Hunnewell School Day
School Hours

ARRIVAL GUIDELINES

Arrive on Time

The school day starts promptly at 8:30. Students are encouraged to arrive between 8:15 and 8:30. There will be adult supervision on the blacktop adjacent to the right side of the gym, south side of the building. Students can visit with friends before lining up to enter the building with their classmates.  

Benefits of Arriving on Time 

Every minute counts in school! When children arrive on time, they begin their day with a positive outlook.  Students have responsibilities early in the day: 

• Sign in

• Order lunch

• Unpack materials

• Begin morning work to settle into the day 

When children arrive on time, they support the classroom focus on learning. Research has shown that attendance is critical for school success. A student who is 5-10 minutes late every day will miss the equivalent of a week of school. 

Arrival in Inclement Weather

In case of inclement weather, children will gather in the cafetorium. The Hunnewell CARE flag will be flying on the flagpole in front of the school.

Arrival by Bus

Students arriving by bus will be dropped off in the circular plaza at the front entrance of Hunnewell. Students will be greeted by an adult and directed to walk alongside the front of the building, inside the granite bollards, to the blacktop adjacent to the gym at the south side of the building.

Arrival by Car

Cameron Street is a moving car-line between the hours of 8:10am and 8:35 am. Cars will proceed down the right hand side of Cameron. Please do not stop in the Brook Path crosswalk!  The first six cars will be directed into the layby, which is just past the exit to the circular driveway. The next six cars will be directed to hold between the entrance and exit of the circular driveway. 

THE LAYBY IS THE ONLY DESIGNATED LIVE DROP-OFF ZONE! Make sure your child is ready to exit the vehicle promptly! If you need to park your car, see below.

• There are six spaces in the layby. Pull ahead as far as you can to make room for cars in line behind you. 

• Pull your car completely to the curb before discharging passengers. 

• Drivers MUST STAY in their cars to keep the traffic flow moving. 

• Children exit from the curb-side of the car ONLY. 

• Pulling around a car that is unloading students is prohibited! 

• Once all students from these six cars have disembarked, these cars will be dismissed.

• The cars on hold between the circular driveway will be directed to enter the layby. This process will continue until all car drop-offs are completed.

Once students have exited the vehicle they will be directed to walk towards the front door. They will then take a left and walk along the front of the building, inside the granite bollards, to the blacktop adjacent to the gym at the south side of the building.

FOR SAFETY OF ALL STUDENTS: DROPPING STUDENTS ALONG CAMERON STREET ADJACENT TO THE PLAYGROUND AND SCHOOL SIGN IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED! 

PARKING AND DROPPING STUDENTS IN THE WELLESLEY FREE LIBRARY PARKING LOT IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED!

PARKING AT THE DANA HALL AUDITORIUM IS ALSO STRICTLY PROHIBITED!

Arrival by Foot

Students walking from the west (from Dana Hall) are encouraged to stay on the south side of Hampden and cross Hampden to Cameron with the crossing guard. All students walking to school are encouraged to proceed down the Brook Path and enter through the gate on the Brook Path. 

Arrival by Bicycle

For safety reasons, bicycles should be walked on school property.

Bicycles should be stored on the bike racks on either end of the playground equipment.  

In compliance with Massachusetts General Law c.85, s.11(b): “Any person twelve years of age or younger operating a bicycle or being carried as a passenger on a bicycle on a public way, bicycle path or on any other public right-of-way shall wear a helmet.”

Arrival by Parking and Walking

Parking near Hunnewell and then walking to Hunnewell is discouraged. Parking is tight around the Hunnewell campus, however, if you choose this option, parking is allowed on the north side of Hampden and on the east side of Brook Street between Amherst and Methodist Church. Avoid parking too close to the crosswalk as this makes it difficult for children to see and be seen. In the morning from 8:15-8:45 and in the afternoon from 3:00-3:30, parents are allowed to park in the Cameron Street lot. Please do not allow your child to walk unattended in the Cameron St. Lot. 

DISMISSAL GUIDELINES

Parents are asked to use the app PickUp Patrol to report any changes to dismissal. If you are new to PickUp Patrol, directions can be found here. If you are not able to access the PickUp Patrol app, please call or email the Hunnewell office for assistance. For late arrivals, please indicate your child’s lunch order, if applicable, in the note section of PickUp Patrol, as all orders need to be placed by 8:45 am. 

If an absence has not been reported, the secretary will call home to verify the child’s absence. Chapter 76 of the General Laws relating to education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts specifically outlines the responsibilities of parents, students, and the school regarding attendance.

• Students in Kindergarten through grade three will be dismissed directly to an adult. You must note this in Pick-Up Patrol. Please have that person prepared to show a photo ID if the teacher does not know them directly. 

• Grade three students may be dismissed without an adult present after April vacation if the classroom teachers are comfortable that the students are ready for this level of independence and personal responsibility. 

• Students in grades four and five may pick up siblings in grades one, two, and three with parent approval. This should also be noted in Pick-Up Patrol.

Bus Dismissal

Students who are supposed to take the bus home will be checked onto the bus by an adult. For safety reasons,  students may NOT ride the bus to a friend’s house after school.

Car-line Dismissal

Just like in the morning, Cameron Street will be a live car-line. For efficiency, we ask that you place your name sign in your windshield, so that we can have students ready on the sidewalk in the layby. This way the students will be ready to board your vehicle immediately. 

Walker Dismissal

Kindergarten: Out the door (B4) in their neighborhood.

Grade 1: Out the door (B5) in their neighborhood  

Grade 2: Out the door (C7)  in their neighborhood  

Grade 3: Out the door on the North Side of the building. (By The Wellesley Free Library)

   Third graders with siblings in K, 1 and 2 will be dismissed with their younger sibling. 

Grade 4 and 5: Out the door (C5) on the South Side of the building. (By the Playgrond)

Bike Dismissal

Students must walk their bike on school property. They will be encouraged to leave through the Brook Path Gate.