New Family FAQ

Whether you are a returning family or new to Fox, you will find answers to many of the questions that are top of mind as the first day of school approaches. You will also receive more information and be able to ask questions at Back to School Night.

What is Back to School Night?

Back to School Night is an opportunity for parents to hear from our principal and PTA as well as meet their child's teacher and find out about this year’s curriculum, classroom procedures, volunteer opportunities and more. Back to School Night is for parents only and is held within the first few weeks of school. 

What do I need to do before school starts?  Are there forms to fill out?

Enrollment is run by the Belmont Redwood Shores School District (BRSSD), not Fox School. BRSSD will send an email with a link to the annual online Student Information Update form in early August. If you have more than one child in the District, you will receive a separate email for each child. Please be sure to complete this information update as it contains all your student's emergency contact information. If you are missing any immunization or oral health medical records the school will contact you.  

How do I find out who is in my child’s class?  Can I get in touch with other parents?

You will receive an email from the District with your child’s class/teacher assignment the Sunday before school begins as long as you have completed your Student Information Update. Fox will also post classroom assignments on August 13th, 2022 by 4 pm.  

How can I contact my child’s teacher?

Communication between parents and teachers is critical to student success. Your child’s teacher will review the best times and methods to get in touch during Back to School Night. In addition, all Fox teachers have an email address which may be found on the Fox website or Parent Square. 

How can I contact someone at the District?

The Belmont-Redwood Shores School District Office is located at 2960 Hallmark Drive, Belmont, CA 94002. The phone number is: 650-637-4800.  For more information you can go to the District website.

What time does school start? End? 

School starts at 8:25 am for all grades.  School is dismissed at 12:35 pm (TK), 1:30 pm (K), 2:35 pm (1-3rd Grade) and 3:10 (4-5th Grade) on M, Tu, Th & F. On Wednesdays and any minimal days, all students are dismissed at 12:20 pm. *If your child arrives between 8:25 - 8:30 am proceed to class. If after 8:30 am proceed to the office for a late pass. Refer to Fox bell schedule. 

What is the safest route to walk to school?

We encourage Fox families to walk to school if possible. Fox has 4 front gates and 1 back gate by the far play structure for walkers and a drop off lane for car drop offs. After 8:25 bell all gates are locked and all students must enter through the office. Fox is committed to ensuring the safety of all its students and has developed a Safe Routes plan for the school. All Families are asked to review the Safe Routes Plan and follow the guidelines for walking to school as well as for school drop-off and pick up. 

Where does my child go on the first day? Should I accompany my child to the classroom?

Parents may walk their child to the outside of the classroom door on the first day of class. Please do not enter the classrooms. TK/K can walk through the K gate in front of the library.  All other grades may walk through the main, side or back gates. After the first day of class, parents can walk their child to one of the gates, but are not allowed on campus unless signed in at the front office.  

After the first day, how/where do I drop my child off? 

After the first day, all parents should drop off their children at either the K (half gate in front of the library), main (next to office), side (access to blacktop) or far back gate if walking, or at the drop off lane in the front of the school if arriving by car. If driving, Fox has a 1 way drive to the car drop-off lane where someone will assist in helping your child out to the sidewalk. There will be traffic monitors to guide where to pull up and help your child out to the sidewalk. Please do not get out in the middle of the street, wait until guided to the curb. Drop-off and pick up time can be very congested, so please allow ample time and be patient. Please do not drop children off prior to 8:10am as there is no supervision. 

 Where do I pick my child after school?

Please wait at the flagpole if walking, or in the car pick-up line if driving. TK/K teachers will escort students to the front of the school and will dismiss students individually when the student and staff member see the student's parent or authorized adult. Fox students are dismissed at different times by grade, so please exit campus once dismissed as to not disturb the classes still in session.  

What if my child is sick? Or late?  Or I need to pick him/her up early.

If your child is going to be absent or late, call the Fox Attendance line 650-620-2812. You may also email maceveto@brssd.org and your teacher to let them know. If you need to pick up your child early, check in at the office.  Our front office administrative assistant will contact your child’s teacher and have your child report to the office. For more information on attendance and tardies click here.  

What if there is an emergency on campus (ex. fire, earthquake, etc)?

At Fox School, the safety of students is our primary objective. That is why we have a comprehensive Disaster Plan for responding to emergencies. For more information see Emergency Procedures.

What if my child forgets something (e.g. lunch, jacket, homework, etc.)?

Bring the forgotten item to the office; do NOT go directly to the classroom. To minimize disruption to the classrooms, the office will contact the teacher to reunite the student with the forgotten item.

Is there after school care?  How does my child get from the classroom to the after school site?

Fox's on-campus after school provider is San Carlos Belmont Aftercare (SCBA). Kindergartner and 1st graders are met by SCBA representatives at their classroom and escorted to the aftercare building. All other students will walk.  For more information please see San-Carlos Belmont Aftercare.  

When are school vacations?

Please refer to the BRSSD Calendar for all minimal, non-student, breaks and holidays.  

What school supplies does my child need on the first day?  What about a backpack?

