• Early Childhood handbook
• Lower School handbook
• Middle School handbook
• Words Matter: guidelines for inclusive language 
• Family budgeting for the year ahead
   

Schedule Overview

• 7:15am — Morning care begins (all students)
• 8:10am — Classes begin
• 12:30pm — Early dismissal (Nursery and Preschool option only)
• 3:20pm — Dismissal (all other students)
• 3:20–5:30pm — Gators and YAP after school care

Please review the "Drop-off and pick-up procedures" listed on the tab below for additional information.

SCHOOLWIDE CALENDAR

 ATHLETICS SCHEDULE
 

Morning arrival

Early Gators and YAP | 7:15–7:55am
Students in before-school care enter through the gate to the right of the Early Childhood playground and follow the path to the Nelson Center entrance. Staff will greet them at the Nelson Center desk. At 7:55am, students are dismissed to their classrooms.

All-school dropoff | 7:55–8:10am
Campus opens at 7:55am for all grades. Four supervised entrances are available: the Early Childhood door, the front office door, the first grade door, and the Middle School door. Classes begin at 8:10am.

Students can be dropped off by car in the front loop or at the Middle School entrance. Caregivers are also welcome to park and walk their child to the classroom—the Commons is open with coffee and tea available.

Parking is available in the lots directly in front of school (some spaces are reserved for Early Childhood) and on surrounding streets. Please do not block neighbors' driveways.

After school begins

Late arrivals | After 8:10am
After 8:10am, the front office is the only entrance. Students must check in at the front desk.

Early dismissals
Please avoid scheduling appointments during the school day when possible. If an early dismissal is necessary:

• Notify your child's teacher and cc Ashley Lima (alima@gordonschool.org) as far in advance as possible. Early dismissals not communicated by the start of the day may result in a wait while your child is located.
   
• Call the front desk at 401-434-3833 when you arrive, and pick up your child at the front office. Students must check out before leaving campus.

The front circle flagpole loop is closed to cars during the school day. Park in the lot or pull up to the stone pillars outside the loop.

Caregivers picking up a sick child should call the front desk upon arrival.

Early Childhood families with an established part-time schedule do not need to call each day. Drive to the front circle or wait at the Early Childhood entrance—a teacher will escort your child out.

Dismissal | 3:20pm

All students not riding the bus or attending an after school activity are picked up in the front circle beginning at 3:20pm.

Planning ahead
Each morning, teachers confirm every child's dismissal plan. Make sure your child goes to school knowing their plan—especially if they're headed to Gators, YAP, enrichments, music lessons, athletics, Common Ground, Girls on the Run, or theater.

If plans change during the day, call the front desk at 401-434-3833. Email is not reliable for same-day changes.

Students may only be released to authorized adults. Review and update your authorized pickup list when completing back-to-school forms. During the academic year, email Ashley Lima (alima@gordonschool.org) to edit your list.

3:20 pick up in Middle School

For families who are only picking up Middle School children, caregivers may park and, at 3:20 p.m., walk up to the Middle School door to collect their child.

Middle School students with no siblings in other divisions will be dismissed from the Middle School entrance when their caregiver arrives.

Those with younger siblings will be at the flagpole loop waiting with their siblings (see below).
 

3:20 pick up in Early Childhood and Lower School, and Middle School student with younger siblings

Option 1: Park and walk up
Park in the Early Childhood lot—approach the lot from Hazard Avenue using the entrance at Hazard and Maxfield—on the street, but not on Martin or Maxfield Avenue where the car line forms. At 3:20pm, walk to the front of the school to collect your child. Check out with your child's teacher.

Option 2: Drive through the front circle
Approach from Martin Avenue and Maxfield Avenue. Display your dashboard sign (included in the August mailing). Be prepared to wait in line without blocking driveways. 
 

Exiting campus
All cars — whether parked or in the drive-through line — exit via the Vincent Avenue entrance, then proceed east on Vincent Avenue or south on Maxfield Avenue toward Hilltop. During dismissal, staff and security direct traffic, and Maxfield Avenue becomes one-way heading south. 

If you're running late
Students not picked up at 3:20 dismissal will go to Gators or YAP. Please call the school to let them know you're on your way.

After school pickup | 3:30–5:30pm

Gators, YAP and enrichments | 3:30–5:30pm
The Nelson Field House entrance is the only entrance during this window. Walk up to this entrance to pick up your child.

Athletics and theater | 5:00pm
Rehearsal and athletics end at 5:00pm. Students exit to the flagpole circle—drive through to pick them up.
 

Free bus transportation is available for Gordon students aged five and up through Rhode Island's public school bus system, operated by Statewide Student Transportation. Buses drop off in the morning and depart at dismissal (3:20pm). There is no afternoon bus for students staying for athletics, theater, or other after school programs.

