Please see below for an outline of policies and procedures for students and families at The Children’s Workshop School.
The Children’s Workshop School families enter through the school yard starting at 8:00am. Pre K children are escorted through the lobby stairs by their caregiver and taken directly to Tar Beach at 8:30am. 3K children are escorted through the lobby stairs by their caregiver directly to their classroom at 8:30am. Students in K to 5th grade are to be dropped off in the school yard and will be picked up by their teachers at 8:30am. This is not a time to have a private conversation with the teacher, as it compromises the safety of the class.
Children may not leave the school premises after they are dropped off in the school yard or cafeteria! Immediate disciplinary action will be taken for any infraction of this rule. Please do not allow your children to use electronic devices or cell phones while on school premises as a safety precaution. Many parents have requested that our policy about electronic devices be strengthened and clarified.
Children’s Workshop School Arrival Policy Reminder
The Staff at CWS is would like to clarify protocol which is designed to prevent arrival in the school yard from being chaotic and overwhelming. It is for this reason that we strictly enforce our drop off policy in order to ensure the safety of all the children in the school. You and your children should be aware of the rules in place to help us begin the day in a calm, orderly manner.
Rules for Morning Drop Off
Children are not permitted to use electronic devices on the school premises
Please do not take photographs or videos of children without their caregivers’ permission.
The same rule applies to photographing other caregivers and staff
Please make sure that anyone dropping off your child understands our policy and remind your children that the adults are all working together to keep them safe.
Thank You!
Students who arrive after 8:30am must receive a late pass. Adults may not escort children to their floors/classrooms. Instead, after receiving a late pass students will walk to their classrooms independent of their adults. Please direct children to receive a late pass if their classes have already been picked up from the school yard. Teachers will send students back to the office for a late pass if students arrive without a late pass.
Lateness
The CWS school day begins at 8:30am. Children are considered late after 8:30 and must get a late pass, so as not to be marked absent. Lateness and absences are recorded daily for insurance and fiscal purposes and will remain on your child’s permanent record. It’s important that all children arrive on time so that they do not miss morning meeting in their class, which focuses and informs each child for their day. If there is a pattern to your child’s lateness, we will call you to discuss our concern and it’s impact on your child’s education. Middle Schools look very closely at lateness and attendance when they are making decisions.
Dismissal is at 2:50pm every day. 3K children are dismissed from their classrooms. Pre-K and Kindergarten children are dismissed outside in front of the building. 1st through 5th grade children are dismissed from the school yard. Children will only be released to adults specified by their parent or guardian. This must be in writing, and submitted to the office. In an emergency, families must call the school to authorize a non-designee or send a note with the child in the morning to notify the teacher. Please arrange for your child to be picked up promptly at 2:50 pm. Staff members work day extends beyond 2:50 with meetings and professional responsibilities. Please respect our work by prompt dismissal pick-up daily. CWS Contact Policy is safe and proven very effective. Your child must shake the teacher’s hand, fist bump, high five, etc. before they leave with you and you must make eye contact with the teacher. Please leave the school premises as soon as you have picked up your child. Dismissal is not the time to discuss issues with a teacher since he/she/they are responsible for the safe dismissal of the entire class and cannot give you full attention.
Children’s Workshop School Dismissal Policy Reminder
The Staff at CWS is aware that dismissal can seem chaotic and overwhelming. It is for this reason that we strictly enforce our dismissal policy in order to ensure the safety of all the children in the school. Your children are aware of the rules and are happy to follow them in the same way that they follow rules on field trips because they understand that the teacher is responsible for the safe dismissal of the entire class.
Please make sure that anyone picking up your child understands our policy and remind your children that the adults are all working together to keep them safe. Thank You!
Adults should register with the school safety agent showing a valid proof of ID. After registering with School Safety, an approved adult must proceed directly to the CWS Office room 209 to sign the child out. Office staff will call the classroom teacher and have the child meet the adult in the office. Adults should not go directly to the child’s classroom.
