What are the hours for school?
School hours are from 7:45 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Children are allowed in the classrooms at 7:35 a.m.
Announcements start at 7:45 a.m. All children who arrive before 7:30 a.m. will wait in the cafeteria. No students should be in the hallways until 7:35 a.m. Your child should be in their classroom between 7:35 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. so that they have a chance to get organized and settled before the day begins.
Click here for information on the After School Program
Where do I park if I want to come into the school?
Parking is extremely limited!
There is parking for Chesnut parents across Peachford Road in the southern most part of the Peachtree Charter Middle School property. Parking along Barclay Road (behind PCMS) and in the Dunwoody North neighborhood is allowed but please be respectful of our neighbors.
Parents are not permitted to park in the lower lot during morning drop off. When visiting the school during the day there are 5 spaces in the lower parking lot designated for visitors. After 2:15 pm it can be very difficult to back out of the parking spaces due to cars lining up for carpool. These 5 parking spots are designated as VISITOR and are on a first-come-first-go basis; all other parking spaces are assigned to a teacher or staff person.
Our upper driveway consists of our bus lanes and parking in the bus lanes is strictly prohibited. In the afternoon the bus lanes are closed to car traffic starting at 2:00 pm to allow the buses to line up for afternoon dismissal.
Parking is never acceptable along the dirt/grass on N. Peachtree Road between Peachford Road and the Bus Lanes, just north of the school. Please do not park here. Parking along this stretch severely obscures drivers’ view when pulling out from Peachford Road.
What happens if my child gets hurt?
We have a staffed school clinic. They will be able to treat any minor injuries. If there is a serious problem, the clinic staff will be able to call any emergency contacts that you provided when you registered your child.
Drop Off/Dismissal
Can I walk my child to his/her classroom each morning?
The first week of school is a big transition for everyone. Walking your child to their classroom during the first week is fine. After the first week of school, the children are expected to walk to their classrooms on their own.
The exception is Pre-K and Kindergarten families – for these families, two weeks should be sufficient time to adjust to the new school year. There will be teachers in the cafeteria to monitor the children dropped off prior to 7:30 and grade level teachers will escort the children from the cafeteria to the classrooms at 7:35.
How does carpool work?
In the mornings, children may be dropped off by car in the lower parking lot. Teachers will assist students exiting cars along the lower parking lot sidewalk. In the interest of traffic flow on N. Peachtree and the safety of our children, there is NO drop off in front of the building and in the upper parking and bus lane.
In the afternoons, cars should begin to line up along the lower parking lot sidewalk in front of the gym. When all of the children are safely in the gym, the carpool numbers will be called. Children will be allowed to enter the cars at the spots where teachers are positioned. You will receive your carpool number at registration or you may request one in the office at a later date.
What are the drop-off / dismissal policies?
In the mornings, all children who arrive before 7:30 a.m. are seated in the cafeteria according to ages. This includes bus riders, walkers and carpool children. A grade level teacher will pick children up in the cafeteria at 7:35 am.
The first week of school always is a little crazy for drop-off. PLEASE allow EXTRA time to make sure you are at school on time.
In the afternoon, children are dismissed according to their mode of transportation: carpoolers at 2:30 pm and bus riders, walkers and van riders at 2:35 pm. Carpool children are escorted to the gym and bus riders are escorted to the Bus Lane. Walkers are escorted to the library where parents may be waiting. Van riders also report to the cafeteria where they are supervised until they are picked up by the designated day care provider.
If you would like to meet your child at school for dismissal, you must wait in the lobby. A school representative will dismiss your child to you.
What if my child is late to school?
Please make every attempt to have your child at school on time. Your child is considered tardy if they arrive in their classroom after 7:45 am. If, on a rare occasion, your child is tardy, you MUST sign your child in by accompanying him/her to the front lobby. Your child will receive a tardy pass and will be escorted to class by a school representative.
How do I let you know that my child will be going home a different way than usual?
Please send a note to your teacher to let them know of any transportation changes. Please include phone numbers of where you can be contacted. If you wish to make a transportation change during the day, please call the office (678-676-7102) before 2:00 pm. The office will notify your child’s teacher of the change and will ensure your child is transported in the way you requested.
Food
How does the lunch/breakfast program work?
The Chesnut Cafeteria serves both breakfast and lunch each school day.
