Lakes Elementary School

Parents, below are what we wrote to the school, were hoping the school administration could make some changes regarding their morning classroom entry policy. I sent it to the school on 2/27/2023.

The school (or the school district) has the rule, that all the students must wait outside and line up in a single file line until 8:05 am each day (sometimes it takes longer till 8:10) to enter the classroom. Lately, it's been VERY COLD in the morning. The temperature is in the 10s or lower 20s as the time the school bus drops them to school is around 7:48 am. We are asking the school to make an appropriate change for those times when morning temperatures drop below 32 degrees. The students should not be standing outside just to wait for teachers to finish preparing in the morning, such as making a few copies as stated in your previous email when announcing the rule last year. The staff starts at 7:30 am. The students standing outside waiting for the classroom to open in way below-freezing temperatures is Not acceptable. We feel it's neglectful. It's different with recess time. During recess, their bodies are moving and running, instead of standing in a single file line, and the temperature also improves. Standing still outside in the morning cold causes many children to get sick. I noticed my child's stuffy nose and sneezing last Friday after he came back from school, and those symptoms continue through the weekends. He told me "it's too cold waiting for the classroom to open". And yes we dress him in extra warm clothing, gloves/hats just to hope it would help. As a parent, it's very sad to know the adults stay inside but keep the children waiting outside. They are too young. The morning rule is causing unnecessary risk and increasing their chances of getting sick. Unfortunately, many families like us have to work, so I'm not available to drop my son at school at 8:05 am every day. And we are not the only family who has the same concern regarding the morning rule. Most importantly, as educators, providing a safe and healthy environment to the students should be paramount and should not be sacrificed to make a few copies, etc.

Think about it, will you ask your own child/children, no matter a kindergarten, a 2nd or 5th grader, or even a teenager, ask them to be standing outside your house every morning from 7:50 or before to 8:05 am? She/he needs to be standing still, not moving not running, outside temperature range from 10s or 20s degree, or under the cold windy storm, just because you want to prepare something or make a coffee? Last Friday (2.24.2023) at 8am the outside temperature was 16 degrees. And the weather has been like that for a while.

We are not asking this morning waiting rule to be completely disregarded we are asking when the weather is cold like this when morning temperatures drop to freezing or below, the students should be allowed inside and not asked to line up waiting outside until 8:05 am. This year winter is almost over, but this rule needs to be changed according to the weather.

We have been supporting the school morning classroom entry rule since last year when they announced it. And we were hoping the school, could do some adjustments according to the weather. Nothing be done. Those young children have been doing a phenomenal job by following the rule, and many children got sick because of that or relevant of that, including mine. The school principal told me he's not planning to make a change this year. I hope he reconsider it and make appropriate changes in the near future. He knows how many children have to go to the nurse office and how many called in sick.

If your child does not fit within their box they will not work with you. The administration does not care that the law requires them to fallow the IEP, if it is inconvenient for them they wont do it. Your request for change or help will fall on deaf ears. When your child is being harmed Jami Roberts answer is ALWAYS... let's work together as a team, but not make any changes. I have had to make complaints to the District and the State before they would help my child.