Waverly's Back to School Letter

August 14, 2026

Hello Waverly Families,

I hope you are enjoying these last few weeks of summer and have had opportunities to create wonderful memories together as a family. As summer begins to wind down, I know our Waverly students are eager and excited to head back to school in September. On behalf of the entire Waverly staff, we are looking forward to working with you and supporting your children as they grow educationally, socially and emotionally. I am writing today to provide some helpful information about the start of school on Wednesday, September 2nd, along with helpful guidance to ensure a smooth and successful start to the new school year. 

To make the first day of school an easy transition for your children, we recommend that you begin to establish a morning routine prior to the start of school. Talk with your children about their new school experiences. Discuss meeting new friends, and how their teachers, teaching assistants and monitors will show them everything they will need to know at school. Reassure them that school is a safe place, and that you look forward to hearing about everything they learn in school.

The night before, have your children help you pack a lunch, and choose an outfit. In the morning, allow enough time to eat a good breakfast. Let your children gather his/her things and talk about the day.  Answer any questions your children may have, and make a plan for dismissal and pick-up.

 

Staff Updates

Please join me in welcoming the following staff members to Waverly:

• Jaime Neas - Grade 1 Teacher, joining Waverly from Anne Hutchinson

• Bethany Spaziante - Grade K Teacher, joining Waverly from Anne Hutchinson

 

Class Assignments

The next couple of weeks will be exciting ones, as you all prepare for school, and eagerly await word of who your child’s teacher will be for the fall. On Friday, August 21st, class placement information for the 2026-2027 school year will be available electronically through Infinite Campus after 2 p.m. Infinite Campus is replacing Home Access Center/eSchoolPlus as the District’s student information system and will allow you to monitor content like class schedules, report cards, and more! You can access Infinite Campus here. Please make sure you have an account set up with Infinite Campus. Instructions for account set up have been emailed. If you need assistance setting up your account, please email eufsdtechhelp@eufsdk12.org and a member of our Technology Team will be happy to help. 

Thank you for understanding that requests for class assignment changes are not being accepted at this time.

 

Kindergarten Orientation

We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2039 and their parents to our Kindergarten Orientation on Tuesday, September 1st. Due to limited parking around the school, there will be 2 sessions: 

 

• Session 1 from 12:15 - 12:45 p.m., with a bus tour from 12:45 - 1:00 p.m.

• Session 2 from 2:00 - 2:30 p.m., with a bus tour from 2:30 - 2:45 p.m.

 

Incoming Kindergarten students, along with their parent(s) should bring their supplies to the classroom on this day. Please check Infinite Campus Parent Portal to obtain your child’s teacher and then attend the correct session. You can find the Kindergarten Orientation flier here.     

 

School Day

The first day of school will be Wednesday, September 2nd. This is a full day of school for everyone. The school day officially begins at 8:45 a.m. and ends at 3:35 p.m. 

Based on feedback from families, Waverly will be piloting an early drop off and pick up for the first month of school. In an effort to provide families who periodically need additional time at the start and end of the school day to drop off or pick up their child from school, parents/guardians will now be able to drop their children off at school up to 25 minutes before the bell rings and pick up their students 25 minutes after the end of the day school bell rings. We will monitor how many families require this assistance throughout the month of September to determine if we will continue the extended hours for the remainder of the year.

Early drop off begins at 8:20am and extends to 4:00pm in the afternoon. The circle in front of  will be opened for this drop off at 8:20am and closed promptly at 8:35am am to accommodate busses. During early and late pick up, students will be supervised in the gym or a classroom. Parents/guardians who require more than 25 minutes at the start or end of day or require daily childcare, are encouraged to utilize Right at School childcare.

 

Arrival and Dismissal

There will be two morning drop-off locations: Hall Avenue and Bellew Avenue. To help reduce traffic congestion, please use the location that best aligns with the direction from which you are traveling. Waverly staff will be stationed at both locations each morning to assist students and escort them safely into the building.
 

Arrival Expectations

• Please adhere to the signs to ensure safety and flow of traffic.

• Parents must remain in their vehicles at all times.

• Students must exit from the passenger side only for the Hall Avenue drop-off location.

• Students must exit from the driver side only for Bellew Avenue parking lot drop-off location.

• Pull your vehicle as far forward as possible before unloading. There are visible lines as markers for vehicle pull up.

• Once your child exits, please continue forward promptly to keep traffic moving. Please remain in line, continue moving forward, and exit with the flow of traffic ahead of you.

• If your child requires additional assistance, please park in a legal parking space outside of the drop-off lane and walk them to school. Please do not use the parking spaces on campus, as they are reserved for staff. Parking is available at the Apostolic Church located at 44 Hall Avenue.

Hall Avenue Drop-Off

• Coming from Hall Avenue, proceed into the parking lot entrance and pull forward as far as possible and stop at the white lined spots. 

• Have your child exit the passenger side of the car. 

• Students will enter through the doors and go directly to their classrooms (for the first day, all students will go to the gym). Waverly staff members will be there to assist and supervise students.

• Please remain in line until the car ahead of you pulls forward.

