Welcome, ECFS families

Dear Fieldston Lower families,

It is my pleasure to officially welcome you to the  2026–2027 school year! I hope your family’s summer was a memorable one, with opportunities for relaxation, laughter, and fun. Below is all the information I shared with you in my mid-summer check in July.

To help you plan for the upcoming year, please view the Fieldston Lower Google Calendar via the school website. The link will prompt you to log into the ECFS Family Portal. There are directions on the page for subscribing to this calendar for easy reference. When the year officially begins, you will also receive weekly emails from me every Thursday, called “News and Notes,” which start with upcoming school-wide and divisional events. Please note that throughout the summer minor changes are made to calendared events. 

Pre-K–5th Grade New Family Orientation (virtual):

On Tuesday 9/8, from 6:00–7:00pm, all new families to Fieldston Lower are invited to a Virtual New Family Orientation. During this remote information session, parents and guardians will meet key members of the community and learn important information about arrival, dismissal, parking, buses, and contacting the School. Use the virtual meeting link to join.

Pre-K Parent/Guardian Orientation (in person)

On Wednesday 9/9, from 4:00–5:00pm, all Pre-K parents and guardians are invited to an in-person meeting in the Pre-K classroom to learn about Pre-K and how to support their child as they transition into our program. 

All other parents/guardians (Kindergarten–5th Grade) will get to meet with their child’s teachers during our Open School Night on Thursday 9/24 from 6:00pm–8:30pm. 

First Days of School:

The first day of school is Thursday 9/10. Pre-K and Kindergarten have a unique phase-in/transition schedule (more information below). All 1st–5th Grade students will have a full day of school (8:30am–3:20pm) on Thursday and onward. Refreshments will be available to all PreK-K parents/guardians who choose to stay on campus during their child’s phase-in visits and for all 1st–5th parents/guardians who want to socialize for a while after school drop off.

Beginning on the first day of school, morning and afternoon buses will run for any 1st–5th Grade student signed up for a bus. Bus availability may be limited for Pre-K and Kindergarten students during their phase-in schedule if their start time is not 8:30am or if they are not dismissed at 3:20pm. 

Pre-K Phase-In Schedule:

Click to view the Pre-K Phase-In Schedule. 

Pre-K Head Teacher Cathy Burns-McDonald will be on a sabbatical this year, and we have hired Pre-K Teacher Avery Romick to lead our Pre-K program for 2026-27. Avery comes from the Brownstone School and impressed all of us with her positive energy and creative ideas, and she is also mindful to ensure Cathy’s Pre-K program remains a consistent thread throughout the year. Yomira (Yomi) Meregildo will be the Pre-K Associate Teacher and has worked at Fieldston Lower as a 1st Grade Associate Teacher, summer camp instructor, and after school art teacher.

Kindergarten Phase-In Schedule:

Click to view the Kindergarten Phase-In Schedule.

There will be a bus to Ethical Culture available for Kindergarten Manhattan Selby families dismissing at 12:00pm on Thursday 9/10 and/or Friday 9/11 (more information and sign-up within Kindergarten Phase-In document). In late August, Kindergarten families will receive an email from their teachers about scheduling an intake conference. 

Early Birds Program:

Our Early Birds program will be available again this year and will begin on Thursday 9/10. If your child arrives anytime between 8:00am–8:30am, you can drop them off for supervised play in the School. This service is free to families. Pre-K–1st Grade students get dropped off in the multipurpose room (gym level café), and students in 2nd–5th Grade get dropped off in the gym. Students arriving early on the bus will be brought to Early Birds. If you want to stay with your child until 8:30am, we ask that you supervise them on the playground or the front of school. 

Health Forms and Prescription Medications:

Now is an important time to visit the ECFS Health Services website. Within this site, you will find important information and policies related to your child’s health. Be sure to attend closely to the Magnus Health section so you can properly update your child’s required health forms.  

Prescription medication used for emergencies (for example, allergies or asthma), or during the routine course of the school day should be provided to the divisional nurse's office no later than Friday 9/18. The appropriate form must be completed, signed by parents/guardians, and your child’s physician, and uploaded to Magnus. The medication must be in the original pharmacy-labeled container. Please do NOT send an unlabeled inhaler or EpiPen to the nurse — it will be returned to you. Please see the ECFS Health Services website for more information, or contact the Fieldston Lower school nurse, Stacey Husted, at shusted@ecfs.org.

Fieldston Lower Parent/Guardian and Caregiver ID:

Everyone entering the Fieldston Lower Campus must have a valid ECFS ID. If you are new to the school you can get an ID for yourself or your caregiver by filling out this ID link and submitting a photo. The IDs can then be picked up (or sent home via backpack) the first week of school. For returning families, please note that the school no longer issues yearly stickers for IDs. 

Fieldston Lower Authorized Student Pickup Form:

Every family must fill out a Fieldston Lower Authorized Student Pickup Form in Magnus. This form needs to be filled out every year (even if your child has been in the school for many years). This information is then shared with your child’s teachers, the office, the school nurse, Fieldston Lower after-school, and ECFS Campus Safety. Enter yourself, baby sitters, and all family members (including older siblings) who are authorized to pick up your child from school. You can access the form by logging into your Magnus account with your ECFS username and password. If you need to update the information after the form closes in late September, you will need to email Assistant to the Principal, Melinda Moore, at mmoore@ecfs.org.

Fieldston Lower Summer Activities microsite

In Spring, we shared our Fieldston Lower Summer Activities microsite with current families and are sharing it with new families today. Rising 5th Graders have one required reading assignment, but all other work is optional. 

Thank you for reading this detailed letter. I know it is a lot of information, but I hope you will find it useful as you and your family prepare for the upcoming school year. I look forward to welcoming you and your child to school on Thursday 9/10!

All the best,

Joe McCauley, Principal
Fieldston Lower School