SCHOOL HOURS
| Doors Open: | 7:30am |
| Arrival Bell: | 7:45am |
| Late Bell: | 8:05am |
| Dismissal Bell: | 2:45pm |
ABSENCE REPORTING
Report absences to the front office: 804-780-6252, or email Samantha Jones, front office administrator: sjones12@rvaschools.net
DROP-OFF PROCEDURE
Bus Rider Drop-Off
Students who ride the bus to school will be dropped off daily in front of the school and a staff member will meet them to escort them inside the building. Each student will be given a colored "tag" on their backpack that will indicate the bus route they are on. Do not remove the tag!
The bus schedules and stops for LHJ are attached before each year begins. Keep in mind that the times listed are subject to change due to traffic delays or can be earlier if students at another stop do not get on. It is best to plan to get to the stop at least 5 minutes before the scheduled time.
If your student misses the bus on any given day, please follow either the "carpool/walking" or "biker drop-off" procedures below depending on your alternate method.
Carpool & Walking Drop-Off
All car and walker drop-offs take place at the western entrance to the school on Belmont Ave. Cars dropping off should plan to be heading north on Belmont Ave to ensure students are dropped off on the correct side of the street.
Biking Drop-Off
Bike racks are located at the main school entrance on Maplewood Ave. Student bikes should be locked securely to the rack before the students are brought to the drop-off location at the western entrance to the school.
PICKUP PRODECURE
Bus Riders:
At the beginning of the year, your scholar will be given a "tag" (usually a colored clothes pin, but may also be laminated colorful paper) on their backpack in a specific color. This will assist the school in making sure your scholar is in the right place and on the right bus at the end of the day. Do not remove the tag!
Bus riders are dropped off at the front entrance of the school (traffic loop on Maplewood Ave). At the end of the day the bus riders are organized by classroom and bus color to load onto the buses from the traffic circle as well.
K-2 scholars need to have a parent present at the bus stop to meet them. If there is no parent the student cannot be let off the bus and the bus driver will take them back to Lois Harrison-Jones. You will get a phone call from the school instructing you to pick up your scholar from the office.
Carpool Pickup
At the beginning of the school year, those electing to pick students up by car will be given a laminated card with their student's / students' pickup ID number. Those individuals picking their students up by car should bring this card with them for pickup and displayed in their vehicle for school staff to see. School staff will be monitoring the pickup line and using the displayed ID numbers to efficiently and safely collect and dismiss students to the correct vehicles.
The car pickup line begins forming at the drop-off / pickup location on Belmont Ave. Cars may line up behind one another along the curb of Belmont Ave towards Grant St. Once the pickup line reaches Grant St, the line continues down Grant St along the baseball field such that cars in the line face westward.
Walker & Biking Pickup
Those who will be picking their students up by walking or biking from their homes may come to the blacktop near the western drop-off / pickup entrance of the school to pickup their students. From there, those biking home may head to the front of the school to collect the student's bike from the bike rack.
For all students:
If your scholar is going home some other way on any given day, please notify your scholar's TEACHER via Remind or ClassDojo so they are put in the right pickup line.
Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary is part of the Richmond Public Schools (RPS). As such, we follow the RPS district calendar:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the Lois Harrison-Jones policy about attendance?
A: Like all RPS schools, LHJ follows the Virginia Department of Education's requirements for attendance. Briefly, that means that your student can not miss more than 18 days of school in a given year before a court appearance is required. In addition, a note is required (on paper) within 5 school days of the absence in order for the absence to be considered excused. More information on absences and tardiness can be found here.
Q: What is the RPS policy about COVID?
A: Currently all students are required to wear masks inside any RPS building, unless they are opted out. If you would like to opt your child out of wearing a mask, please send an email to covidRPS@rvaschools.net and include your student's full name, grade, and school.
If your child is positive for COVID, a 5 day quarantine is required. These days do not count against the 18 day absence total. On days 6-10 the student is required to wear a mask at school, regardless of if they have opted out of mask wearing.
Q: Is after school care available?
A: Yes. Lois Harrison-Jones Elementary participates in the Richmond Parks and Rec Out of School Time (OST) program. This is after school care that is at LHJ Elementary from dismissal until 5:30 pm. It includes developmentally appropriate activities (by grade) including art, sports, and games. A snack is also provided.
The cost of the program is $60 per semester per child ($120/year per child). You must register in advance.
The program fills up quickly and often runs out of spots. Registration dates vary each year. It is recommended you register early! You can register for one or both semesters at the same time.
There is typically information about registration provided via the PTA Facebook and WhatsApp channels.
For more information on After School, you can contact the Parks, Rec, and Community Facilities OST program at (804) 646-6034 or use this link
Q: How can I volunteer with Lois Harrison-Jones?
A: If you are interested in volunteering at LHJ, please see our volunteer opportunities on PTBoard, or you can reach out to jbcarypta@gmail.com if you have an idea for an activity. Our volunteer chair will be in touch with you!
In addition, all volunteers at LHJ are required to complete the RPS Volunteer process. This includes a background check and registration. You cannot volunteer at LHJ until you complete this process.
If you complete the volunteer process with RPS you are allowed to volunteer at ANY RPS school or any RPS sponsored event. You only have to do the process once.
We welcome your questions! If you have a question that hasn't been answered here, feel free to contact us. or join our Facebook group.
There are several ways in which you can find or receive information about events, issues, and news from both Lois Harrison- Jones Elementary as well as RPS in general.
REMIND
The Remind app is a text-message based communication platform use by both RPS and LHJ. To sign up to receive messages from both, text @johnbcar to 81010 or download the Remind app.
CLASS DOJO
Many teachers at Lois Harrison-Jones utilize the app Class Dojo to send classroom-specific communications. ClassDojo also helps teachers manage student behavior by awarding real-time feedback with audio cues. Teachers who use Class Dojo will send home instructions with your student on how to sign up.