FAQs for New Families

Revised April 2021

Frequently Asked Questions from Incoming K-5 Families at Willard School

How is the school dealing with the coronavirus pandemic?

Please read the Handbook for Reopening Schools: Willard edition for detailed information about all the changes Willard has made to provide a safe, welcoming environment at school this year!

What are my other on-line resources for information about the Willard School?

The Willard Parent Teacher Group (PTG) maintains a very helpful website at www.willardptg.org where you can learn about PTG-sponsored activities and events.

The PTG also publishes a weekly e-newsletter called the Willard Weekly. Delivered via email on Thursdays, this newsletter will give you notifications on many things happening around the school such as student picture day, social events and charity and service opportunities. It also includes listings of community events of interest to families with school-aged children.

Announcements are published routinely during the school year (excluding vacation weeks), with an occasional post during the summer.

Subscribe to Willard Weekly or check out the past issues.

What printed sources of information should I seek out?

A very useful document is the Willard School Directory. Published by the PTG, the directory provides student listings by classroom with parent/guardian contact information for those who opt to be included (permission to include your contact information is given by checking a box in Aspen on your child’s school registration form). The directory also includes the PTG event calendar and contact information for all Willard teachers and other staff members. The directory is a helpful resource for connecting with the Willard families in your neighborhood and communicating with other parents. Purchase Willard School Directory >

I would like to meet people in the Willard community. How do I get involved?Volunteer! The Willard Parent Teacher Group is a volunteer-run organization, so any help you can offer is much appreciated. A list of current volunteer opportunities is available at the PTG website under “Get Involved.”

The Willard PTG hosts a monthly virtual meeting where we discuss the many ways families can participate in Willard community activities. All parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. Details on each meeting will be published via our website and in the Willard Weekly e-newsletter.

What's for lunch and how do I order it for my child?

School lunch is free this year, and you can view the choices here.

I saw a checkbox on my child’s school registration form asking me to give permission for the PTG to use my contact information. How will my details be used if I give this permission?
The PTG respects the privacy of its members and does not share or sell any contact information to other organizations. If you checked the opt-in box on your child’s registration form, your information will be included in the next edition of the Willard School Directory, which is published in print each fall for use by the Willard community. To protect your contact details by discouraging wider distribution, the directory is not posted to any public web page and is not distributed electronically.

Additionally, other PTG members may use the information published in the directory in various ways. Other parents may wish to contact you socially. Your child’s classroom “room parents” may use your email address to distribute classroom-specific communication. The chairperson of a PTG committee may want to coordinate with you if you have signed up to volunteer. The PTG New Families Committee will reach out to families new to Willard to provide assistance with transitioning into our school and community.

All of these actions are intended to help you to be better informed and integrated at Willard. If you did not give your permission on your child’s registration form for the PTG to access your contact information, we encourage you to contact the Willard School administration office to do so. Willard Front Desk: 978.318.1340

Will I be getting a shopping list for school supplies soon?

The Willard PTG has a School Supplies Committee which coordinates making school-supply purchasing easy, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective. They work with teachers and the CPS Director of Teaching and Learning to compile lists of items students need for each grade, and they recommend vendors to the school community and research local buying options. In addition to this, the Willard PTG kindly maintains a fund for teachers to use to procure special items not covered by parents or the school budget. Please email supplies@willardptg.org for more information.

Most teachers will specify any other needed items in their welcome letters near the end of August.

Where can I learn more about what my child will be doing/learning at school?Willard normally schedules a Back-to-School Night event in September during which your child’s teacher will give a detailed presentation. Due to COVID-19, details for 2021 are currently TBD.

For a detailed look at the entire year’s learning goals, please explore the curriculum map that is available online. To find it, visit the school district web site at http://www.concordps.org and choose “Curriculum” from the top navigation bar.

How will I know which food items are allowed at school due to allergies?

The protocol varies from classroom to classroom. Please check with your child’s teacher to learn what’s best for your class.

Can I escort my child to the classroom myself for the first few days until they get used to school?

No, due to COVID-19, parents are not allowed in the school building at any time.

I plan to drive/walk/bike my child to Willard. Where, how, and when do I drop them off and pick them up?

The handbook for reopening schools has detailed instructions for pick-up and drop-off procedures during the 2020-2021 school year. Maps guiding car pick-ups/drop-offs, as well as children who walk to school can be found here.

How do I know what time the bus is going to come and where it will stop?

A current bus schedule is also maintained on the school district website, this link is also conveniently located on the home page of our PTG website.

The transportation office recommends that you be at the curb 5 minutes before your published pickup/drop-off time. If you have any questions regarding your child’s bus schedules, please contact the transportation office by phone at 978-461-3981 or via email at transportation@concordps.org.

Do I need to be at the bus stop with my child?

An authorized adult must be present with the children at the stop in the morning. In the afternoon, an authorized adult or older sibling must be present at the stop to receive students in grades K-5. An exception can be made if a parent/guardian has provided an email to the transportation office authorizing the child to get off the bus alone.

If on any day you will be unable to meet your child at the bus stop, please make arrangements to have a listed emergency contact person meet the bus or pick up your child at school. Please advise the school of the plan. Children will only be released to parents/caregivers indicated on the school emergency contact list, or to an alternate designated for a specific day with notification from a parent or guardian. All buses are equipped with two-way radios for safety, so drivers and the transportation office can communicate with each other if there are any questions or issues.

Am I allowed on the bus?

No, parents are not allowed on the bus.

How will my child find their way to the classroom when they get off the bus at school?

Many teachers and staff greet the arriving buses in the morning and are on hand to safely guide students to their appropriate classrooms.

How will my child find their way to the correct bus after school?

A teacher brings each student to their bus in the afternoon for the entire school year. Prior to the start of the year, teachers are given the bus and route numbers for each neighborhood and after-school care facility, plus a list of student names assigned to each route so that they can make sure every child boards the correct bus.

How do I know my child won’t be let off the bus at the wrong stop on the way home?

A child will not be left at a bus stop without their parent or caregiver present (unless you have authorized in writing an exception). If no parent is at the stop, the child will remain on the bus and the transportation department will attempt to contact their parents by telephone. If there is no answer, the child will be returned to Willard School or to the Concord police if no staff are available at school. The child’s emergency contacts on file will be called and asked to pick them up.

Where will my child sit on the bus?

This year, each child has a designated seat on each bus.

Will my child have the same bus driver every day?

Not necessarily. Although each route will have a regular driver, a substitute will occasionally be assigned in the absence of the regular driver. Occasionally students will have a one bus driver assigned to their morning route, and a different bus driver assigned to the afternoon route.

Whom can I ask if I have other important questions?

Feel free to direct any further questions to your child’s teacher, your classroom’s room parents , the New Families Committee, or to Principal Matt Lucey.

Correction, Comments, More Questions

If you would like to submit a correction, comment or additional questions/answers to help next year’s new families, please contact presidents@willardptg.org