CES News Update 8.24.22- Important Communications -Pickup Patrol & TalkingPoints

Chesterbrook Families,

We hope your children are settling in and excited to be back at school. It is so nice to have our classrooms filled with children.

We want to share some important information to ensure our communications are supportive of our families and students needs. Last year we communicated via Twitter any late buses and now are excited to share an new tool, Talking Points texting service, to support quick text communications.

Please read this important information to ensure you have updated all information for dismissal protocol and signed up for the new texting tool. We aim to provide efficient and supportive communication to keep all families updated.

Thank you,

Stacy Kirkpatrick, Principal
Farris Thomas, Assistant Principal
Holley Remer, Dave Troskey & Cindy Flores, Office Team


PickUp Patrol (PUP)

Parents,

Chesterbrook Uses Pick Up Patrol to coordinate transportation plans such as late arrival, early dismissal pickups or changes in afternoon transportation.

In our first two weeks, it is important for students to get into a routine and understand their afternoon transportation plan. Avoiding playdates directly after school in the first two weeks will help as we settle into routines. If you need to share a change in dismissal plans, please read more about our system.

PickUp Patrol saves a great deal of time  in the office and reduces interruptions in our classrooms—while also providing you with a convenient way to make changes to your children’s dismissal plans. Most importantly, it helps us ensure that our students are safely dismissed to their correct after-school destinations.

Use the PUP web app for:

ATTENDANCE: full day absences, arriving late or leaving early.

DISMISSAL CHANGES: Submit changes to your child’s regular dismissal plans. For example: 

  • A student normally rides the bus, but is getting picked up today.
  • A student usually goes to aftercare, but is leaving early for an appointment.

How it works:

Initially, you will register for an account if you do not have one created last year. At this point set your "Default Plan" to be the permanent mode of transportation. Whenever you have a change to the Default Plan, you’ll submit a change through the PUP app. When the plan is submitted, the school will be notified and your child’s teacher will relay the change to them.

Getting started with PUP:

  1. REGISTER: Chesterbrook has sent an initial PUP registration email to families.
    You should have received a registration email within a day from PickUp Patrol with a link to set up your account. The PUP web app is free to parents and you can use it from your smartphone or computer. PUP is not accessed through the app stores. Instead, for easy access, follow the instructions in your registration email for how to add it to your phone’s home screen. We will resend the sign up email at the end of the week for any families still needing to register. Please note the registration email will time out if not completed within their designated time frame.
  2. ENTER DEFAULT PLANS: Once you register, log into your Pick Up Patrol account right away to confirm your child’s default dismissal plan. It’s important that you complete this step so that we can accurately dismiss your children. 

Thank you for using PUP to make safety a priority and to ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students. 

If you have any questions, please first check the PUP FAQ page. If you still need help, contact us here in the office at datroskey@fcps.edu or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net


TalkingPoints Texting - Important Sign Up Needed to join Chesterbrook Group!!!

New this Year!  We will be using the two-way messaging app TalkingPoints to communicate any important school wide updates (including bus information). You can download the free TalkingPoints for Families mobile app or opt in to text messages (standard text message fees apply). Please see below for specific directions for the app or text message sign up.  

Signing up below will register your phone number to receive Chesterbrook Elementary Texts through the "Talking Points" app.  The app will translate it for families speaking a different language. We plan to use this text for quick reminders and notification of bus updates. 

We will begin using talking points immediately for communication. We will not be tweeting out bus information. We will be using this system to directly provide a text to your phone. This application provided by FCPS should be a great tool to improve our communication. 

We would love for all our families to join. When the office/admin team send a text, parents will receive the text and may reply which will be sent directly to our team so we can quickly address any needs. 

How to Sign Up

Text Message Sign Up for Chesterbrook Elementary Group:

  • Text 281555 to (415) 943-4535
  • you can unsubscribe at any time by texting "Goodbye"

App Sign Up: 

  • download TalkingPoints for Families mobile app
  • Choose preferred language and enter your phone number in the app
  • Join our school group by entering the code: Q68CZY