The first day of school is Monday, August 11th. We are very excited to see everyone! Please review the following protocols and procedures to ensure a smooth opening to the new school year.
Morning Arrival
FIRST DAY ONLY, parents/guardians will be allowed to walk their children to class.
Prior to 8:00 am, students enrolled in Extended Day will enter through the front office.
Car riders will remain in their cars until 8:00 am. At 8:00, they will be directed through the morning entry door by a staff member.
Walkers will be able to enter through the same entry door as car riders.
Bus riders will enter the building at 8:00 am.
As students enter the building, they will either report to the cafeteria for breakfast or report to their classroom.
After the 1st day, Kindergarten students will be escorted in the building by a staff member to the cafeteria to sit with their class. Kindergarten teachers will escort their students from the cafeteria to their classroom.
Staff members will also be available to walk 1st grade students or any student new to BSE to their classrooms for the first few weeks of school.
Heat Advisory
Teachers will adhere to the DCPS Weather Advisory Guidelines for PE and Recess. Children should be exposed to fresh air and exercise. However, we will follow the recommendations for outside activities as determined by the Heat Index for the day. This means time outside will be limited based on the Heat Index. Students will have access to water. We suggest that you send your child with a water bottle to keep them hydrated. Teachers have a chart to identify heat related illnesses and symptoms and will refer students to the clinic if necessary.
Volunteer Policy
Two levels of Volunteer Screening
Under the updated policy, volunteers are now classified into two categories based on their level of student interaction:
Level I Volunteers
These individuals are always under the direct supervision of district staff and are never alone with students. Level I screening includes a check against the Dru Sjodin National Sexual Offender Public Website.Level II Volunteers (New Requirement)
These volunteers may be out of direct view of staff or responsible for supervising students, such as field trip chaperones. They are now required to undergo a more comprehensive screening process, which includes:A fingerprint-based background check
A review of felonies and other criminal offenses
A national sexual offender registry check
How does this change the process?
The volunteer application portal now includes a Level II volunteer category. Applicants may select this option directly, or the system may automatically assign it based on the activities selected.
A fee of approximately $80–$100 will apply to Level II background checks. This fee is covered by the volunteer.
Current volunteers previously cleared under Level I may need to be rescreened if their duties now fall under Level II. Schools will notify those individuals directly.
Who Is Exempt?
The revised policy does not apply to:
Visitors attending short-term events like career days or guest readings.
Student volunteers who are minors, as they are always required to be supervised. While these updates provide an added layer of security, it remains best practice for both employees and volunteers to avoid one-on-one interactions with students, except under unavoidable or emergency circumstances.
Parent Involvement
We welcome your participation in the Bartram Springs Elementary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and School Advisory Council (SAC).
Visitors
For the safety of our students, all visitors are required to sign in and out in the Main Office and get a visitor’s badge to wear, which must be returned when leaving the building. We value instructional time and will keep interruptions of any kind to a minimum. Therefore, permission must be granted from the principal or designee to visit classrooms while in-session.
Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast is free for all students. Breakfast will be available in the cafeteria from 8:00 – 8:25 am. Students will eat in the cafeteria and then report to their classrooms.
Lunch is no longer free for students. The cost is $4.00 for a student lunch. Free/Reduced Lunch applications are now available on the district website beginning the 1st week of August. During lunch, students will also have the option to purchase ala carte items (snacks). They will need money on their account to make a purchase. Please use myschoolbucks.com to add money to your child’s account. Students will use their ID cards for lunch as well as purchasing ala carte items.
Afternoon Dismissal
DCPS will implement the PikMyKid app for dismissal. Please be sure to download and register the app.
Dismissal at the beginning of the year can last between 3:00 – 3:45 pm during the first few weeks of school. Please be patient as we take time to ensure that students are dismissed safely and to their appropriate destinations.
CSS, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade students will be dismissed to their dismissal areas before we begin our school-wide dismissal. 3rd – 5th grade students will be dismissed from their classrooms. o Buses and daycare vans are dismissed as they arrive.
Car rider students will be dismissed when you arrive on campus. Be sure to have your car tag displayed for the staff members to view. If your child is a car rider, you must remain in your car and go through the car rider line.
2nd – 5th grade Walkers will be dismissed at 3:00 pm and exit through the same door (located by the bike racks). Parents are encouraged to wait near the bike racks.
Please be sure to communicate how your child will get home to your child’s teacher ASAP. If there is a change in your child’s dismissal method, please notify the teacher ASAP or make the change in the PikMyKid app by 2:15 pm. To minimize confusion, please try to keep your child’s dismissal method consistent.
Field Trips - Parents must be cleared as a Level 2 volunteer to chaperone field trips. Please make sure you are cleared at least 2 weeks prior to your child’s field trip.
Early Check-Out – If you need to sign your child out early, please do so by 2:15 pm.
Extended Day – If you are interested in Extended Day (before and after school care) please check our website for information. Please email our Extended Day director, Tiffany Sorrells at pollizzit@duvalschools.org if you have any questions.
School Buses
Parents must register their child for bus service through FOCUS.
Please visit www.duvalschools.org/dcpstransportation for more information.
Kindergarten students must have a completed Kg Dismissal Form to ride the bus. Bus drivers will not transport Kg students without a completed form. An adult must be at the bus stop for drivers to release Kg students from the bus.
Student ID cards
All students will be issued an ID card.
Students will use their cards for lunch and to ride the bus.
Students will “tap” their cards to allow parents to track their students to and from school.
Students will still be able to board the bus if they lose their ID cards. Replacement ID cards will cost $5.
Prescription Medication – Parents must come into the office to drop off prescription medication. It is important to bring all required documentation with you