Once your family is signed up, you will communicate directly with the bus company about day-to-day matters like absences, but Ms. Lima at Gordon’s front desk is available to help guide you through the process.

The timeline to sign up

Signups for next year opened April 1st, 2026 and you are guaranteed a spot if you sign up before July 31st, at https://www.eride.ri.gov/transparForm/

Families can register for bus transportation at any time: Statewide will review new registrations and communicate directly with families as to whether or not they can accommodate based on current routes and bus capacities.

Everything there is to know about this program is on the Department of Education's website.
 

Tips from families who have used this service

The system is very reliable, but pickup time and location may change several times, especially in the first weeks of the school year. Statewide will communicate with you using the contact information that you sign up with, so be thoughtful about which phone number and email you give them.

If you are in doubt about anything, call Statewide! Their number and office hours are on the Department of Education site.

Questions? Contact Ashley Lima at alima@gordonschool.org or 401-434-3833.
 

Early Gators morning care

Morning care is available for all students starting at 7:15am, free of charge, every day — no sign-up required. This gives families flexibility to drop off early and get ahead of rush hour.

Working from Gordon

The Commons is open to parents and caregivers with coffee, wifi, seating, and lunch access. Stay for drop-off rush hour, pick-up rush hour, or the whole day. Basic work-from-Gordon guidelines are here. Caregivers working from Gordon may eat lunch in the dining hall (service line open 11:25am–1:15pm; please avoid 12:45–1:00pm). Eat in the Commons, return dishes to the dining hall, and please do not visit children during the school day.

Need a quiet space? Small private rooms are available in one-hour slots. Stop by the front desk to check availability, or reserve in advance by calling 401-434-3833 (7:30am–3:30pm) or emailing alima@gordonschool.org.
 

The basics

Gordon does not have a uniform, but there are basic expectations.

• Specific dress guidelines, including policies on how inappropriate dress is handled, can be found in the dress guidelines below.
• Students should dress in a way that allows them to participate fully in the school day.
• Students should wear sneakers or other closed-toe shoes, or have a pair available in their locker for PE class and recess.
• Students go outside throughout the winter months, and they should have warm clothes and be prepared to play outside.
• During fall and spring, sunscreen should be applied before children are dressed.

Specific dress guidelines

Gordon’s dress guidelines support equitable educational access and are written carefully in an effort to empower positive self-expression without reinforcing stereotypes. To ensure effective and equitable enforcement of these guidelines, school staff will enforce the dress guidelines consistently and in a manner that does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income, or body type and size.

Students must wear
A shirt with sleeves or straps and pants (or the equivalent—shorts, skirt, leggings, dress) must be worn in a way such that body parts generally considered as “private” are covered. Students must dress in a way that allows for full range of motion and allows them to participate comfortably and fully in the school day. Students must wear shoes. Sneakers are required for physical education, and other activity-specific attire may be required. 

Students may not wear

• Violent language or images
• Images or language depicting drugs or alcohol (or any illegal item or activity)
• Hate speech, profanity, pornography
• Images or language that creates a hostile or intimidating environment based on any protected class or consistently marginalized groups
• Clothing that is see-through
• Any clothing that reveals visible undergarments (visible waistbands and straps are permissible)
• Swimsuits (except as required by specific activities and events)

If a student is in violation of the dress guidelines, faculty, staff, and administration may:

• Ask the student to change or modify their attire
• Call the student’s family and ask them to bring alternative clothing

Faculty, staff, and administration will not:

• Address the violation in front of other students
• Accuse the student of distracting others

The Gordon Family Table

Every school day, Gordon serves every student a fresh, nutritious lunch, prepared onsite and sourced whenever possible from local producers. Lunch is included for all students.

VIEW MENU

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GORDON FAMILY TABLE

Early Childhood: Early Childhood students eat in their classrooms with their teachers. Their menu has fewer choices, tailored for younger palates, with vegetarian options available daily. The Early Childhood menu appears in the app under "Gordon School Early Edu Delivered."

Snacks: SAGE provides a morning snack for all students. After school care and enrichment programs also include a snack. Students in after school athletics or theater should bring a snack from home.

The Touch of Sage App: The best way to view the menu is through the Sage app. Use the buttons below to download. When you first open the app, it will offer the option to "add a child." This is only needed if you want to authorize your child to use the app on their own device.

Allergen information: The Touch of SAGE app is the best way to preview daily menus, view ingredients, set up a custom allergen profile, and give feedback on menu items.

DOWNLOAD ON the Apple APP STORE

DOWNLOAD ON GOOGLE PLAY
 

Gordon has a simple policy for emergency closings:

There are no delayed openings or early closings.

If school is cancelled, that decision will be made as soon as possible, and certainly by 6am on the impacted day. Gordon uses email, automated phone calls, and the Rhode Island Broadcasters’ radio and television service to announce cancellations.

