Back to School
Chester Elementary
Back-to-School Information 2026
It’s that time again! We’re excited to welcome our Chester Coyotes back to school! Please review this
guide carefully to understand what to expect during the first week. Our Parent Handbook will be sent
home in the Friday Folder with the oldest sibling on Friday, August 28th. For new Kindergarten families,
you’ll receive this handbook on Monday, August 31st.
Arrival
● Supervision does not start until 8:40am (9:40am on every Thursday after 8/27/26). No students
should be at school before 8:40am (9:40am on every Thursday after 8/27/26).
● If students arrive early, they will need to wait by the gate near the valet for our supervisors to enter
the playground, and there will be no supervision for them. We will notify parents if students arrive
before 8:40.
● When students enter the playground, they will walk on the blacktop and place their bag in their
class line. We will have labeled cones outside until students know where to line up. Then
students are free to safely play until the bell rings at 8:55am.
● For student safety, parents and guardians are not allowed on our playground before school.
Please say your goodbyes at the fence. This is so we know that all adults on the playground are
Chester Staff and safe for our students.
Valet at Arrival
● When dropping your student off in the morning in our valet, only use the one lane closest to the
school (right-hand lane).
● Students may exit the car as soon as they are next to the sidewalk closest to the playground
fence. They MUST exit through the passenger side of the car for safety.
Buses at Morning Arrival
● Buses drop students off in our bus loop each morning.
● Students who take breakfast will walk along the sidewalk and enter the front doors of the school.
We have a staff member who will greet them in the vestibule and unlock the door to the cafeteria
for them.
● Students who do not take breakfast will enter the playground at the bus loop gates, put their
backpacks in their class line, and safely play until 8:55am.
Walkers at Arrival
● If your child walks to school, please remind them to take the safest route to school.
● Students from Pine Rock Ridge and Midilome East need to walk on the paths on either side of the
playground, NOT across the playground.
● Students coming from Midilome need to use the crosswalk at Loretta and Pines or Pines and
38th.
Valet at Dismissal
● If you plan on picking your student up through our valet, please get a valet car sign to hang from
your visor. These will be available at Back-to-School Night. If you have multiple people picking
your student(s) up, just let us know and we’ll get you extra signs. You will label the sign in bold
marker with your student’s first name, last initial, and class code. For example, Katie S 1B (1st
grader in Mrs. Brooks’ room). Please use the example to make your sign. Having the student's
FIRST NAME and LAST INITIAL clearly and boldly written is essential in helping us locate students
for a quick pick-up.
● Students with a last name beginning with A-L must be picked up in LANE 1 (right-hand lane,
closest to the school), and students with a last name beginning with M-Z must be picked up in
LANE 2 (left-hand lane, near the grass island). PLEASE BE SURE TO PULL INTO THE CORRECT
LANE FOR YOUR CHILD’S LAST NAME. The purpose is so that we can do a better job of
knowing where students are during this end-of-day time.
● Students must stay in the yellow-painted box for their lane. Kindergarten students will stand in
the red box for their lane. We need support from the parent/guardian on this. If you go to the
wrong lane, it delays the pick-up process.
Crossing Guards
● We have two crosswalks. One at Loretta & Pines and one at 38th
& Pines.
● It is critical for safety that students use the crosswalks before
and/or after school. Students learn best from what is modeled.
As adults, please use the crosswalks.
● It is also equally important as a driver that you are cautious of our
crosswalks. Please protect our students and our staff.
Parking on Pines During Arrival/Dismissal
● In consultation with the Spokane Valley Police Department, we have developed a parking “plan”
for Pines Road. It is illegal to park within 20 feet of an intersection or crosswalk. Vehicles and
buses need a line of sight to exit our parking lots. Please leave 20 feet in these areas as well. We
will have cones/signs showing where this 20-foot mark is at each of our driveways as well as our
crosswalks and intersections. The east side of Pines that runs next to our valet is a NO PARKING
ZONE due to our valet spilling out onto Pines. This allows traffic to still flow. Other than that, the
rest of Pines is available for parking. A map will be sent out to show specifically where you can
park during arrival and dismissal.
Parking Lots
● We have three parking lots: the north lot by the bus loop, the middle lot near the front of the
school, and the south lot nearest to Horizon. During before-school drop-off and after-school
pick-up, the middle lot closed so students can cross safely. If you want to walk your student up to
school, please park in either the north or south parking lots. If you choose to park in these lots,
you must walk them up through the parking lot. Students should not walk through the parking lot
without parents/guardians. The middle lot is open from 9:15am to 3:00pm if you need to drop
something off at school. We truly appreciate you respecting this policy by not using the middle lot
to drop-off and pick-up.
Breakfast and Lunch
● For the 2026-27 School Year, Chester will receive FREE breakfast and lunch for ALL STUDENTS.
● Breakfast will be served Monday-Friday starting at 8:40am (Thursdays at
9:40am).
● Our bell rings at 8:55am (9:55am on Thursdays) and we have students
clean up and head to class.
● Only students who come in on a late bus get extra time to eat breakfast.
● If your child takes breakfast and doesn’t ride the bus, please have them
here at 8:40am so they have time to eat.
Substitute Supervisors
We are always looking for substitute supervisors! We would love for you to join our team. If you’re
interested in applying to be a sub go to https://www.cvsd.org/apps/pages/employment to start the
process. We could really use people for 30 minutes before or after school.
Contact Information
Office:
Christy Swan-Principal: 558-3150
Andrew Walters-Assistant Principal: 558-3150
Karly Carroll-Head Secretary: 558-3150
Briana Schofield-Assistant Secretary: 558-3151
Christina Seybold-Counselor: 558-3192
Kristalyn Peterson-Nurse: 558-3163