Holding Area - REMINDER

Before Spring Break, we sent out a letter to families regarding our implementation of a "holding area" at the end of the school day.  We've asked parents/families to wait in the cafeteria if they arrive at school before 2:05 p.m. (before 1:05 p.m. on Wednesdays).  At 2:05 p.m., we will release parents to walk quietly to wait for their children in the hallways.  Hopefully, this will help teachers to bring closure to the end of the school day without disruptions that are often distracting to students.

I received some concerns from parents and staff about congestion if we waited until 2:10 p.m. to let parents go to pick up their children.  They would be going against traffic which could delay them getting to the classroom in a timely manner.  For this reason, we'll be opening the cafeteria doors at 2:05 instead.

Please understand that at many other schools parents are not allowed onto the campus; they wait for their children to be brought to them or there is a car pick-up system.  I realize this is not possible due to our limited space on our campus.  We feel this is a good compromise.  Teachers and students can have a quiet closure to the end of the school day, and parents can be assured that they are at the classroom to pick up their children once the bell rings.

Thank you for understanding and cooperating with us as we work together to improve safety, as well as teaching and learning at Hale Kula.

Jan Iwase
Principal