Hillside School questions

School supplies for Hillside: when do the kids drop them off? I can't see my little first grader carrying all this stuff, plus lunch and a book bag on the first day to his classroom.

Lunch money: Do we just go ahead into that automated lunch system now and add money to that for days when we dont' send him with lunch and he will buy?

Also does anyone know when this year they will send the letters with the classroom assignments?

And any insight as to if they'll ever give people within the walking area a bus? Not that we don't enjoy walking him TO school, however waking up the baby from nap to pick up at 2:30 is not cool.

 

Last year, I dropped the school supplies on the "meet the teacher" day...which is Friday, the 26th from 1-2pm. Seems other students brought supplies on this day too.

As far as lunch money, I used the cafe prepay website. It is handy because you can keep track of how much money your child has; but, it is annoying in that it charges a $2 or $3 fee to add money. I would throw in $10 and wait until my child had a "needs lunch money" stamp on her hand and then add some more money

I'm not sure about assignment letters, but the word "on the street" is that they are sent out the Friday before the open house--which would be the 19th this year. Maybe we'll get them in our mailboxes on the 20th??

The 1st grade staff is top-notch! Hope your little one has a good year!

 

A friend uses the Cafe Prepay website to track what her kids spend but sends in a check for payments to avoid the added fees.

You should be able to deliver the school supplies on the back to school night when the kids meet the teachers.

 

drop the supplies at meet the teacher day....NO you will not be given a bus if you are in the WALK zone. Adjust your child's nap schedule or work with other moms in the neighborhood....

 

there would be a serious issue if the county paid for school busses for people easily within safe walking distance of the school...

 

We are new to Hillside/Loudoun County. I'm glad to hear that we have the electronic payment option here.

 

We who are a little over a mile away are fearing we'll LOSE our bus this year. I can't imagine LCPS actually adding a bus or two.

 

Does this mean the whole length of Ridgeway Drive is walkable distance to the Hillside Elementary School or just a portion of it? This is for first graders

 

Most of Ridgeway are walkers. Some at the very top of the hill are considered to be bus riders but that may change. Everyone is waiting for the bus schedules . . .

 

Do children on Ridgeway Drive go to Hillside?

I thought everyone south of Waxpool/Truro Parish attended Mill Run Elementary, but I could be mistaken.

 

Sorry, jumping around. Children on Ridgeway go to Mill Run.

 

Only K is different. When you get almost to the top of the Ridgeway hill, where it intersects Highview Trail & Ayr Hill, is all bus riders to Mill Run. If the county had their way, there would only be a handful of houses at the far, far back of Ridgeway/Highview that would get a bus. Their way of measuring is very skewed. They will be in for a fight if they try to cut the bus up the hill again.

 

So you are saying that Kindergartners and first graders (as well as others) from homes that are below Stone Hollow Road must walk every day to Mill Run Elementary? That's nuts. This is not safe for kids that young to walk by themselves to school. It would be better to have one bus commute to the school versus all the cars hitting the school parking area at the same time, right? Just a thought here.

 

Nuts??? What distance would YOU make the cutoff for riding a bus? Or do you think every child should be bused, including those directly next to or across the street from Mill Run.

And just how many parents do you think let their kindergartner or 1st grader walk to school by themselves? Or even to the bus stop alone?

 

I am at the cut off for the bus on Ridgeway and must admit I loved walking my child to school. I think it's great for them to get in a brisk walk before school and it takes 10 minutes at most (even on the laziest of days). And most parents walk their younger children to and from school.

 

Homes that are below Stone Hollow and are walkers: AM Kindergartners must either walk or be driven TO school. There is a bus that will bring them HOME after AM KG ends. PM KGers have a bus that will pick them up and bring them TO SCHOOL, but they must either walk or be picked up as there is no bus to bring them back home. First graders and above have no bus and must walk or be picked up. The only bus available is that mid-day bus for KGers only.

 

Wow...I've always been bused to school from K to HS (until I was a junior then I had my own car that I drove to school after that)...Guess things are different nowadays...

I just fail to understand the logic of AM KG having to walk but being bussed home afterwards? What's the point of making them walk in the AM if they are gonna bus them home aftewards? Why not make them walk home with their parents (Parents come pick them up)? Is the school trying to save $$$ with the bus system this way? Why not make them all walk to and from school and hence save even more $$$ on the bus system. Just find this a bit odd that the school system will drive one way for AM and another way for PM?

I guess many parents drive their kids to school nowadays in the AM if they choose not to walk....which, I would imagine, ties up the entrance to the school. Im just surprised how the school bus system works in Loudoun (moved into the county so am new to this.) I wonder if the entrance is really clogged on raining days (and/or non-raining days). My friends in Fairfax County are telling me that they are glad that they are having full days in Kindergarten because then they can do more things at home or do errands while the kids are at school for the full day. I imagine it is kind of tough for some families where both father/mother work.

Nowhere in my postings am I bashing the school system ...just thought it was a bit strange how things work in Loudoun. Not used to the different system versus the system where I grew up in.

 

Not talking about next to the school or across the street by any means here. Of course, people wouldn't want their kids that young to walk by themselves...hence, the bus question. Where I grew up, we had buses pick us up. Guess times are different now and with the costs skyrocketing, school systems are trying to save $$. What I don't understand is why the bus is going ALL the way up the hill to pick up the kids then drive them to the school bypassing everyone else below the hill...Why not pick them up along the way as well? It just seems odd to me that only one area is picked up and others on the same path are bypassed, that's all. *Shrugs*

 

I can't tell you why it is the way it is. I know... seems a bit unusual for the walkers, anyway. If you live far enough away, it's not an issue since morning KGers ride the bus to school with all the other grades, and PM KGers ride the bus home with all the other grade. Thus the need for the mid day bus. But I hear you... for walkers it's a bit strange. I guess they're required to provide transportation to those little legs, but only one way?

I've been told that it is EXTREMELY clogged right there between 7:30 and 7:50 on Ridgeway, and if they remove the bus from the top of Ridgeway/Highview Trail it will get much, much worse. We have two full busloads of kids up here. How many kids does each bus hold? Multiply that by two, consider some are siblings and a few may carpool, but either way it will add up to even MORE minivans clogging Ridgeway in the morning if they remove our bus.