Illness
Do not send a child who is complaining or feeling ill or who has a fever the night before to school. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours before they return to school. If your child is sick, please call the office to let us know and send a note with your child when he returns.
Absences
If your child has been out for 3 days, a doctor’s note must be submitted to the office. Attendance is crucial to your child’s academic success. The DOE carefully follows all absences. A list is compiled and sent to each school, identifying children with at risk, chronic and severe absence patterns. 92% attendance represents 14 days absence and is considered chronic. All absences are a part of your child’s permanent record. If your child has been excessively or chronically absent, the district’s attendance coordinator is automatically notified and will contact you.
Between 8:00am and 5:45pm, all visitors including parents must sign in at the School Safety desk in the lobby and then immediately proceed to the CWS Office in room 209. PreK-5 families may not go directly to the classroom before or after 8:30am.
Additionally under no circumstances should an adult enter the classroom and/or speak to a child/teacher during the school day without a teacher’s prior permission. Adults should not approach or interact with teachers or students in the hallway during transitions. No adults may linger in the hallways when classes are in session or when children are transitioning between activities.
If you are picking your child up early, you must sign an early dismissal book in the CWS office. A call will be made to the classroom teacher to ask him/her/they to dismiss your child to the CWS office.
An adult may not confront a child or another adult about their child’s behavior on school premises. School Safety will be called immediately.
All meals are free.
Breakfast is available from 8:00 to 8:30 in the cafeteria. Children are expected to join their class before 8:30 so as not to be marked late and must not go up to the classrooms on their own. Students arriving late to their classroom must get a late pass.
Grades Pre-K to 2nd grade students will eat lunch at 11:50. Grades 3-5 lunch is at 12:40.
If you are sending a packed lunch, please do not send candy, soda or sugary snacks. CWS parents have worked to improve the quality of school lunch. CWS enjoys an alternative healthy menu, which includes a salad bar. For information about the menu, please visit NYC DOE School Meals. ALL parents, including those who send home lunch daily, MUST fill out the DOE school lunch form online or a paper version in annual paperwork sent home. We are happy to say that all students in NYC will receive free lunch if they wish, and families will not be billed.
There is a nurse on duty every day in room 213, phone (212) 673-1597. Under no circumstances are teachers allowed to give any medication to any children. If a child needs to receive daily medication or asthma medication as needed, the parent MUST fill out a 504 form which will be filed in the nurses office. Children may not administer medications on their own. For temporary medications, OTC or antibiotics the parent has to come in at those given times to administer the medication or keep the child home.
In order to attend school, state law dictates that each student’s immunization requirements must be fulfilled. These requirements are stated on the DOE website and in the school registration packets.
To create an environment conducive to learning by minimizing distractions caused by cell phones and other personal internet-enabled electronic devices, ensure the safety and focus of all students during school the school day, and follow Education Law §2803, effective August 1, 2025, all New York State schools are required to adopt a policy that prohibits the use of personal internet-enabled devices during the school day on school grounds. An “internet-enabled electronic device” is defined as an electronic device capable of connecting to the internet and enabling the user to access content on the internet. Examples of such devices include cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, laptops, tablets, iPads, and portable music and entertainment systems.
PS 361/ The Children’s Workshop School Policy
To enhance our learning environment and remain in full compliance with New York State Education Law Section 2803 and Chancellor’s Regulation A-413, effective August 1, 2025, CWS PS361M will implement a device/locker/system for students in grades 2 through 5 during the 2025-2026 school year.
This policy supports the state’s newly required “bell-to-bell” restriction on personal internet-enabled devices during the school day.
Students will not be permitted to use or access their personal internet-enabled electronic devices upon arrival at school until the end of the school day. The school day is defined as the period from the moment students enter the school building until the last class of the day ends, including during lunch. The school day begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 2:50 PM. Students will be able to use school/NYCPS-issued devices during the school day.
1. COLLECTION/STORAGE
Upon arrival at the beginning of the school day, 8:30 AM, students will turn off their devices and place them in a secure locker in their classrooms.
