School Information

Health and Safety

With the arrival of fall, our communities are seeing an increase in illnesses, such as colds, RSV, and COVID-19. Please continue to prioritize the health of the school community by following the simple procedures (below) set in place for everyone’s safety.

**Fever over 100 degrees (students must be fever-free for 24 hours before they can return to school), vomiting or diarrhea (students must be free of a recurrence for 24 hours before they

can return to school); untreated head lice or evidence of live lice; severe cough or sore throat; Strep throat (students may return to school after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment); untreated Scabies, Conjunctivitis with an eye discharge; Covid-19; or other infectious diseases

As per our Community Handbook, these procedures are subject to change at any time, with or without warning, for individuals or whole groups, as determined by the Head of School.

Extended Day Program

We are excited to share information about the Extended Day Program for the 2023-24 school year. Our Extended Day Program begins directly after school dismissal each day and ends promptly at 6:00 p.m. The Extended Day Program for this school year will begin on Monday, September 11, 2022.

Teacher Olivia and the Extended Day staff are dedicated to providing a safe and loving environment where students can socialize and enjoy a variety of activities including outdoor exploration, organized games, arts and crafts, and dramatic play, as well as opportunities to participate in fun, specially themed activities throughout the year. All children who attend Extended Day are provided with a healthy snack to start the afternoon. Caregivers are welcome to pack an extra snack for their child(ren) as well. 

Pricing for Extended Day is as follows:

• $10/day for pick-up before or by 4:00 p.m.

• $25/day for pick-up between 4:01-6:00 p.m.

• Families will be charged $1/minute for late pick-ups past 6:00 p.m., and chronic latenesses may result in exclusion from The Extended Day

If you are interested in registering your child in the FFS Extended Day Program, or if you may need to use Extended Day on a drop-in basis throughout the year, please visit our registration page: FFS Extended Day Registration 2023-24. Please note that drop-in for Extended Day must be arranged a week in advance. 

The Extended Day Program is open on all school days unless stated on the School Calendar. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead, filled with great learning and fun both during and after school! 

School Forms Reminders

As a reminder, all school forms are due in full before the first day of school. 

Please log into your FACTS account to view all needed medical forms and permission slips.  Complete, sign, and submit all forms that are applicable to your student by Friday, August 25, 2023. 

1. Report of Physical Examination/Vaccination Record - for all new students and all students entering kindergarten and grade 6

2. Report of Private Dental Examination - for all new students and all students entering grade 3 and grade 7

3. Student Health Status Form - must be completed for any student with a medical condition, including allergies and asthma  

4. Student Emergency/Medical Information (S865) form - must be completed every school year for all students

5. Required 7th Grade Immunizations - Please note that all students entering grade 7 must also provide proof of immunization, including Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap), as required by Pennsylvania law. 

6. Walking Permission Slip: FFS classes take walking trips to nearby locations such as Overington Park and the Philadelphia Public Library. All students must have this form signed by a guardian before their class begins outings to these and other community locations during the school day. Please note that separate permission slips are sent home when field trips are taken to locations further from school.  

7. Chromebook Care/Authorization for Use of Technology (AUT): All FFS classes use Chromebooks in the classroom for various learning activities. Middle School students (grades 6-8) are permitted to take their Chromebooks home with them daily. Caregivers of all FFS students (PreK-8) are required to sign the Authorization for Use of Technology form through FACTS. Students will also sign an AUT at school. No student will be able to use any school technology (Chromebooks, iPads, Mac computers, etc.) without a caregiver-signed AUT. 

8. 2023-2024 School Bus Transportation Request Form: All families must complete this form to sign up for busing or request changes for this year. 

All forms are available on the Family Portal under the School Menu. The Web Form menu contains the AUT. All other forms are available in the Resource Document menu. 

Morning Arrival Procedures 

We are looking forward to seeing you on the first day of school. Students may arrive on campus no earlier than 7:45 a.m., when faculty/staff monitored supervision will be available. Students who do not ride the school bus or Ottermobiles must wait for gates to be opened by an FFS employee before entering campus. 

Accompanying your child to campus 

PreK-5th grade caregivers who want to accompany their children in the morning may park (Overington Park or Griscom Street are good options) and walk their children to campus. Please enter through the main gate on Orthodox Street next to the IDEA Lab when it opens at 7:45.

Staff will be on the blacktop to supervise students between 7:45-7:55. You are welcome to stay with your child(ren) on the blacktop until the bell rings at 7:55, but know that your children will be well cared for during that time if you are not there. When the bell rings at 7:55, the doors to the buildings are opened for students to go to their classrooms. Doors will remain open until 8:05, after which time a caregiver will need to accompany their child to the front office for a late slip. 

All teachers will be outside on the first two days of school to assist students. PreK and Kindergarten teachers will be sure to assist students in the morning until routines and procedures are well established.

Drive and drop off

PreK-5th grade students may be dropped off in the coned-off areas in front of the School on Orthodox Street. An FFS employee will be available to open the doors. Caregivers may not get out of cars with their children. Cars may not stop in the middle of the street as it blocks traffic on Orthodox Street.

Please be prepared for an efficient and quick dropoff. As you near the school drop-off points, your child must be prepared to leave the car with their personal belongings in hand. If your child is not ready to leave the car, you will be asked to drive around the block so that traffic can move along.

