Our School

BKW Elementary School is home to about 500 students in pre-K through sixth grade. The dynamic teaching staff and support personnel work closely to provide high-quality instruction to all students.

Absences

If your child is going to be absent, please call the school at (518) 872-2030 before 9 a.m. to report that your child will not be coming to school that day. There is a 24-hour answering machine at this number so you may call in at any time. A note to the teacher explaining the reason for an absence is also required within three days of the time your child returns to school.

The district policy is to call parents at their home or place of work to validate an absence if we have not been informed by the child’s parent or guardian. This is to ensure the safety of your child.

Missed Homework

If your child is going to be absent for one or two days, you can generally wait until he or she returns to make up missed work. However, if your child is going to be absent for an extended period, you can call the school in the morning to request that homework be ready to pick up at the end of that day. All work missed due to an illegal absence must be made up within a week of the student’s return.

It is the responsibility of the student or parent to notify the student’s teacher one week in advance of an anticipated absence so that the student may obtain work that they will miss. Teachers may use their discretion as to assigning what work they will require to be completed.

Your child’s teacher may also give out homework assignments via their classroom website. Talk with the teacher about how to use the website to keep up with homework assignments and tests. 

Signing Out A Student

To pick your child up during the school day, please send a note to the classroom teacher to let him or her know when to have the child ready. Stop in the main office and sign your child out in the student log. Our office staff will call the classroom, and your child will be sent to the office to meet you there. School officially dismisses at 2:40 p.m. Unless we receive written instruction from a parent, all students will be sent home on the school bus. so please be prepared to show a photo ID. Between 2:25 – 2:30 p.m., you should sign out and pick up your child from an aide in the front lobby.

With a Note 

If your child is being picked up at the end of the day, it is always best to send in a note to the classroom teacher indicating who will be picking up the child. Students being picked up at dismissal will be in the main lobby with an aide. Parents/guardians/friends will sign the child out in the lobby.

Without a Note 

If you did not send in a note, please plan to arrive at the main office prior to the 2:15 p.m. dismissal bell to allow time to place your child’s name on the dismissal list. To minimize confusion at dismissal time, we strongly urge parents to send in written instructions.

Visiting and Volunteering

All visitors are required to report directly to the main office. You will need to sign in and wear a visitor badge while in the school. This policy helps us keep our children safe by ensuring we know exactly who is in the building at all times. If you are a volunteer, we also ask you to sign in and wear your volunteer badge while in the building.

Classroom Volunteers 

BKW Elementary encourages parents and others to volunteer in the school. We have an active and involved PTA and many opportunities for parents to help out in the classroom, on field trips and to participate on school and district-wide committees. Call your child’s teacher or the main office at (518) 872-2030 for information.