Frequently Asked Questions to start the new school year!

Question: How do I stay informed about things happening at the school or in the District?

Answer: There are many ways to remain connected. The www.sfusd.edu website provides the most information about district-wide happenings. At ER Taylor, we will be reinstating our weekly “Communication Folders” where information is sent out in paper form each week.  We are still determining what day folders will be sent home.... Stay tuned!  

 

Just like last year, we will also be sending information to families through your ParentVUE account, and we will be sharing reminders about events and school meetings via recorded messages sent to your phone numbers that you have provided to us. Finally, the school Administration will send out a monthly newsletter with all the happenings for the month. 

 

Question: What does drop off look like at ER Taylor?

Answer:  With 650 students coming onto our school campus every day, it is important that drop off and pick up be organized and thoughtful.  The most important component to making drop off and pick up go smoothly is through our strong partnership with our families.  As noted above, All families MUST self-screen their students at home for symptoms, and students need to stay home if they have symptoms. The school will not be screening students at entry. 

 

• Escorting your students to our campus: To start the year (just like last spring) families will not be allowed to enter our playground.  All students will enter our campus through our Goettingen Street gate entrance, and families will have to say goodbye to their student(s) on the sidewalk.  Students will then be shown to their classroom line-up spot by a school staff member.  Families will also NOT be allowed into our campus through the Burrows Street entrance.  If you drive, and would like to escort your student, you will need to find street-legal parking. Do not double park, park in any of the white zones, or block driveways. You will be ticketed. Then after parking, you can walk your student to the Goettingen Street gate.  If there are many families coming to the Goettingen Street gate at the same time, we ask that families line up down Goettingen Street (toward Burrows) to wait their turn to see their student to the gated entrance. 

• Drive thru drop off: This option is designed for families that drive and want to drop their students off without parking. The drive thru cone zone will again be set up on Goettingen Street, near the corner of Bacon Street, in the white zone.  Our drive through zone will be supervised from 7:30 - 7:55. Once dropped off, students will enter through the gate on Goettingen Street like all other students. Drivers must follow the directions of the drive thru monitors and once their student(s) exit the vehicle, the cars must exit the drive thru cone zone. Do not wait in the drive thru lane while your child enters the gate. Students should be able to independently exit their vehicles. On rainy days, please take extra precaution in the Drive thru zone.  To enter the drive thru cone zone, drive down Goettingen Street heading South (move away from Burows Street headed toward Bacon Street).

• Late arrivals: Students that arrive after 7:55 are considered tardy. At 7:55 the Goettingen Street gate will be closed.  After 7:55, families will need to bring their students to the Late Arrival Entrance on Burrows street.  Only students will be admitted into the building and given a tardy slip (families will not be allowed inside). 

 

Question: If school starts at 7:50, when is the earliest I can drop off my student? 

Answer: We will have playground supervision starting at 7:30 AM.  Please do not drop off your student before 7:30.  

 

Question: Will students be able to enter the building at our Burrows Street entrance?

Answer: No, all students will enter the playground through Goettingen Street gate when arriving on time for school. 

 

Question: What does dismissal look like at ER Taylor?

Answer: The school day ends at 2:05pm everyday except Wednesday. Wednesdays, the school day ends at 12:50pm. If your child is in an afterschool program, please see the program Director for more information on pick up procedures. For students leaving at the end of the school day, dismissal will happen from the playground. Teachers will escort their students out to the playground at the end of the day, and families will pick up their students from grade level zones where students will be waiting.  Families will be allowed on the playground only for dismissal.  All families will enter the playground through the Goettingen Street gate and meet your student next to their grade level zone.  Families will then exit through the Bacon Street gate. Families will not be allowed on the turf field or areas next to the field where students are waiting for safety reasons.  Please make sure to pick up your student on time, everyday!  Also, there will be no drive thru cone zone set up in the afternoon, at least to start the year.

Question: Can my student walk home after school?

Answer: Only upper grade students can walk home on their own and must have a signed note from a parent or guardian giving them permission to do so. Admin or the ER Taylor Social Workers will contact families interested in this, to discuss the specific circumstances of their student walking home unaccompanied by an adult. 

 

Question: How can I find out who my student’s teacher is and what class they will be in?

Answer: Class lists, identifying which students will be in which classroom, will be posted next to our Pre-Kindergarten Building on Thursday morning, August 12th.  You are welcome to come by the school by entering through our Bacon Street gate, to take a look before school begins, on Thursday and Friday.  

 

Question: Where will my student go on the first day of school?

Answer: When you look up your student’s class, look for the corresponding class room number.  Students will meet their teacher in the morning at their classes’ line-up spot on our turf field.  Students will line up behind their class number on the field.  Teachers will meet their classes in line. 

 

Question: Can students bring their own lunch from home?

Answer: All students can access our school’s breakfast and lunch program, however you are also welcome to have your student bring their lunch from home.  Whatever you choose to do, ALL families will need to complete the Multipurpose Meal Income Form. This form is available online or a paper copy, and you will receive notification if you are missing the form within the first few weeks of school. 

 

If you send your student to school with their lunch from home, please make sure that the food will be safe to eat without needing to be refrigerated or heated. Additionally, we ask that sugary drinks and candy are not included in your child’s lunch. Just like in the Spring, students will not be allowed to share food from home or from school.

 

Question: What happens when someone is sick. Are there safety protocols in place?

Answer: SFUSD follows all guidelines from the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Each classroom and office space in our school has been inspected to ensure that they meet district health guidelines.  Despite every effort we can make to our school facility, students and staff will still get sick. If a member of our community becomes sick, there are specific procedures we must follow to reduce the risk of others becoming sick. This information will be shared in a separate document with all families during the first few weeks of school. 

 

If your child is going to be absent from school, you must call the office and inform us of the reason why. It is important that we address any concerning information as quickly as possible.

 

Question: Who is required to wear a mask?

Answer: Anyone on our campus, regardless of vaccination status, is required to wear a mask, unless there is a documented medical exemption.   Your mask must cover your nose and mouth, at all times. 

 

Question: Is ER Taylor still a “uniform school?”

Answer: Yes… we still have the same uniform colors as in previous years: Black pants or skirts, white collared shirts or blouses, and a maroon sweater if you choose. This year, our PTA will be again selling ER Taylor sweaters. Be on the lookout for a PTA table set up outside of our school during the first few weeks. We will share more information with the schedule for selling ER Taylor maroon sweaters soon!

 

Question: What are some ways that I can get involved at school?

Answer: Most importantly, make sure that you are checking in with your student everyday.  Ask them lots of questions about what they did and learned after school, and support their homework practice and independent reading at home. There are also multiple parent leadership groups you can participate in or observe, including our monthly School Site Council (SSC) Meeting, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, our monthly English Language Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC).   We will also be offering multiple family workshops for each grade throughout the year.  Finally, even though families can’t come into our building yet, please reach out to your student’s classroom teacher, to learn more about specific ways you can support and get involved!