6th-8th grade students can be dropped off on Penn Street directly in front of the Middle School yard no earlier than 7:45 a.m. The bell will ring at 7:55, at which time the door to the building will be opened for students to enter and begin the day. The gate will remain open until 8:05, after which time a caregiver will need to accompany their child to the front office for a late slip.

You may not park in the street in front of the FFS Main Campus on Orthodox Street. Parking in that space is solely reserved for buses, Ottermobiles and quick drop-offs.

School Buses

Students who arrive by SDP school buses will be dropped off on Penn Street in front of the Middle School gate, where a teacher or administrator will be waiting to receive them. They will be supervised in the MS yard until 7:45, at which time Lower School students will be escorted to the blacktop. In the event that a bus arrives late to school, students will not be marked late for the day.

Public Transportation 

Students traveling to school via public transportation will walk from the El or bus stop directly to the Middle School yard on Penn Street. Seventh grade students who are eligible for a Septa student key card will be issued a card on the first day of school. Eighth grade students must use the key cards issued to them last year. If your 8th grader has lost their Septa card, please let Drea in the Front Office know so she can make arrangements for a new one. If a student using public transportation arrives after 8:05, they must report to the Front Office for a late slip. A phone call will be made home to alert you of their lateness. 

FFS Ottermobiles 

Families who have reserved seats for their children on an FFS Ottermobile will receive a separate communication from Kevin Cox, Operations Manager, with information about assigned stops, pick-up, and drop-off times. Ottermobiles will arrive at school by 8 a.m. In the event that an Ottermobile arrives late to school, students will not be marked late for the day. If you are interested in more information about the Ottermobile service or would like to be added to the waitlist, please contact Kevin Cox, kcox@frankfordfriends.org.

Afternoon Dismissal Procedures 

Dismissal begins at 2:55 and ends at 3:05. 

Students in PreK to Grade 5 will be waiting with their teachers on the blacktop, where caregivers may pick them up. PreK and Kindergarten classes will be on the Penn Street side of the Meetinghouse. There is no drive-by and pick-up by car option in the afternoon.

Middle School students who are being picked up by car will be waiting in the Middle School yard. A teacher will be at the gate and will let students know when their ride has arrived. 

When picking up your student from school, please be prepared to show a valid form of  identification to any teacher or staff member who asks, especially at the beginning of the school year when we are all first meeting one another. This practice is to ensure student safety.

Students who have not been picked up by 3:05 will be escorted to the Extended Day Program. Families will be charged the drop-in fee of $10/day for pick-up by 4:00 p.m., or $25/day for pick-up by 6:00 p.m. Please do not call your child’s teacher or the Front Office to ask them to hold your child after 3:05 as teachers have duties and responsibilities after school. 

School Bus and Ottermobiles

Students who ride the bus or Ottermobiles will be dismissed by FFS faculty. All students riding the bus or Ottermobiles will be accounted for as they board. If your student is registered for the bus or Ottermobile but will not be taking it every afternoon, please contact the Front Office as soon as possible so that we can be aware of this change and inform teachers and drivers.

Public Transportation

7th and 8th grade students who use SEPTA will be dismissed as a group to walk to the El together. A faculty member will walk with them for the first two days of school. 

Extended Day Program

The first day for the Extended Day Program will be Monday, September 11, 2023. Students who are enrolled in Extended Day will be escorted by teachers to the Nest at dismissal, where they will be greeted by the Extended Day staff. Extended Day closes promptly at 6:00 p.m. Caregivers who arrive after 6:00 p.m. to pick up their child(ren) will be charged $1/per minute late. Please expect to show your photo ID upon picking up your child(ren) from Extended Day.

Any changes in transportation or dismissal time must be communicated to the Front Office to ensure your child’s safety.

Attendance 

Classroom teachers take attendance at 8:05 when school begins. The School Office will call families to check on students who are marked absent without prior notification. Parents who bring their child late to school must park and escort their child to the Front Office and sign them in. Students may not enter campus alone after 8:05. Please make sure that your child is at school on time. Students are always at a disadvantage when they arrive late to school. 

Lateness and Absence 

Official school transcripts reflect all late arrivals and absences, as mandated by the state of Pennsylvania. Students who are late to school miss important community-building routines and instruction which are necessary components of your child’s success in school. Repeated, unexcused lateness or absence may result in state-mandated truancy consequences. 

As stated in the FFS Community Handbook, Frankford Friends School does not support students attending vacations during days/times when school is in session. In all cases, absence from school due to vacation scheduled on school days is an unexcused absence and will be recorded on the official transcript as such. There is no virtual substitute for being in school and teachers will not provide advance work packets or special assignments, extra tutoring, or individual help to children upon their return. If a student misses a quiz, test, presentation, or other major assignment or assessment while on a vacation, they must be prepared to take it immediately upon return and/or hand it in on the day of their return to school in order to receive credit.

Early Dismissals 

Whenever possible, medical appointments should be scheduled for off-school hours. However, if your child needs to leave school early for an appointment, please contact the Front Office with this information. Caregivers can meet their child in the Front Office to sign them o

Water bottles

All students need to have a reusable water bottle that they can bring to school on a daily basis. We have filtered water stations in every building. 

Dress Code 

As stated in the FFS Community Handbook, Frankford Friends School is a Quaker school, and as such, students’ dress should demonstrate simplicity and respect for self and the community. Students may not wear any clothing or costumes that are viewed as offensive or that promotes violence or inequality. Students may not wear military-style clothing to school, including camouflage print, or carry items such as backpacks or lunch bags with camouflage print.