As we are all uncomfortably aware, the number of cases of COVID-19 in the Lynchburg community are rising rapidly and straining the capacity of local healthcare facilities and providers. Please do all you can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Be our partner by wearing a mask when out in public and by social distancing. Last school year was highly successful due in no small part to the teamwork and cooperation of the entire James River community. This school year will require the same commitment. I would encourage you to consider getting vaccinated if you have not already done so. Vaccination has proven to be the most effective way of protecting our population from the worst effects of COVID-19. Thank you in advance for doing your part to keep James River Day School open and safe.
This school year is off to a great start! Your children are settling in well! It is wonderful to see and hear them modeling good behavior. They are wearing their masks appropriately (with the occasional lapse that is cheerfully remedied). They are being kind and respectful to their teachers and each other. And they are learning! In addition to their school work, they are learning new routines and procedures. This is where you, as parents, can help them and the school. Please assist your children by doing the following.
This school year is off to a great start! Your children are settling in well! It is wonderful to see and hear them modeling good behavior. They are wearing their masks appropriately (with the occasional lapse that is cheerfully remedied). They are being kind and respectful to their teachers and each other. And they are learning! In addition to their school work, they are learning new routines and procedures. This is where you, as parents, can help them and the school. Please assist your children by doing the following.
- Please remind them to bring water each day. Students need to bring a clean water bottle EVERY day. The water fountains are off, so the children must depend on their water bottles for hydration.
- Please place your family’s carpool dash cards on your dashboard during both MORNING and AFTERNOON carpool. This helps us learn families and cars, which will in turn speed up carpool.
- Please have students arrive in the morning between 7:50 and 8:15 a.m. Due to numerous requests, we have moved back the start time for morning drop-off to 7:50 a.m. Thank you for the feedback!
- Please remember, no flip flops! Tennis shoes are preferred. Sandals, if worn, should have a closed toe and back strap.
I also wanted to share some information about dismissal procedures.
- Lower school students stay in their classrooms until their rides arrive.
- K-1 students with an older sibling in grades 2-4 stay in their classrooms until they and their older sibling are called to the 2-4 dismissal.
- After K-4 dismissals are over, younger students with an older sibling in middle school will go to the library to await their older siblings.
- Middle school dismissal begins at 3:30 p.m. Middle school students with siblings in lower school pick up those siblings at the exterior library door on their way to carpool.
- If parents need to pick up their children before their normal dismissal time for appointments, please call the front desk early in the day or send a note that morning. Mrs. McCombie will add this information to the day’s dismissal sheet.
- Students dismissing early need to be signed out at the front desk.
Thank you again for your support of the school. The momentum created by our successes last year has carried over to this year. Let’s keep it going!