Breakfast is served from 7:05 to 7:35 each morning. Students who choose to purchase breakfast must be finished eating such that they can be in their classrooms for the start of the day at 7:45. Pre-K is the only grade that eats breakfast together as a class during school hours (the children all sit together, but only some choose to eat).
All students, in their respective grade levels, will eat lunch together, regardless if they buy lunch or bring lunch from home. Those children who bring their lunch may purchase milk through the cafeteria.
For details about setting up a lunch account and to see what is included in the price of school lunch, visit our Meals & Menus page.
For monthly menus, visit the DeKalb County School Nutrition website.
How do I pay for lunches?
Students can pay for lunches by the day, or they may pre-pay their lunch account. The cafeteria accepts cash or checks made out to Chesnut Cafeteria. The Chesnut Cafeteria will send home a notice when the account is negative. You may also pay online by setting up an account for your child at on the County website (you will need your child’s student number).
Each student is given an account number (student number) at the start of school. The front office staff has this information.
Can students buy ice cream? How does that work?
Yes, students can buy ice cream on designated days. Ice cream costs 50¢.
How can parents celebrate their child’s birthday at Chesnut?
Birthday celebrations are held in the cafeteria only. We encourage parents to celebrate with their child and help pass out a healthy treat if they choose to provide it. Please bring enough to share with the whole class. Please contact the school nurse or room parent to make sure you avoid allergens in your child’s class (which may include nuts, gluten, eggs, dairy, etc.).
Can I bring food from home for the class?
Whole foods such as fruits and vegetables may be cut-up and brought from home, but all prepared/baked goods must be store-bought, displaying the label. Please contact the school nurse or room parent to make sure you avoid allergens in your child’s class (which may include nuts, gluten, eggs, dairy, etc.).
What is Chesnut’s nut and food allergy policy?
Nuts (i.e., peanuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc.) and Food Allergy Policy:
- Please consult ahead of time with the school nurse or room parent to find out if there are any allergies in your child’s class
- IN LUNCHES to be eaten in the cafeteria: Peanut butter sandwiches are acceptable AS LONG AS no one in your child’s class has a nut allergy, but not loose-nut snacks such as trail mix, granola with nuts, etc. Be sure to emphasize to your child that no food should be shared with other students. (Teachers/ monitors will make every effort to keep students with nut allergies away from nut products; however, avoiding nut products in your child’s lunch is the best practice).
- IN CLASS PERSONAL SNACKS to be eaten in classroom: No nut snacks or products of any kind. This includes peanut butter, PB snack crackers, trail mix, etc. This is especially important in lower grades that eat a snack each day in their room. From time to time young children are not sure which snack is theirs; therefore, avoidance of these products is the best.
Nut-Free Healthy Snack Ideas: Dried fruit, Hummus, Avocado/Guacamole; Olives, Hummus, Salsa/Corn Chips.
Please see the following excerpt from an interview change link to with Michael C. Young, M.D., trained in allergy and clinical immunology, Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, practicing at Children’s Hospital Boston.
Can someone allergic to eating peanuts also have a reaction by touching or smelling peanuts?
A study from Mt. Sinai Medical Center in 2003 specifically examined those questions. Thirty children with severe peanut allergies were exposed to both skin contact and the smell of peanut butter. The study reached the following conclusions:
- A rash may occur where the skin is touched by peanut butter but a dangerous reaction will not result unless the peanut butter enters the mouth, nose, or eyes.
- The rash will get better when washed with soap and water, and when Benadryl is given.
- Just smelling peanut butter will not cause an allergic reaction because there is no peanut protein in an odor.
Classroom
May I talk with my child’s teacher?
Your child’s teacher is available to talk to you at a mutually agreeable time. This time can be arranged by email, phone, notes between you and the teacher or in person.
What are parent-teacher conferences?
This is a time when teachers meet with a child’s parent/guardian on a formal basis to discuss your child’s progress in school. This is a good time to ask questions about the curriculum and homework, or about what your child likes and dislikes about school.
There will be a note sent home to inform you when these conferences will take place.
May I visit my child’s classroom?
There are ample avenues for parents that want to see their child’s class in action to arrange with the teacher to volunteer: AR testing, Mystery Reader, Junior Achievement, eat lunch with your child, teacher assistance with copies, stuffing couriers, etc.
Classroom volunteering opportunities will be discussed in your child’s class during Curriculum Night.