Students will retrieve their devices at the end of the school day, at 2:50 PM
2. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
3. EXCEPTIONS
4. DISCIPLINE
5. WHAT IF A STUDENT IS CAUGHT USING THEIR DEVICE?
If a student is caught using their device the device will be collected by Administration, and a parent will be notified:
6. OTHER: IF LOST OR STOLEN
In the unlikely event that an electronic device is stolen or damaged at school, parents can submit a claim to the Comptroller’s Office.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a focused and productive learning environment. If you have any questions or need further clarification regarding these policies, please do not hesitate to contact George Morgan, principal designee, in the school’s office at 212 614 9531 x209
Developments and innovation in technology continue to enhance the field of education giving educators, parents and students tools for research, exploration and learning. However, with this come added responsibilities for teachers, parents, and students.
DOE employees are required to adhere to the Chancellor’s guidelines for internet use.
Caregivers are expected to be vigilant and monitor their child’s internet use at home.
As a caregiver, you need to attend to your child’s safety and to their behavior to other children online. We take the issue of cyberbullying very seriously and if issues come up in the classrooms which are related to your child’s use of social media, caregivers will be called in for a conference. It is also important to respect the privacy of other members of the community when posting videos or pictures or information online.
The following information provides more information about internet safety and cyberbullying.
CWS is serviced by different bus companies, which drop children off at 8:30 a.m. and pick up children at the dismissal. District 1 students who live more than one mile from school and are at least 6 years old are eligible to be take the school bus. The bus company will inform you of the bus stops. Parents must send a note to the teacher any day their child is changing his/her usual means of departure. This is especially important for bus children, and it is also the parent’s responsibility to notify the bus company of such a change. Children who live more that ½ mile from the school will receive a Student OMNY Card for the subway and MTA Bus which will can be used 4 times per day. All students are responsible for their passes. Your OMNY card is valid for the entire school year and the summer. Lost passes must be deactivated through the system. A new pass can take up to 4-6 weeks. You must fill out a request form in the office to be submitted to the Office of Pupil Transportation.
Field trips are an integral part of progressive education methodology. Classes take several trips throughout the course of the year, ranging from walks around the block, visits within the community, excursions to sites in the city or to see performances or museums. Classes travel on foot, by school bus, city bus or subway. Teachers notify caregivers in advance about upcoming trips and request caregiver volunteers to accompany the class and assist in supervision. Accompanying a class on a trip is a great way for caregivers to participate in the school community. Caregivers are needed on every trip and play a vital role in maintaining the safety and educational value of the trip. The teacher will go over the itinerary with you and you will be assigned a small group. You will not be expected to, nor should you, discipline children. The teacher is there if you need support. Please be mindful of safety on these trips by avoiding cell phone use when you are with the children. Teachers need firm commitments from caregivers in order to plan trips. If you must cancel a commitment to accompany a class on a trip, please let the teacher know at least a week in advance so that other arrangements can be made. Canceling a trip impacts everyone, including other caregivers who may have taken a day off from work to attend. Here are some general rules that teachers have put together to ensure everyones safety.
While walking:
Assist while crossing the streets by blocking traffic and/or escorting kids across.
(At least one adult must stop traffic while we cross.)
Try to help students to stay together without gaps in the line.
No electronics are to be used by children on class trips, including on the subways.
Please do not have a phone or earbuds visible while walking with our group.
Adults should limit their use of phones to briefly checking for emergencies only.
Try to keep the leader’s pace, sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s slower. There are reasons for the speed.
Make sure there is one adult at the end of the line at all times.
Please walk with your child and/or a group of children…do not run, skip, climb or play games while we are walking.
Please be mindful and aware of open cellar doors and construction sites. An adult should stand in front, directing children away.
The DOE mandates that we hold safety drills throughout the year, so that we can be prepared in the unlikely event of a real emergency. Our focus is on the children, not only to be sure that follow safety protocol but also so that they are not stressed or beset by fears as a result of these drills. Please approach any discussion in a matter of fact way, and if your child seems unduly concerned please let the teacher know.
How you can help:
