Tips and Tricks for Elementary Families

Welcome to Bridgeview Montessori School Elementary!

The Parent Handbook and parent orientations are certainly wonderful resources for you to use as you learn about our school. However, here are some additional pieces of information for you to know as you join the Bridgeview Montessori community.

• PARENT NOTICE BOXES are color-coded to your child’s classroom. Please check them when picking up your child. These are one of the key ways we communicate with parents. They are available daily at your child’s dismissal door. We ask that only adults check these folders.

• Please know that every Friday (or Thursday if we have a holiday), we send BRIDGEMAIL via our Constant Contact email system. This is a very important email to check each week. You can find upcoming dates, updates about goings-on in the classrooms, and important reminders. Don’t miss it.

• You should have received a yearly calendar in a recent mailing. Please keep this handy. You can also access it here.

• Elementary students should have backpacks, lunchboxes, and a labeled refillable water bottle to keep at school.

• Students should pack a snack separately from their lunchboxes.

• All of our classrooms are NUT FREE. You will receive a separate notice with some substitution ideas.

• Dress your child in clothing they can take on and off independently. For example, belts are difficult, and mittens are easier than gloves. Layers also work best. Your child is encouraged to keep a sweatshirt or sweater in his/her hall cubby as well. LABEL EVERYTHING.

• Students wear plain, well-fitting slippers while in the classrooms. Backless slippers are not ideal. These classroom slippers stay at school; however, teachers may send them home over a vacation for a wash and repair. Parents have found good deals at Target. L.L.Bean also offers some good choices. EII students sometimes like to wait to see the trends. CROCS or other “indoor shoes” are often good choices for older students. Please avoid character slippers or those with “big heads.”

• In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, we encourage families to think about waste-free lunches. Both www.planetbox.com and www.laptoplunches.com have reusable products. To reduce paper use, students are encouraged to bring two cloth napkins in their lunchboxes -- one they use as a placemat and the other they use as a napkin.

• We strongly suggest sneakers in the fall and spring and boots in the winter for our playground. Sandals, crocs, mary-janes, etc. can get filled with the small gravel that covers a portion of the space. There is nothing worse then wasting recess time taking rocks from your shoes.

• Because we enjoy our outside recess even in cold weather, we suggest that you keep a second set of snowpants at school in the winter months. Bargains can often be found early in the season.

• Parents may choose to use PARENT NOTICE BOXES for distributing birthday invitations. However, if you are only inviting a portion of the class, we suggest that you use the US mail. Students should not hand out invitations in class.

• Please have your child keep electronics, cell phones, toys, special jewelry (or the like) at home. Students should not bring money to school. If a child must have a cell phone, it must stay in the Head of School’s office during the school day.

• Please follow the parking and “pick-up/drop-off” directions that you will get in your “back to school” packet of information. PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND WITH EXTREME CAUTION IN OUR PARKING LOT! Thanks.

• LABEL EVERYTHING! Our Lost and Found is located in the lobby. Periodically, we will also post pictures in BRIDGEMAIL of lost items.