will be debited from account, or students may pay the cashier once they select their choice. Drinks in plastic bottles, thermoses or carton are allowed. Soda and/or delivered fast food is prohibited. We do have tables designated as peanut-free zones. Students with such allergies may sit with any peers at this table, provided peers have a peanut-free lunch. Recess is held for 20 minutes,every day, following scheduled lunch times. Recess is a time for additional physical activity that fosters an enjoyment of movement and exercise as well as assisting in the development of social skills. Recess will always be held outdoors unless there is inclement weather or temperatures fall below 30 degrees. It is important that students dress appropriately throughout the year. When scheduling and supervision permits, students may be offered additional recess time if lunch is completed early. Students are required to follow set expectations during recess time. Medical Concerns/Medication in School Please do not hesitate to notify our nurse, Mrs. Smith, of any sudden onset or chronic illnesses. A chronic medical condition (asthma, diabetes, allergies etc.) should be documented in writing and sent to Mrs. Smith ASAP. Teachers will be made aware of any illnesses and follow nursing recommendations. Any type of medication, whether over the counter or prescribed, must be in the original packing or prescription container with doctor’s name. Medications can only be given at school after parents have provided the school with written consent, in the form of a prescription, from a medical doctor/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner. Change In Routine? Tardiness Frequent tardiness seriously impacts a child’s educational routine and performance. If a child is tardy 10 or more times throughout the school year, parents will be notified via a letter from the principal and the letter kept on file. If tardiness continues, the principal will most likely call home and/or notify Cranston’s Truancy Officer to remedy the issue. Absence/Early Dismissal In the event your child is to be absent or picked up early, please call the office that morning and inform our secretary, Mrs. Sasso, of the change. If calling in an absence, please include your name, child’s name and teacher, and the reason for the absence. Please note that if your child is absent 10 or more time during the school year, the principal will most likely call home and/or notify Cranston’s Truancy Officer to remedy the situation. If you are picking your child up early, in addition to calling the office, please write your child’s teacher a note informing them of the early dismissal. Parents are asked to pick up and sign students in the office only. The adult picking your child up must be listed on the Emergency Care Card and must be prepared to show a photo ID. Upon return to school after an absence, please write a note explaining the absence to your child’s teacher. Please refrain from picking your child up early between 2:30 p.m. and the end of the day. Early Dismissal/School Closing In the event of serious inclement weather, there may be the need of an early dismissal or cancelation of school. In addition to getting an automated phone call from the the Cranston Public School's Parent Link System, please continue to monitor local media, email accounts, and the Cranston Public School’s homepage for further information. During an early dismissal, teachers will follow procedure, as outlined by parents on the back of the Emergency Care Card. Permanent Changes? Change of Address/Phone In the event there is a change of address, work/personal phone number(s), or individuals designated as emergency contacts upon the emergency care card, please notify the office and/or complete a new card as soon as possible. If you have moved, you must complete a Change of Residency Form, which is available on the district website. School/District Transfer If a family is moving, either within Cranston or to another school district, the office is to be notified ahead of time to ensure an effective transition between Oak Lawn and a child’s new school. When visiting your child’s new school, please complete a Release of Records form so all educational records may be sent to your child’s new school. Prior to your child’s last day at Oak Lawn, please return all school materials and/or school property. Sharing Academic Progress Report Cards Report cards are published via Aspen at the end of each trimester. Parent Conferences If you choose to meet with your child’s teacher for a conferences, please call the office and leave a message or email your child’s teacher directly (see faculty listing for email addresses). Conferences can be scheduled at any time during the school year, preferably before or after school. Want To Get Involved? School Visitors/Volunteers For the protection of all within our school community, all persons entering the school must do so via the office entrance. All visitors will be expected to sign-in/out and wear a visitor’s pass while within the building. All school volunteers must complete a yearly Cranston Public School’s Volunteer Application prior to working within the school community. Applications are available in the office. Field Trips Throughout the year, field trips may be offered to enhance concepts and help learning come to life. In order for students to attend a field trip, a signed permission slip is required. Sometimes parents may be asked to chaperone field trips. If this is the case, parents must be approved Cranston Public Schools volunteers. Oak Lawn Elementary PTG The Oak Lawn PTG consists of a group of parents, teachers and staff working together to give our children the best educational experience possible. The work the PTG volunteers do enhances our school’s curriculum and builds community spirit. We encourage all parents to join and become active members of the PTG. |