It is helpful for your child to have a backpack on the first day of school to bring their snack, lunch and water in and take home any papers.  

Your child does not need to bring any supplies to school! Fox PTA, through the Education Commitment Campaign, will provide all the supplies your child needs in the classroom. This includes paper, pencils, crayons, markers, rulers, scissors, etc.! This a win-win as parents don’t have to run from store to store collecting various supplies or lug in bags of supplies on the first day and teachers get exactly what they want and need for their classrooms at a large discount starting day one of school. If you would like to help with the cost of supplies, please contribute through the Education Commitment Campaign, a PTA-SchoolForce partnership. This contribution is completely voluntary and is fully tax deductible. You can make this contribution during the district School Information Update or contribute here.

Should I send my child a snack?

Yes, each classroom has a snack break mid-morning. Parents should send a healthy snack to help their child stay focused and able to learn. 

What about lunch? Can my child microwave food? Can my child purchase a lunch?

Students do not have access to a refrigerator or microwave and staff and volunteers are unable to microwave food for students. The school provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to families. Monthly menus are included in the principal's weekly memos so parents can decide if they would like their child to bring meals or eat at school. 

Are there any food restrictions?

Although there are no specific food restrictions at the school level, your teacher will share if there are any restrictions for your specific classroom.  Parents of children with food allergies should complete District forms and inform the child’s teacher on the first day of school. 

Fox is a no food birthday celebrations school.  To celebrate you may bring non-food party favors for the class.  

What if my child needs to take medicine at school?

If your child needs to take medication at school, you will need to complete the District’s Medical Authorization Form and drop off at the front office.  Medications must be in the original container and have your child’s name clearly labeled.  

Where can I find out about the curriculum?

Fox Elementary School follows California State and Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary District guidelines. For more information see Curriculum.

How much homework will my child have?

Fox Elementary School has developed guidelines for a school wide homework policy in order to clarify general expectations for students, parents, and teachers. Each teacher will develop a classroom homework policy based on the following guidelines in the fall.  More information on suggested homework times by grade can be found here.  

Are there field trips?

Yes!  Thanks to generous PTA donations K – 5th grades take one or more field trips during the year that support concepts learned in the classroom. Parents are welcome, and essential, to help chaperone. Your child’s teacher will talk about specific field trips being planned during Back to School Night. You can view our field trip policy here. All field trip chaperones must have District Volunteer clearance completed prior to going on any school field trip. Please visit the District Volunteer webpage.

What resources are available for children with special needs?

Fox offers a number of specialists to help each student achieve to his or her highest potential.  Please speak with your child’s teacher or the principal if you feel they need these services.  BRSSD is also fortunate to have Opening Doors PTA, BRSSD’s Special Services PTA.  Opening Doors’ mission is to provide resources for parents, district educators and students who need extra support.  For more information please visit the Opening Doors PTA webpage.

Can I volunteer in the classroom?  Or if I can’t volunteer during the day, are there other ways to contribute my time?

There are many opportunities to volunteer in and out of the classroom at Fox. A room parent sign up will be shared at the beginning of the school year and your child’s teacher will also share what in class opportunities are available. All in class volunteers must have completed the District Volunteer Clearance Process. Outside of the classroom, the PTA has many volunteer opportunities that fit any schedule. Click here for more information.  

Is there anything I need to do if I am visiting the campus to volunteer or participate in an event?

To volunteer at Fox you first need to complete your volunteer clearance. On the day of volunteering you are required to sign in/out and pick up a name tag at the front office.  Only cleared volunteers who are checked in are allowed past the gates on Fox campus.  

How can I contribute financially?  What is the Education Commitment Campaign?

The Education Commitment Campaign is a partnership fundraising between Fox PTA and School-Force to close the funding gap between limited state funding and what we need to ensure the best educational experience for our students.  From August 1st through October 31, contributions to the Education Commitment Campaign will be shared by Fox PTA and School Force. Both Cipriani PTA and School Force support programs and services that directly benefit your child.  School-Force supports students across the District with art, music, science, innovation Grants for our teachers, counselors, reading specialists, the library and more.  Fox PTA provides classroom supplies and enrichment for our students including in class events, field trips, science fair, Foxtravaganza, assemblies, Mad Science, community building events and more.  For more information visit our Education Commitment Campaign page.

How do I join the PTA?

Your PTA membership is included in your contribution to the Education Commitment Campaign.

How do I know what’s going on at school? 

All communication at Fox is through Parent Square. You can also sign up for our Fox newsletter, Fox Facebook Group and check the homepage of our website at any time for the latest news & updates. Click here to learn more and sign up for these resources that will help keep you updated.  

Another great way to get involved and keep up with what’s happening at Fox is to attend PTA General Association meetings. These meetings will take place every other month on Zoom starting in Sept and are open to everyone and participation is encouraged. Only PTA members may vote on any actionable items.  

Can we get Fox themed apparel? 

Yes!!! Wearing Foxwear builds school spirit.  The Fox School Store includes shirts, sweatshirts, caps, tote bags and more. Check it out here.