How will I know my child’s schedule?
Class schedule information is provided at Curriculum Night during the first month of school, and can also be requested from your child’s teacher.
Dress Code
The Chesnut Elementary Dress Code applies Monday through Friday. Any item worn in the building during the school day must comply with the dress code. If a child is cold and requires an extra layer, that garment must be solid red, white or navy blue, with or without a Chesnut logo.
DeKalb County Dress Code Procedures, as listed in the Student’s Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, apply every day.
Collared shirts embroidered with the Chesnut logo as well as Chesnut spirit wear T-shirts are sold at Open House and in the School Store (in cafeteria and online).
UNIFORM BOTTOMS
Acceptable Attire: Pants, shorts, skirts, dresses or jumpers
Acceptable Colors: Khaki, Navy Blue, Plain Blue Denim (Fridays Only)
- No sweatpants
- No windpants
- No colors other than those listed
- No pants hanging from the hips
- No short skirts or shorts – mid-thigh length or longer
- Nothing other than plain blue denim, khaki, or navy on Fridays
UNIFORM TOPS
Acceptable Attire: Collared shirts (polo, button-down, peter pan, turtleneck or mock turtleneck), Chesnut T-Shirts and sweatshirts, sweaters and sweatshirts.
Acceptable Colors: Solid White, Solid Navy Blue, Solid Red
- No colors other than those listed
- No emblems other than Chesnut logo
- No stripes or prints
- No t-shirts other than Chesnut Spiritwear
- No spaghetti straps, tube tops or tank tops
*Children should wear athletic shoes (without a dark sole) to Physical Education class. Sneakers and/or tennis shoes are preferred and are required if a child is going to play on our playground.
Chesnut has partnered with Lands' End to provide custom school uniforms for students and staff.
- With the Lands' End School Rewards Program, Chesnut will receive up to a 3% cash-back reward from the school's total uniform purchases.
- You can rely on the same availability of colors, sizes, school logos and fits, year in and year out.
- Their school uniforms are built to last the school year - and the next brother or sister in line.
- They've got every kid covered, with hard-to-find fits like slim, tall, plus and husky, junior and young men's fits for teens.
The custom shopping experience for Chesnut Elementary School is live and may be viewed here.
Transportation
Bus Information
All bus riders will be dismissed at 2:30 p.m.
Click for Bus Routes.
Walkers
Children are to cross the street at the crosswalk where the Crossing Guard is stationed.
Students who walk home or who are picked up by parents in the media center will be dismissed at 2:35 PM. Parents are asked to sign in at the desk in the lobby and receive a dismissal pass for their child/children. To minimize congestion in the hallways, parents are asked to wait in the lobby to pick-up individual students after school. Children will not be allowed to wait in the front of the building until they are picked up. Children in the front of the building after dismissal will be sent to the carpool area. Parents are urged to quickly depart as soon as they pick up their children.
Parents who do not wish to participate in carpool are encouraged to utilize the parking spaces located in the rear of Peachtree Middle School and walk the short distance to Chesnut.
NO PARKING ON NORTH PEACHTREEParking on North Peachtree Road is prohibited at all times. Failure to follow this rule could result in a ticket from the Dunwoody Police Department. |
Carpool
Carpool parents are to pick their children up in the designated area located in the south parking lot (teacher’s parking lot). Cars will only be allowed to make a right turn into the parking lot from North Peachtree Road. Once the parking lot is full, cars should queue along North Peachtree Road in front of the school.
Once entering the parking lot, parents are to wait in line for their child/children to come to their cars. There will be no car movement in the parking lot until all students have entered their cars. Only parents with a Chesnut carpool number will be allowed to pick students up in this area.
Parents without a carpool number must report to the front office to sign their child out of school.
When exiting the parking lot, proceed with caution when making a right turn only onto North Peachtree Road.
Attendance Matters
Chesnut has a new Attendance Reporting procedure for documenting tardies and absences. If your child is late or absent from school and has a written doctor’s note:
- Scan or take a picture of the doctor’s note.
- Attach the image to an email.
- Put your student’s name and homeroom teacher in the subject area of the email.
- Email the image to chesnutattendance@gmail.com. (When reporting an absence, also send a carbon copy to your child’s homeroom teacher.)
Please keep all doctor’s notes for your records. If you have any questions, call 678-676-7102.