• Exit the loop by making a right hand turn onto Hall Avenue and proceed westbound toward Morgan Street. Hall Avenue will be one way during arrival drop-off times. Traffic traveling eastbound on Hall Avenue would make a right turn at New Street and travel southbound.

 

Bellew Avenue Drop-Off

• Coming from Bellew Avenue, proceed into the parking lot entrance and pull forward as far as possible and stop at the white lined spots. 

• Have your child exit the driver side of the car. 

• Students will enter through the recess doors and go directly to their classrooms (for the first day, all students will go to the gym). Waverly staff members will be there to assist and supervise students.

• Please remain in line until the car ahead of you pulls forward.

• Exit the lot by making a right hand turn onto Hall Avenue and proceed westbound toward Morgan Street. Hall Avenue will be one way during arrival drop-off times. Traffic traveling eastbound on Hall Avenue would make a right turn at New Street and travel southbound.

 

Please review the maps of each drop-off location. We appreciate your patience, especially during the first few days of school.

Please refer to the Waverly Arrival/Dismissal Procedures for more information regarding arrival, dismissal and parking around the school. 

Please note that all school doors are locked. Students, parents, and visitors must enter and exit from the main door and sign in/out with front desk security at all times.

Before and After School Care

Right at School is our before and after care provider. Please contact Right at School if your family needs child care before 8:35 a.m. or after 3:35 p.m.   

Transportation

Please contact Kristene Reichard, Supervisor of Transportation with any questions or concerns about the school bus by email kreichard@eufsdk12.org, or by phone (914) 793-6130 ext. 4280. 

Attendance

If your child will not be attending school, or for any other attendance-related questions, please contact our Office Assistant, Luisa Kostalos by email wvattendance@eufsdk12.org, or by phone (914) 793-6130 ext. 5503.

Nurse’s Office

If your question or concern is health-related, please contact our school nurse, Kathryn McGrath by email kmcgrath@eufsdk12.org, or by phone (914) 793-6130 ext. 5509. 

Food Services

Please be sure to set up your child’s lunch account, as the first day of school is a full day. You can access our Food Service page here and also set up your “My Payments Plus” account here as well. The lunch menu for September will be posted on the Food Service page before the start of school.

Please be mindful of our district-wide food and nut policy which can be found here.  Please refer to this as you pack classroom snacks for your child.

Change of Dismissal Plan

If you must change your child’s means of dismissal after the school day has started, please call the main office. The office will then call the classroom and notify the teacher. This will avoid any missed emails.  

Electronics in School 

As a gentle reminder for all of our Waverly families - students who bring electronic items for use before or after school (i.e., cell phones, smart watches, electronic games) must store these items in their backpacks during the school day. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with this request!

Back to School Night

Mark your calendar for Back to School Night on Thursday, September 24 at 5:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet classroom teachers, special area teachers, and support staff. 

Important Information

Please access any important documents and information on the Eastchester Union Free School District website here and the Waverly School website here. There you can access the district and school calendars, as well as the Waverly Family Handbook.

If you do not want your child to be photographed and shared on the district’s websites, newsletters, or social media outlets, please complete the district’s Media Opt-Out Form and return to school. 

PTA

All families are encouraged to join our supportive PTA and SEPTA communities.

Safe Swimming Tips for Everyone

Click this link if you would like to learn more about New York State's Safe Swimming Tips for Everyone. It has helpful tips and strategies for water safety as we finish up these last few weeks of Summer break! 

Thank You!

I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to two of Waverly’s behind-the-scenes champions, Robin Carcano and Luisa Kostalos, our dedicated school administrative assistants. All summer long, they have worked tirelessly to keep our school running; handling everything from student registration, to processing teacher orders, to managing the mountain of paperwork that keeps Waverly organized and ready for the year ahead.

I also wish to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible custodial team—Steve Cottrell, Vincent D’Onofrio-Smith, Katrina Gjonaj, and Cynthia Smilie. Waverly truly shines because of their hard work and care. In addition to their daily responsibilities, they dedicate the summer to deep cleaning every corner of our building, tackling large-scale projects, and making repairs big and small. Our beautiful grounds are a reflection of their dedication and our shared commitment to ensuring Waverly makes the very best first impression for Eastchester families. 

These teams are essential to the heartbeat of Waverly, and I am sincerely grateful for all they do, not only during the summer but throughout the entire school year.

Thank you to our teachers and staff for the time, energy, and care they have poured into preparing for a successful start to the school year. Their dedication ensures that your children will be welcomed into a warm, engaging, and supportive learning environment from the very first day.

Finally, a special thank you to our PTA for their ongoing support and partnership. The many events they have planned will bring joy, connection, and wonderful memories to our students all year long.

I look forward to welcoming you and your children to Waverly on September 2nd. Home and school are a partnership and Waverly staff are committed to working together to create the best possible learning experience for your children. Please know our doors are always open and we are here to support you and your children in every way we can.

On behalf of the entire Waverly staff, we wish you a joyful end to summer and eagerly anticipate the start of an exciting school year ahead.

In partnership, 

Caitlin Mondelli, Principal