General Information
School Hours: 8:25AM - 2:55PM
STUDENT ABSENCES
Please notify the school every day your child will be absent. You can call the school voice mail system and leave a message in the mailbox:
203-655-1323 Dial Option: 3
After classroom attendance has been taken and sent to the office, a check will be made against the absences phoned in to the school. In any case of absence where there has been no notification by the parent, contact will be made with the home to verify the absence.
If you need to make a temporary dismissal change, you must enter the change for the day by 1:30 PM on Pikmykid. Please let Janet Frasca know if you have any questions: jfrasca@darienps.org.
HINDLEY SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION - 2024-2026 - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL PROCEDURES - PEDESTRIAN & VEHICULAR - 2024-2025 - CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED INFORMATION
PICKING UP AND PARKING
The bus loop is reserved for buses only. Cars are not allowed in the bus loop. At arrival and dismissal times, students must be picked up and dropped off at the designated area in the front of the building only. We kindly request that you remain in your car, staff members will assist students in and out of the car.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
All Families, returning and new, must register with Pikmykid for dismissal, which all schools are now using in place of School Dismissal Manager.
Bus schedules will be posted on the District website and in the local newspapers. Kindergarten students will be provided with a bus tag that should be clearly displayed on students' backpacks so that the driver can easily identify kindergarten riders. Kindergarten students must be met by an adult at their bus stop, or they will be returned to school for pickup.
Any transportation or busing questions can be directed to Dani Powers: dpowers@darienps.org
For playdates, children may not ride a bus they are not assigned to. If your child is having a playdate with a student not assigned to their same bus, they must be picked up from school, have a plan to walk, or ride bikes together.
DISMISSAL: Pikmykid INFORMATION & INSTRUCTIONS
All Families, returning and new, must register with Pikmykid for dismissal, which all schools are now using in place of School Dismissal Manager.
See here for the instructions from the District website, and here is the Parent App Guide.
See here for the official Pikmykid website.
If your child is not riding the bus home, you must enter a dismissal change for the day by 1:30 pm. You can use the calendar to select the days you know your child will not be riding the bus. Please let Janet Frasca know if you have any questions: jfrasca@darienps.org.
DISMISSAL MONITORING & CHANGES
All changes in dismissal must be made using Pikmykid no later than 1:30 p.m. Pick-ups are dismissed to the front entrance of the building at 2:55.
BICYCLE RIDERS
As of October 1, 1993, Connecticut State Law requires ALL BICYCLE RIDERS UNDER THE AGE OF 14 TO WEAR HELMETS. Students are to park and LOCK their bicycles in racks located on the school grounds. Bicycles are to be walked to and from the bike rack.
Bicycle riders should stay in single file on the right hand side of the road using hand signals and obeying traffic lights and road signs. On heavily traveled roads, bicycle riders use sidewalks, granting the right of way to pedestrians, except in downtown areas where bicycles are not allowed on sidewalks. It is strongly urged that children not ride double on bicycles. Also, a child is not to borrow another bicycle without permission from the owner. It is recommended that all bicycles be registered with the Darien Police Department.
LATE ARRIVAL
Students arriving late to school should report to the school office.
PLAYDATES
If you are arranging a playdate for your child after school, please note any changes for dismissal directly in Pikmykid. Each parent must enter this change in Pikmykid.
Children may not ride a bus they are not assigned to for a playdate. If your child is having a playdate with a student not assigned to their same bus, they must be picked up from school or plan to walk or ride bikes together.
EMERGENCY WEATHER-RELATED INFORMATION
Sign up for Ed-Alert! The Darien Public Schools provides an emergency notification service that allows parents and staff to receive emails and text messages about urgent information from the Office of the Darien Superintendent of Schools. Go to www.darienps.org and click on the link to sign up.
Please visit the district Emergency Weather-Related Information page for more information.
SHORTENED DAYS
On regularly scheduled shortened days, Hindley will dismiss at 12:55, with pick-ups arriving at the entrance of the building at 12:55.
EXTENDED VACATIONS
Extended vacations beyond the regularly scheduled school vacations are strongly discouraged. Interruptions to your child's normal school calendar may be harmful to the learning process. It is difficult for teachers to prepare homework before, during and after an extended vacation. In order to discourage extended vacations, it has become a district wide practice for teachers not to be required to provide extra homework.
VISITORS & VOLUNTEERS
If you are bringing a forgotten belonging or lunch to school for your child, you may leave it with our campus monitor, Dee Attisani, who will bring it to your child. This helps limit the disruption to the learning environment during the day. Please ensure any items brought during the day and left on the table are labeled with your child’s full name and teacher name. Families may not visit their child for lunch or recess. The school campus (fields, playgrounds, picnic tables, etc.) is closed to all unscheduled visitors during school hours. The campus, including the playground, may be used outside of school hours and on the weekends.
ASPEN INSTRUCTIONS
See here to access your Aspen account. If you are new to Aspen, use the same link to create your account.
All Families, new and returning, before the school year begins must complete in Aspen your updated contact, medical information, and permission sign-off workflow. This workflow includes the following:
-
Permission forms for field trips and publicity photos
-
Technology sign-off related to the Acceptable Use Policy
-
Emergency Information: It is critical you remember to fill in and update your Aspen profile for emergency information. This information must be updated annually and is not valid without your electronic signature.
-
Medical consents
-
Consent to share contact information with our PTO for directory and weekly newsletter (Wire) purposes
If further assistance is needed with Aspen issues, please email Aspen support at: aspen@darienps.org.
INSURANCE PROGRAM
HUSKY Health offers coverage to eligible children, parents, relative caregivers, elders, individuals with disabilities, adults without dependent children, and pregnant women.
In Connecticut, HUSKY Health encompasses Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
As an administering agency, the Department of Social Services partners with Access Health CT, our state’s health insurance marketplace, in HUSKY Health enrollment. They also partner with contracted administrative services organizations and enrolled providers to coordinate medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral health, and other benefits.
HUSKY Health provides a comprehensive health care benefit package, including preventive care, primary care and specialist visits, hospital care, behavioral health services, dental services, and prescription medications.