MOST ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT KINDERGARTEN

Q.  When will I find out who my child’s teacher is?

Class placement information will be provided approximately a week before August 21, 2023. 

Q. Will my child be bused to school? 

IF YOUR CHILD lives WITHIN a mile of the school, your child walks to school and walks home.

IF YOUR CHILD lives OVER a mile from the school, your child will ride the neighborhood bus to and from school.

Q. What happens if I am not at the stop to meet my child?

Kindergarten students must be met by an adult at the bus stop.  In the event that an adult is not at the bus stop, kindergartners are returned to the school office.  Parents will be contacted to pick them up at school. 

Q. If I am picking my child up from school, where do I meet them?

Please pick your child up at Kiss and Ride.  A staff member will walk the children to Kiss and Ride and will release students to their parents at that time.  If this is not your child’s regular dismissal routine, a note must be sent to the teacher (by noon) on the day of pick-up.

 

Q. My child would like to go home with a friend sometimes; is this allowed?

Permission for a student to go home with another student may be granted for school-related projects only.  A note is required (by noon) from the parents of both children if a child is going home with another child after school. Bus riders are limited to bringing home ONE other student. If more students are involved in the project, parents will need to make other transportation arrangements. 

Q. Are birthday treats allowed? What about distributing party invitations?

Birthday treats are always welcome; however, please notify your child’s teacher in advance.  GBW asks parents to send in non-food-related treats.  (Food items are not permitted) It is very helpful to have individual treats/goody bags. All treats may be dropped off in the school office prior to your child’s kindergarten session. Birthday invitations can be delivered at school only if all students in the class are invited.

Q. Do the kindergartners eat lunch and a snack at school?

Yes, your child will eat lunch at school, and there will be a short snack time. Please send a small, nutritious snack with your child starting the first day of school. Snack items and drinks are not available for purchase at school.

Q. Do I need to notify the school if my child will be absent or late?

If your child is going to be absent or tardy, this must be reported before 9:30 a.m. on the date of the occurrence. There are two ways to report this information.

• (1) Locate the GBW website at https://greenbriarwestes.fcps.edu and click on Attendance Policies & Reporting Form.  (This is our preferred method.)
• (2) Call the Attendance Line at 703-633-6767. Please clearly spell your child’s last name, say the teacher’s name, and the reason why he/she will be late or absent. Both the website and the attendance line are available 24/7.

Q. What do I do if school closes early or opens late?

It’s never too early to plan for inclement weather. Working parents are urged to make arrangements now for the care of their children in the event that schedule changes are made.
 

The Fairfax County Public School Policy is the following:
In the case of an emergency for a weather-related closing, delay, or early dismissal, the FCPS website will automatically include an alert at the top of each page with the appropriate information. FCPS will also email and text messages to parents. This information will also be broadcast on television news and radio stations.

FCPS tries to make decisions in the evening, taking into account that parents need time to make proper arrangements. But when there is a lot of uncertainty, we wait to get the latest morning forecast. In that case, the superintendent makes the decision of whether to delay or close schools by approximately 4:30 a.m.

Q. What happens if my child gets sick, hurt, or is not feeling well at school?

Greenbriar West Health Room is staffed with a school Health Aide and supervised by a Public Health Nurse.  If a child is hurt in school, the school Health Aide follows Fairfax County Protocol for Emergencies.  Students with a temperature of 100.4° or higher are considered contagious and should not return to school until they are fever-free for 24 hours. It is very important that Emergency Care Cards are kept current so that if an emergency arises, parents can be contacted in a timely fashion.