If school is not cancelled, classes will begin on time and the school will remain open until the last child is picked up. If weather deteriorates or conditions change, after school programs may be cancelled. If possible, Gators and YAP would continue to be offered. This decision would be announced by 1pm, and would impact every after school activity. 

When school is closed, all after school programs are cancelled as well.

Riding the public bus

Bus riders should check for closures and delays in their local school district. 

If a student’s local public schools are closed, or the East Providence schools, the bus will not be running.

School delays are tricky because students from multiple districts ride the same bus. A student’s bus will be delayed by the longest announced delay of all the school districts on that student’s bus route. Route information, and more, can be found on the Rhode Island Department of Education's student transportation page (scroll down to "Inclement weather...").

More important links

Data from Gordon's rooftop weather station is at www.gordonschool.org/weather

The Rhode Island Broadcasters Association has an up-to-the-minute listing of all area closings.

Sadly, the RIBA no longer offers text updates!

Emergency contacts

During the enrollment process, all families complete a form with emergency contact information, which remains on file with the school. Copies go with chaperones whenever students leave campus. Parents and caregivers are responsible for keeping this information current; the information can be updated at gordonschool.org/gatorconnect

Crisis communication

Gordon uses a third-party notification service that sends telephone messages to parents with important information about emergencies and timely announcements, including school cancellations due to inclement weather. 

The system is configured so that, when it is used:

• all of the phone numbers listed in the school directory will be called
• caller IDs will display “411”
• the system will play a recorded message when the phone is answered
   

Surveillance cameras on campus

The school has installed video cameras at certain spaces on campus. The school seeks to balance the security, safety, and other benefits derived from the use of video surveillance with the privacy of the school’s employees, students, families, and guests. In all cases, security equipment is used in a manner that adheres to legal statutes and ethical standards where the right of privacy is concerned and is not used where there exists a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as in restrooms, locker rooms, etc. These surveillance cameras record visual footage in each location, but do not record any sound or other audio. 

Security, emergencies, and drills

Gordon takes the safety of its students and the community very seriously. There are systems in place in the event of an emergency on campus, and regular drills are conducted to make all those on campus aware of the procedures. Gordon’s Safety and Security Team meets regularly to review and revise safety protocols. 

Visit this page for more information. 

Background checks

With student safety as a priority at the school, the school conducts fingerprint-based state and national criminal history and sex offender registry checks on all employees per the State of Rhode Island requirements.
 

Student health

Gordon has a full-time nurse on staff to support student health. View policies, illness fact sheets and more on the Health Services website.

Gordon Family Hub

www.gordonschool.org/familyhub
The Gordon Family Hub is your go-to destination for everything you need as a Gordon family: announcements, important links, an archive of weekly emails, forms, handbooks, and more, all in one place. 

GatorConnect

www.gordonschool.org/gatorconnect
GatorConnect is your private, personalized portal. Everything here is specific to your child and family. Under one secure login, you can access

• Directories: student, parent, and faculty and staff

• Your student’s progress reports

• Enrollment forms: emergency contacts, approved pick-up list, etc.

• Classroom Connections: curricular updates and news from your child’s teachers

• Gordon’s health portal

• Gordon’s tuition management system

• After school and summer camp registration: after logging into GatorConnect, you can automatically sign in to  Gordon’s after school and summer camp enrollment system

After school signup portal

www.gordonschool.org/gators
Registration for programs that happen between 3:30 and 5:30pm are all gathered behind one login, for your convenience and to help the school track every student’s after school plans. This is also the link for Gator Day daylong care when it is offered. Please be sure to click the “Login Using Gordon Community Portal" button at the bottom. The only exceptions are music lessons, which are arranged directly with instructors through the contact information at www.gordonschool.org/musiclessons. 

Thursday email

Every Thursday evening, Gordon sends a schoolwide email with news, reminders, and upcoming events. This goes to every email address on file and is the single most important way to stay informed about what's happening at school. Gordon confirms family email addresses over the summer so make sure yours is up to date.

Gordon today (the blog)

Throughout the week, Gordon posts news, photo essays, and stories from campus at gordonschool.org/news. Links are shared in the Thursday email and on social media.

Social media

You can follow Gordon on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, Bluesky, Substack, and LinkedIn. And if you're not a social media user, the Thursday email will include a roundup of posts to catch you up.

Mailings

The front office sends several consolidated mailings home during the year containing notices and forms. These bundled mailings reduce paper throughout the year and simplify household management. These will be supplemented by materials sent home with students in backpacks.

Classroom Connections

Teachers post 'Classroom Connections' updates with information about what students are learning, often including photos. Depending on your child's grade level, updates will be posted as frequently as once a week - you can learn more about the rhythm of the updates at Overview Night. To view, log in to GatorConnect and click the “Groups” tab.