Hollis Families,

We are excited to share that construction on the pool room has officially begun! Over the next few months, crews will be renovating the existing pool room into new restrooms, a new music classroom, a makerspace/STEM lab, and a new Pre-K classroom. Additionally, our building will receive several safety and accessibility improvements, including but not limited to a new elevator and a double-layered secured front entry. As you can imagine, the scope of this work cannot be completed solely over summer break, so some of the project must be completed during the school year when students are present. We are optimistic that the work will pose minimal interruptions to the day-to-day operations here at Hollis.

One of the biggest phases of this project is the new entrance. The plan involves building a new secured entry space with elevator access. This is one of the more extensive parts of the construction plan because it requires us to close the front entrance of the building. The front doors are used frequently throughout our school day, so this is going to be an adjustment for all of us.

Beginning tomorrow, March 23, we will no longer be able to use the front entry for day-to-day operations. We realize this will create some challenges. Please take some time to read through the four scenarios below. It is important that both students and parents are familiar with these new procedures.

1. Morning drop off from 8:00 – 8:15 AM: Students will need to enter through the boiler room door for morning drop offs (door 4). We will have plenty of staff on-site to assist with this process. Arriving at school on time will help this process run smoothly.

2. Afternoon pick up at 3:15 PM: Students will exit through the boiler room doors (door 4). Staff will be increased to assist students in this process.

3. Late arrivals: Students who arrive after 8:15 AM will need to use the back parking lot doors (door 12). Parents will need to park their vehicle in one of the available parking spaces behind the school. Students and parents can then use the buzzer at door 12 to contact the front office. Since the back parking lot is frequently used for recess and PE, temporary barriers will be utilized to outline a traffic pattern that must be followed.

4. Early departures: Students who will need to leave school during the school day for appointments or due to illness will need to be picked up in the back. Parents will need to park in one of the available parking spaces behind the school and then use the buzzer at door 12 to contact the office. Again, parents will need to follow the new traffic pattern. More than ever, we highly encourage parents to call the office prior to any early departures.

We realize these changes will take some getting used to, and we recognize that the plan may need to be adjusted along the way. We appreciate your patience as we work through this stage of construction. If you have any specific questions regarding these new procedures, please let us know