Arrival Procedures (updated 11/28/22)

• Early Morning Drop-Off begins at 7:30am, with all grades arriving at the Pacific Main entrance –
  • Pre-K (3-K & 4-K) in Room 106
  • K-1 & breakfast in the cafeteria
  • 2-5 in the auditorium
• Pre-K arrival is in the walkway between Pacific & Dean at 8am; at Pacific Main after 8:10am
• All K-5 students arrive through the Pacific Main door

Dismissal Procedures (updated 11/28/22)

• 3-K/Pre-K students dismiss at 2:10 from the walkway between Pacific & Dean
• Grades K-5 dismiss along the Pacific St sidewalk; please wait for your child in front of the spot reserved for their classroom
• To keep dismissal moving quickly and safely, we ask that all parents/caregivers adhere to the following protocols:
  • Do not remove your child from the line; wait for the teacher to dismiss your child to you.
  • Please do not engage in a conversation with the teacher during dismissal so they can keep their attention on the students. You can reach out to the teacher separately or use Parent Engagement time, every Tuesday from 2:30-3pm.

Afterschool Dismissal Procedures (updated 1/3/23)

• YMCA dismisses from the walkway between Pacific & Dean
• Right At School and Community Schools dismiss from the Pacific St. main entrance

Breakfast & Lunch

• All children are provided with free breakfast and lunch at school
• Menus can be found here
• The lunch periods are split in half to include both Lunch & Recess for each of the two grades.
  • Period 4 Lunch – Kindergarten & 5th Grade
  • Period 5 Lunch – 1st Grade & 4th Grade
  • Period 6 Lunch – 2nd Grade & 3rd Grade

Food Allergies

If your child has a food allergy, please inform your child’s teacher and the School Administrative team. DOE policy on food allergies can be found here.

Need to Drop Your Child Off Early?

Free early drop-off is provided everyday from 7:30-8:00am.

Need to Pick Up Your Child Early?

Stop by the School Safety desk at the Pacific St. main entrance. School safety will inform the main office, so your child’s teacher can be notified to send your child to meet you. You must sign your child out before leaving the premises. Early Pickups are not permitted after 2pm; at that point you should wait until dismissal.

Is Your Child Absent or Late Today?

• It’s imperative that you email your child’s teacher when your child is absent. Please cc Jessica (jsmith276@schools.nyc.gov) and Jennifer (jmoore@schools.nyc.gov) as well. Each absence is coded, and our goal is to have 100% of absences coded with an explanation – this can be a message from you that your child is sick, a doctor’s note, travel plans, etc.
• If your child is absent, you will receive an automated message at 11:30am, regardless of whether you have already notified the teacher/school of the absence.

Cell Phone/Electronics Policy

Students are permitted to bring cell phones, smart watches, and other electronic devices to school but they must be checked in with the classroom teacher at the start of the school day. Teachers will return devices to students at the end of the school day. Any electronics discovered during the school day will be confiscated and given to a school administrator. In this case, a parent or guardian will be required to come to school to pick up the device. Cell phones and other electronic devices may not be turned on for use until the student is off the school grounds.

Birthday Policy

Your child’s birthday is an exciting time! You may coordinate with your child’s teacher, at least two days in advance, to send individual snacks and/or goody bags for a small classroom celebration. Please respect that it is at the discretion of the classroom teacher, and adhere to the following guidelines:

• Only individual snacks are allowed. We cannot accommodate sheet cakes, and we do not have access to refrigeration
• If you send in a snack, please be sure to include plates and/or napkins
• Goody bags will be distributed by the classroom teacher at the end of the day
• Please limit guests to two adults for birthday celebrations

We also encourage you to let your child wear a birthday button, sash or hat, so they can receive plenty of birthday love when they walk through the hallways!

Toy Policy

All toys – Rubik’s cubes, Pokemon trading cards, action figures, cars, etc. – are not allowed in school, which includes for lunch and recess. Students often spend more time playing with their toys than eating lunch. Toys also cause conflicts among friends and can get lost at school. If students need to bring in a toy for afterschool or any other reason, it must stay in the backpack until the end of the school day.

Homework policy

Below is PS 38’s school-wide homework policy, to provide a guideline, on the amount (in minutes) of homework we expect in each grade. Homework is rarely assigned on weekends although we encourage and recommend that our students read every day, whether it’s with grade level texts and/or children choosing what they want to read during their own time. The time ranges are a guide for you and your child. If your child finishes their homework quickly, additional reading is recommended. Your teacher can also recommend additional resources, including many wonderful literacy and math websites, for your child to explore. If your child is struggling within the given timeframe, please reach out to your classroom teacher for homework. We want to work together, with you and with your child, to help make homework a positive (as much as it can be!) and manageable experience.

Grade	Reading	Written/Math Work	Total Time
Kindergarten	Read to/with your child 10-15 min	Rarely at beginning of Kindergarten 5 min close to the end of Kindergarten	10-15 min
First	10-15 min	10 min	20-25 min
Second	15-20 min	10-15 min	20-25 min
Third	15-20 min	20-25 min	35-40 min
Fourth	20-30 min	25-35 min	45-60 min
Fifth	25-30 min	35-40 min	60-70 min