New Arrival & Dismissal Procedures for Montessori Families

August 24, 2026

Dear Montessori Families,

With the location of the three Primary Program Montessori classrooms (not the Two-Year-Old classroom) in The Karen Wiechelt Stable beginning this school year, we will adjust arrival and dismissal procedures to enhance the safety and efficiency of the process. Please read the following information carefully—noting the differences between the Two-Year-Old Program and the Primary Program (Three's, Four’s, and Kindergartners)—to enable us to achieve those important goals.

Ensuring safe, organized arrival and dismissal for our Montessori students is our top priority. We will continue closely managing the 8:00–8:15 a.m. and 3:00–3:15 p.m. periods to support student safety, minimize traffic impacts on Windover Avenue, and be good neighbors in the Windover Heights community. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue prioritizing student safety and security during arrival and dismissal. The guidelines below are designed to enhance safety and support a smooth process.

Please Note: At all times, you must follow the directions of the supervising administrators, who have a broader view of the arrival and dismissal area.

Carpool Procedures

Morning Arrival for Primary Program

(Montessori Three’s, Four’s, and Kindergartners)

All children will enter The Stable through the Windover Avenue-facing porch and staircase, where teachers and administrators will be ready to welcome them. To support safety and traffic flow, families should remain in their vehicles, allowing children to exit near The Stable and proceed to their classrooms with staff assistance.

You also have the option of using our complimentary supervised morning care in the library from 7:45 to 8:00 a.m. Families choosing to use this option should access the Green Hedges campus via Nutley Street and proceed to the front of Kilmer Hall, where administrators and Middle School helpers greet children and direct them to the library. (In warmer weather, these children can also use the playground.) In the supervised library setting, children can read, draw, or chat with friends, as many of our Montessori students do.

Afternoon Dismissal Primary Program

(Montessori Three’s, Four’s, and Kindergartners)

In the afternoon, all Montessori students will be dismissed from The Stable porch.

Families should remain in their vehicles and children will be matched with arriving vehicles as quickly as possible.

Montessori parents and other caregivers picking up older children: After picking up Montessori students, families with older children should exit via Windover Avenue and join the carpool line at the Nutley Street entrance. Older siblings will no longer be dismissed from The Stable.

Morning Arrival for Montessori Two-Year-Olds

Families of Two-Year-Olds may continue walking their children to their Kilmer Hall classrooms.

Families should arrive via Nutley Street parking across from the classroom in either a 15 minute spot, or an open parking spot in the lot, and walking them to the classroom.

Please keep drop-off brief and do not leave vehicles unattended for extended periods.

Afternoon Dismissal for Montessori Two-Year-Olds

Two-Year-Old students will be dismissed directly from their classrooms.

Families should enter via the Nutley Street entrance between 2:55 and 3:10 p.m., pull forward near the classroom, and wait for teachers to escort children to their vehicles.

Montessori parents and other caregivers picking up older children: Families should depart toward Windover Avenue then follow the appropriate route based on whether they are picking up a Montessori or Lower/Middle School sibling.

Arrival and Dismissal Details

Please note that children will only be dismissed to authorized pick-ups (listed on MyGreenHedges Communication & Health Form). If your child requires a special pick-up, please notify the Front Desk at wgreen@greenhedges.org or via phone 703.938.8323 prior to dismissal. If we do not receive notification ahead of time from a parent or guardian, we will not release your child for dismissal.

QR Codes: Each year a QR code is created for each family to simplify the pick-up process. That QR code, when displayed during carpool, will be scanned by a GHS staff member. The QR code will populate a document that teachers have open in their classrooms. Student names will appear in this document, which notifies the teacher that the child’s ride has arrived. The QR code system allows the school to pre-scan cars in the queue even before carpool “officially” begins, making the start of carpool more efficient. Families have a single QR code for all of their children. The code can be accessed online in the MyGreenHedges portal (instructions below) and printed at home or saved/stored on a smartphone for display during carpool.

In addition, families will receive two printed QR code vinyl stickers during Welcome Back Conferences on August 31, and September 1, which can be adhered to the lower left corner (driver's side) of the front windshield (near the VA State inspection sticker area). These QR codes will not have the GHS logo or school name. As a built-in security precaution, if scanned by an outside scanner, it does not in any way identify the school or student name.

Returning Families: Please be sure to download/use your new QR Code for the 2026-2027 school year.

You will find your family’s QR code on your MyGreenHedges page.

To access it:

Go to your child's MyGreenHedges page
Click on your profile in the upper right corner and the Files & Forms section

Under "Files," you will find your family's QR code. Please note that the QR will only be available under the profile of one of your children, so if you have multiple children, you may have to look through their pages to locate your family code.

Please download and print a copy for each of the drivers in your family. You can also keep an image of your QR code on your phone should you find yourself without the printed copy or if you walk/ride to pick up your child. Should you need any technical help, please contact help@greenhedges.org.

Green Hedges New Front Desk Check-In Procedures

In order to continue to ensure the safety and security of our campus and buildings, we have implemented a new check-in procedure for all non-faculty and staff adults visiting Green Hedges. When you arrive at Green Hedges, please ring the doorbell and you will be granted access to Kilmer Hall as usual. You should then proceed directly to the Front Desk to check-in. New this year, you will be asked to provide your Driver’s License, which will be scanned by our internal system. You will also enter your phone number and indicate who you are visiting on campus. The system will then take a photo of your face and print an adhesive visitor badge, which must be worn for the duration of your time on campus. When you are finished with your visit, please return to the Front Desk and use the same system to check out.

As this is a new system, we will be starting the process during Welcome Back Conferences on Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1, as we work to ensure a smooth transition for our community.

With thanks for your partnership in keeping all of our children safe,

The Communications Office

Mission

We inspire young people of talent and promise to develop clear values, a desire for wisdom, and an appreciation for all endeavors that broaden the mind and enlighten the spirit.

Read more about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives here.