Back to School Guide 2026
- Paula Gerhardt
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
Here's your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know to get Back-to-School.
● Plan to Attend Back-to-School Night When: Sunday, August 16, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Where: CWS Bowl and classrooms
Who: This is an adults-only event (babes in arms always welcome) with one important exception: high school students are asked to attend with their parents.
Come see your student’s teachers, tour the building, hear about important school updates, and attend class meetings.
● Plan to attend the Welcome Back Family Potluck & School Fair Explore. Connect. Celebrate the New School Year.
Saturday, August 29 | 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
The whole family is invited!
Join us for a fun and relaxed afternoon to reconnect with friends, meet new families, enjoy a community potluck, and explore everything Cincinnati Waldorf School has to offer.
After the first full week of school, this is the perfect opportunity for your child to show you their daily experience—walk their schedule, visit classrooms, meet teachers, and share the spaces that make up their school day. Please bring food to contribute to the potluck!
● Plan to attend our Back-to-School Campus Clean-Up Day
When: Sunday, August 9, 2026 - 9:00am - 1:00pm
It's all hands on deck Sunday, August 9 from 9:00am - 1:00pm as our CWS Facilities Manager, Chris Culley, heads up a Community Work Day to ensure our campus is looking beautiful for Back-to-School. All CWS families are strongly encouraged to attend and contribute to this FUN, community-building event! Work will focus primarily on beautifying and cleaning up around school — spreading sand and mulch, finishing the outdoor play spaces, painting, and more!
● 2026-2027 School Calendar and Arrival/Dismissal Information
The first day for students in Grades 1-12 is Wednesday, August 19th (Noon Dismissal). The first day for Preschool and Kindergarten students is Thursday, August 20th. Preschool students have a gradual start - more details about the preschool gradual start will be shared by your child’s teacher.
2026-2027 School Year Official Hours:
8:30am - 12:00pm: Preschool and Half-Day Kindergarten
8:30am - 3pm: Sunrise Kindergarten, Grades 1-3
8:30am - 3:15pm: Grades 4-8
8:30am - 3:30pm: High School
ATTENDANCE
Any student that arrives after 8:30am is tardy. Tardy students need to sign-in at the front office.
Please contact the school if your student will arrive late to school, leave early for an appointment, or be absent. If we do not receive a notification and reason for your student's absence, the absence is unexcused.
CWS Main Phone: 513-541-0220
Email: attendance@cinciwaldorf.org
Please do not send sick students to school. Students need to be fever free with improved symptoms for at least 24 hours without the use of symptom altering medication and feel well enough to participate in the day's activities before returning to school.
Arrival/Dismissal Policies:
The speed limit on Chestnut Street (and all other Mariemont side streets) is 25 mph.
Stopping in front of the school to drop off your student is not permitted.
Do not park in the school crossing zone directly across from the front entrance.
Do not park where the yellow curb and fire hydrant are located directly across from the front entrance.
When traveling west on Chestnut St from Plainville, please do not turn left into the school parking lot during arrival or dismissal. There is a sign there specifically prohibiting this (see posted signage on street for designated times). Take Plainville to Wooster Pike, then turn right and join the carline at Oak Street.
The Mariemont police will ticket if they see illegal traffic action take place.
Thank you for your attention to these reminders. Though the hustle and bustle of a busy commute can be stressful, we need to remember to set a good example for our children and take extra care on our little street to keep everyone safe.
● Fill Out Student Forms Before August 16th.
Please set aside some time to complete student forms before school begins.
Students are attending school in violation of Ohio law if certain forms are not received, and your student will not be permitted to be in school until the forms are turned in. This includes submitting copies of your student's birth certificate and physician medical statement with immunization record as requested.
Please be sure to review and update all forms, located in your Family Portal, for completeness and confirm they are dated for this current school year. Remember to select the [SAVE] button on each page
How to submit/check forms:
On the top toolbar, Select [Family Portal]
Type in Our school district code: CWS-OH
Click [next] to enter login information, or click [create an account] and follow the prompts
Under [School] on the left toolbar, select [Webforms]
Please be sure to review and update all forms for completeness and confirm they are dated for this current school year. Remember to select the [SAVE] button on each page.
