The following information is excerpted from the Village School Student and Family Handbook 2022-2023. The full handbook, with policies and procedures, is available at this link: https://vsnb.org/handbooks.
TIME SCHEDULE (2022-2023)
Breakfast Program 7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Early Arrival/Morning Gym 7:45 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Front Doors Open 8:00 a.m.
Class Begins 8:15 a.m.
Dismissal 3:00 p.m.
ARRIVAL (8 a.m.)
Morning arrival takes place on both School Street and Church Street depending on the grade of your student(s) starting at 8 a.m. If you have students in multiple grades, please use the location designated for your youngest student.
- The Church Street “Drop-off Zone” is for families with students in Pre-K through First Grade. Staff members accompany our youngest students into the school building and walk with them to their classrooms. If you have older students, they should be dropped off on Church Street, as well.
- School Street is only for families with students in Second Grade through Sixth Grade.
Early Arrival/Morning Gym is available for K-6 students each weekday, Monday-Friday, starting at 7:45 a.m. Students arriving early should enter the school through the gym doors on School Street. There is no charge for Early Arrival/Morning Gym at 7:45 a.m.
DISMISSAL (3 p.m.)
Students in Pre-K through First Grade must be picked up from their classrooms at the end of the school day by 3 p.m. by a parent/guardian and/or a designated pick-up contact, unless your student is enrolled in the After School Program. Parents/guardians will be admitted into the school building at 2:50 p.m. by School Staff at the main entrance. We ask that parents/guardians and designated contacts for pick-up please refrain from bringing any oversized bags or backpacks into the building.
Students in Second Grade through Sixth Grade are released outside for dismissal at 3 p.m. All students are expected to exit the building by this time unless accompanied by an adult (staff or family member) within the building for a specific purpose and/or enrolled in the After School Program or another officially organized activity/program. VSNB faculty and staff are unable to supervise students after 3 p.m., unless specific arrangements are made with an individual faculty or staff member.
THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
The Berkshire Family YMCA manages the After School Program at the Village School. The program starts on Tuesday, September 6 and runs Monday-Friday from 3-5 p.m. The cost is $40/week (families may apply for financial assistance if needed). Half days will require an additional sign up, but the cost will be 50% off for families already enrolled in the After School Program. For more information and registration, use the following link: http://www.bfymca.org/vsnbsa.
ABSENCE/TARDY/EARLY DISMISSAL POLICIES
If your student will be absent, arriving late, or needs to be picked up early for an appointment, please notify the school’s main office at info@vsnb.org or 442-5955. The office will notify your student’s teacher with these details. No student may leave the building during the school day without a parent or guardian providing permission to the school office. Students must be signed out of school by a parent/guardian or designated caregiver who is listed on your student’s Emergency Contacts list.
The school day begins promptly at 8:15 a.m. and the lobby door is locked at this time. Students who are not in their classrooms by 8:15 a.m. are considered tardy. Tardy students disrupt the classroom routine, so we ask that every effort be made to ensure your student arrives at school on time.
If your student arrives late, please use the doorbell and an office staff member will greet you using the intercom and camera at the main entrance. Students in grades Pre-K through First Grade need to be accompanied into the school building by their caregiver and sign in at the main office; students in Second Grade through Sixth Grade do not need to be accompanied into the school building but must sign in at the main office.
Early Dismissal: Parents must email or call ahead to the main office at 802-442-5955 or info@vsnb.org to notify the school that your student(s) will be picked up early. Communicating this information to the teacher is not enough; please contact the main office. The main office will inform your student’s teacher of the early pick-up. Anyone, other than a parent/guardian who is picking up a student early must be on your student’s Emergency Contacts list. Please be prepared to come into the school building to sign your student out at the main office. The process of dismissing a student early may take up to 10 minutes, and we recommend you build this extra time into your schedule.
VISITING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
- Anyone visiting the school during the school day for any purpose other than dropping off or picking up students at the regularly scheduled times need to sign in at the main office before going anywhere else in the school.
- Visitors will be provided with a visitor badge. Visitor badges include the school’s primary safety and security protocols in case of an emergency.
- Visitors are asked to refrain from bringing oversized bags or backpacks.
- Visitors must sign out at the main office and return their visitor badge before leaving the building.
- Please know that anyone seen in the building without a visitor badge will be greeted and asked to kindly return to the office to obtain one.
- During special school-wide events that are open to the community, such as a Fantastic Friday, our visitor sign-in procedure will be suspended for the event.
COMMUNICATIONS
Our school’s main method of all-school communications to parents/guardians is via email and text message. Every week, the school sends “current announcements” to families, and these announcements are also posted on the school website. Events, activities, meetings, and schedule changes are announced via email/text and posted on the website, as well. The website address is www.vsnb.org.
EMERGENCY CLOSINGS
The Head of School may close VSNB or dismiss students/staff early when hazardous weather or other emergencies threaten health or safety. When school is closed, all activities are canceled.
We ask that parents/guardians avoid calling schools on days of poor weather; it is important to keep school phone lines open.
All school closings and delays will be posted on the school website at www.vsnb.org and will be communicated to parents/guardians via email and text message.
STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES & ILLNESS POLICY
A student’s overall health is important to the student’s ability to learn. VSNB has a school nurse to help your child get the most out of the school experience and to serve as a link between the child/family and your child’s physician. The nurse is a resource person for students, parents/guardians, and faculty/staff. Some of the services provided include: first aid/emergency care, administering medicine, health screenings, nutrition/dental education. Students who need to see the school nurse for any health related concerns should obtain a nurse’s pass. If there is a true emergency, passes are not necessary.
Any updates made to VSNB’s Health and Wellness policies during the school year will be posted on the VSNB website at this link: https://vsnb.org/health-and-wellness. Please visit this link for the school’s current Illness Policy and COVID-19 guidelines.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the school at info@vsnb.org or 802-442-5955. The school office is staffed from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday-Friday while school is in session.
