There are a number of details that go into sending your child to school. On this page we’ve tried to compile frequent questions that our administration receives to help provide the answers for you. Think of something that would be helpful to include here? Let us know!
Students may arrive at school at 7:45am. Pick up is at 2:50pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Wednesday, pick up is at 1:50pm. There is no playground supervision prior to the start of school or after school. Children in grades K-3 who arrive before 8:08am without an adult need to attend the supervised breakfast program and Morning Champions. Students in 4 th and 5 th grade can gather in front of the school beginning at 7:45am where there is adult supervision. Adults may wait with their student(s) in the lobby, out front, or in the cafeteria prior to 8:08am. CES does not provide after-school supervision; parents must pick up their children right at dismissal, unless they are enrolled in the after school program.
Traveling to and from School and Parking
- Coming to school by bus, bike, or foot are the best options.
- Students may be quickly dropped off or picked up on Pine Street, but cars may not park in the street when buses are present.
- Parents are discouraged from parking while dropping off students in Champlain’s parking lot between 7:50 to 8:15am and between 2:40 and 3:05pm, when traffic is busiest and most dangerous.
- If dropping off children from the parking lot, parents must pull up alongside the front lawn, so that their children can exit the car and walk to the school building on their own. Champlain staff supervise students at this time to ensure safety. Parents must drive out of the parking lot right away to allow others to enter and prevent traffic problems.
- Everyone driving in Champlain’s parking lot must obey all traffic laws, such as, but not limited to:
- Obeying flashing yellow and red lights of school buses
- Waiting behind and not going around city buses
- Parking only in designated parking spaces
- Not idling when parked
- Everyone walking in the parking lot must stay within the designated areas of the pavement edges.
- Arriving at school, students are encouraged to enter the building from these locations:
PreK: Students use the south side entrance.
Kindergarten and Grade 2: Students use the east side/back doors.
Grade 1: Students use the south side doors.
Grades 3, 4, and 5: Students use front doors.
Burlington Kids offers a vibrant after-school program at CES from dismissal to 5:30pm. Please be aware that, at times, students are placed on a BK waiting list due to over-enrollment.
If a student needs to be absent from school call the main office at 864-8477 by 8:30am. If there are changes to a student’s after-school arrangements, call no later than 1pm. Every school has an attendance policy based on Vermont State Law that requires students to attend every day. Students may be absent from school for the following reasons.
- Illness
- Medical appointment
- Pre-approved absence for educational purposes, such as college visit or family trip. Parents must submit the Request for Extended Absence form in advance.
- Scheduled court appearance
- Religious holiday
- Death in the family
- Other family emergency
- Weather or traffic accident – at discretion of principal
Children are welcome to bike, ride, or skate to school. Helmets must be worn. These vehicles must be walked on school property, and never ridden inside the building. Please secure bicycles on the bike racks with a lock on the south side of the building. Scooters, skateboards, and skates must be stored in the main office and not brought into instructional areas. Shoes with rollers and hoverboards are not permitted on campus. CES is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged property.
Breakfast: Begins at 7:45am in the cafeteria. Breakfast is free for all Burlington students. No sign-up is required; students may come in any day. Adult breakfast is $2.50. Snack: Snack is available to all children in the classroom for free, and is served approximately 90 minutes before lunchtime. Lunch: Students have a variety of options to choose from during lunch. Choices include a salad bar, sandwich options, and hot lunch. Menus are posted on the website at the beginning of each month. Prepaying for lunch is the preferred method of payment. Meal accounts help make lunch lines go much faster. All families are expected to complete the application for free or reduced lunch, because the Burlington School Food Project is pursuing new funding sources. All information provided by families is confidential.
The Burlington School District contracts with Green Mountain Transit to run School Trippers for our students. These buses go to most neighborhoods. Riding the School Tripper bus is free for students living more than 0.7 miles away; otherwise the cost is $.60. Bus passes are distributed to qualifying students in early October.
Bus Schedule
All morning and afternoon schedule times for route throughout Burlington are available on the GMT website. Buses arrive at school at approximately 7:45am. Buses depart school by 2:55pm, except Wednesday when buses depart at 1:55pm. Mountain Transit follows neighborhood-special routes on Wednesdays.
Expectations on the Bus
Students are expected to follow all bus rules while riding. Buses have cameras to record both video and audio. Champlain administration will review the tapes if a concern arises. Violating bus rules may result in short- or long-term suspension, and families will need to arrange their own transportation.
Bus Rules:
1. Respect other students and the driver.
2. Remain seated while the bus is in motion.
3. Listen and obey the driver’s instructions at all times.
4. Keep your heads, hands, and arms to yourself and, most importantly, inside the bus.
5. Do not throw objects on the bus or out the windows.
6. Use a quiet voice.
7. All school rules apply to the bus and at bus stops.
Parents can communicate with the school via email or phone throughout the school day. When calling for a teacher, the office will take a message and relay it in a timely manner. We are committed to responding to families in a respectful, responsive manner within a reasonable amount of time. Other forms of communication are as follows: school website, weekly Blue Note, and teacher newsletters. Student progress will be communicated during conferences (held in November and March), and demonstrated on report cards three times a year (sent home in November, March, and June).
If students or parents have a concern, the first step is bringing this to the attention of the school employee directly involved. For example, if concerned about a student’s grade, the student or parent/guardian addresses it with the classroom teacher. To appeal the teacher’s decision, the next step is meeting with the principal. Please be aware that any requests from students and parents for a particular teacher cannot be honored. Ongoing concerns should be addressed with the principal or by using the conflict resolution process to resolve the conflict. The parent or student may appeal the principal’s decision to the Burlington superintendent of schools.
