Rivers New Family FAQ 2025

Yes, parents are encouraged to come to any and all PTA meetings, which happen at least four times a year. You can join the PTA through the E. Rivers’ website or at the Open House.

Every teacher is different. Usually at the beginning of the year, the room parent(s) (you can sign up for this at the Open House) will send an email with class/teacher needs, including volunteer opportunities. If this doesn’t happen, feel free to reach out to your teacher directly about opportunities.

You can also volunteer with the school through the front desk and PTA by contacting eriverswelcomedesk@gmail.com. See the calendar of events for the year. Let us know which events you would like to volunteer for in addition to attending.

Check with your teacher on the exact time for your lunch. The menu can be found on the nutrition page. All parents are asked to complete a federal application for lunch assistance. Families who meet certain qualifications may qualify for free or reduced lunch. Payment for school lunches is completed via an online system, known as MySchoolBucks, where you preload money into your child’s account. To get more information and to sign up, visit https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/60349 or myschoolbucks.com.

At the Open House, check the bus transportation table or the transportation page.

Please let your teacher know what bus your child is assigned to ride. Students age eight and under must also have an escort at the bus stop. This could be a parent, an older sibling, or a designated neighbor. Bus information may be communicated through email blasts, robocalls, texts and Facebook. Students eight and under who do not have someone to meet at the bus stop in the afternoon will be returned to the school after the route and may be subject to after-school care drop-off fees.

All families will be assigned a dismissal number and two hangtags. Carpool has been designed to move as quickly as possible with the children’s safety in mind. When you pull into the carpool line at the school’s main entrance, display your dismissal hangtag, and follow the direction of the staff.

PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY. Cell phones are prohibited in the carpool lane, and the staff may ask you to park if you do not follow their instructions. The guidelines are designed for the safety of all of the children, and we take this task very seriously. Afternoon carpool begins at 2:15. Please place your carpool tag where staff can easily see it. Please be patient during this process, especially during the first few weeks of school while parents and children learn the system.

School supply lists are online, at our website and on the Facebook page. You can bring these supplies to the Open House or send them in
the first week of school. If you would like to donate an extra set of school supplies for a child in your child’s grade, please give them to your child’s teacher. Your teacher will let you know of any other items needed, snack, change of clothes etc.

Emails and text messages are a key form of communication between the school and parents. You can sign up and make changes for the email list, through the E. Rivers website under the communications tab. Most regular communications will be done via email. If you do not have access to email or texts, you may request a paper newsletter be sent home with your child each week. See the Welcome Desk for more information. For APS and school information, make sure your Infinite Campus communication settings and contact info are up to date in the Parent Portal.

Children can arrive as early as 7:15 AM. Children who are not picked up by 2:45pm will be brought to Kiddos aftercare and subject for a drop-in fee, which will be due when you pick up your child.

Students may be dropped off at 7:15, but not before. If your child arrives to school after 7:45 AM, you must walk him or her into the school and stop at the Front Desk to obtain a Tardy Pass. If you need to check your child out of school early, go to the main office. You will need
to bring your picture ID and provide your child’s teacher’s name. The school’s guidelines are there to protect all students, so please be patient. If you have a change to your child’s getting-home plans, you must send in a written note to the teacher that morning. If someone new is picking up your child, you must give written permission and also advise them to have their picture ID. Early dismissal ends at 1:30, and no students will be released after that time.

The best way is through their APS email, but feel free to ask your teacher about the best way to communicate. Remember, if you leave a phone message or send an email during the day, it will likely be after school hours before they receive it. You may request a conference with your teacher as well, and teachers will reach out to you for conferences on an as-needed basis. Meetings may be held via Zoom.

The first week of kindergarten we will focus on classroom and school essential agreements, routines and relationship building. Throughout the month of August the curriculum will focus on establishing good reading routines,, introduction to counting and cardinality, and our IB planner. The kindergarten standards and curriculum map are available on the E Rivers website.

Your child may have some reinforcement homework throughout the year. It should not take too long to complete. Some examples might include practicing daily routines such as tying shoes, knowing home address and phone number, and other reading routines. If you have concerns about homework, please contact your teacher. In general, however, students are not assigned much homework. Please read with your child at home every night.

Yes. Grades are based on class work assignments and classroom assessments. Report card grades are posted every 4.5 weeks at progress reports, end of quarters, and the end of the year. You can access grades at any time on Infinite Campus via the Parent Portal.

Yes, the school has lost and found. Students are regularly reminded to check it for missing items. Please note that the area is cleaned out monthly, and items without names in them are donated to charity. Please label your child’s items!

Unscheduled parent visits are very disruptive to the learning day and are not allowed. We want all our teachers to be able to provide solid instruction from “bell to bell.” Please email your child’s teacher or schedule a conference if needed. All visitors to the school during the school day MUST sign in at the Front Desk and wear a Visitor’s Badge.

Please check with the school nurse regarding the use of medication at school. Always communicate health issues to the classroom teacher as well.

The Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (GKIDS) outlines the ongoing diagnostic information about kindergarten students' developing skills in English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Personal/Social Development, and Approaches to Learning. All of the Georgia Performance Standards are available online at www.georgiastandards.org.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the curriculum framework at E. Rivers, focuses on the total growth of the developing child, and incorporates social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development. IB encourages students to be active learners, well-rounded individuals, and engaged world citizens. Please visit www.ibo.org to learn more about the International Baccalaureate. E. Rivers IB Units are also posted at the school website and can be accessed on the International Baccalaureate page.

All students, including kindergarteners, take district mandated Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) standardized assessments that are aligned to the local curriculum or are helpful for establishing learning checkpoints throughout the year. The purpose of these assessments is to measure students’ progression toward mastery of grade-level standards. More information about this nationally-normed test can be found at https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/.

Specials include additional classes such as art, music, Spanish, and PE. Specials are offered on a six-day rotation. See your child’s teacher for your child’s specials rotation. Students are especially encouraged to wear tennis shoes on PE days.