Helpful documents (Family Handbook, Prescription Authorization Form, Physician Medical Statement) can be found in [School/Resource Documents].
Some specifics to note on particular forms:
Student Information Form: Please make sure the Local Public School you enter is the most up to date school building that your child would attend this year in your local district. Ex: Symmes Elementary or Sycamore High School.
Student Medical Statement: The form (found in the Family Portal under Resource Documents) in the student's file needs to be dated by a physician from a visit within the past 12 months. This form can be dropped off in the main office or emailed to Jennifer or Nicole.
Prescription Medication Authorization Form: Please send in a paper copy if your student needs to have prescription medications on hand while at school. CWS likes to have two quantities of RX medications if possible (one for the class medical backpack and one for the main office). It is very important to have this paperwork and these medications and to know whether your student will self carry or if the medication will be stored in the main office or teacher class medical backpack. You can bring these to Back-to-School Night or drop them in the school office.
Student Self-Dismissal Permission Form: If you give your student permission to self-dismiss, CWS needs to have a self-dismissal permission form filled out and dated for the current school year.
School Policies and Important Reminders in Family Handbook[Button] Click here to view the 2026/2027 Family Handbook The CWS Family Handbook is your one-stop-shop for school policies and procedures. Thank you in advance for reviewing the handbook to ensure a smooth start to the year!
●Return Your EdChoice Acceptance Letter
EdChoice Acceptance Letters have been mailed to your home, or will be mailed to you once your scholarship has been awarded. Please sign the acceptance letter, and either email it to the school at edchoice@cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org or bring it to the main office. EdChoice scholarships are not distributed until they have been formally accepted.
●Sign Up for After Care
Our CWS After Care program is designed to support parents and children by providing flexible and nurturing after school options for children of all ages. We offer four different After Care options, depending on the age of your child and the needs of your family.
●Plan to Order School Lunch
If you're tired of packing lunch — or would just love for your child to have a hot, homemade meal instead — Chef Lex has got you covered. Orders need to be placed by 8am for lunch that day.
●Reminder of the CWS Dress Code
Students need to come to school dressed in practical clothes that allow for movement and protection from the elements. Articles of clothing and accessories cannot have negative, offensive, illegal, or violent words or imagery. Teachers have the responsibility and right to ask a student to change clothing and/or accessories that interfere with sensible and safe learning.
Coat policy:
Feels like 32° F or below: All students are required to wear a coat when outside. Feels like 50° F or below: Grades 1-3 are required to wear a coat when outside. Grades 4 and up are encouraged to wear a coat. Feels like 51° F or above: Coats optional for all students.
Footwear needs to be well-fitted, sturdy and practical. Flat sole shoes, boots or sandals need to be sensible, safe, and weather appropriate. Sandals need to be fitted with a strap around the heel. Proper athletic shoes need to be worn for games class and athletic activities.
The following types of footwear are not allowed:
Clogs
Platform shoes
Platform boots
Flip-flops
Slip-on sandals
Students need to have separate footwear for indoor and outdoor use to help keep our school clean. Please check periodically that indoor shoes have not been outgrown and that outdoor shoes are suitable for the weather. Students will get dirty!
Students need to keep a change of clothes in their backpacks for if/when they get dirty.
Additional Clothing Guidelines for Preschool and Kindergarten students
Clothing needs to be plain and simple with no media images.
Please provide a complete, labeled change of clothing, including socks and underwear, to be stored in the child’s backpack.
Preschool and Kindergarten children are required to wear sun hats in the fall and spring. Hats need to be in compliance with the CWS Dress Code. Please see the guidelines of each individual teacher for specific sunhat information.
Children wear non-skid slippers while in the Early Childhood classrooms (kindergarten and preschool). A pair of slippers will remain in the classroom and need to be brought with the student on the first day of school. Slippers need to be plain and simple-no media images allowed.
●Don't Forget Your Labels, Mabel!
Mabel's Labels are a great way to keep track of all your child's things — from clothes and shoes to water bottles and lunch boxes. And best of all, when you order your labels, your purchase supports the CWS Parent Association. It's a win-win!
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