School arrival and dismissal

The safety and security of our elementary community is our priority.  Due to Covid 19, our arrival and dismissal procedures for the 2020-2021 school year will undergo some changes.  We ask for your assistance and cooperation so that we can:

• Continue to ensure that only approved individuals will pick-up your child

• Reduce traffic (vehicle and people) in the bus lanes

• Reduce the interaction between any children and adults who are not approved to pick up those children by restricting the entrance to the elementary school hallways and classrooms to students and employees from 8:00 am-4:00 pm beginning September 10th

• Restrict individuals from accessing our building and children without an approved purpose

Students who ride the bus to and from school:

Students riding the bus to and from school have simple routines. Students will be called off and on to the buses by grade levels. Staff will be on the sidewalks and in the halls to supervise these transitions.

Students who come to school after 9:30 am or leave before 2:45 pm:

Our school day runs from 9:00 am-3:25 pm. Any student who comes to school after 9:30 am or who leaves before 2:45 pm will need to be signed in or out at the main lobby. Any student who arrives after 9:30 am, or who is pulled from class prior to 2:45 pm will require a written reason. Afternoon Pre-Kindergarten will enter through the main lobby if being dropped off by a parent. Social distancing should take place in the main foyer way and masks should be worn by parents and students.

Parking lot:

Always use the Clarendon Road entrance, and not the entrance by the high school.

Please be careful as you walk through the parking lot at dismissal. Hold your child’s hand as buses, other parents, and many people are making their way through as well.

Do not drive through the bus loading zone at any time. The bus loading zone is the area immediately in front of the school to the grass median. Parent drop off is at the east end, by the blue/yellow/red playground.

Students who come to school by car:  8:50 am-9:30 am

There are two types of driveways coming from Clarendon Road. The first is for those who want to park and walk their child to the east gym lobby. Masks and social distancing should occur. The second driveway is a drive-thru drop off.

Students who arrive by car will go to the east gym lobby, (by the yellow, blue and red playground near Clarendon Road) for entry into the school.

The east gym lobby is to be accessed from the “Clarendon Road” side of the elementary school, on the east side of the campus. Please do not pull in by the tennis courts/high school.

Beginning September 10th, only students will enter the elementary halls to go to their classrooms.

How to drop off:

• Students will go to the east gym lobby, (by the yellow, blue and red playground near Clarendon road) for entry into the school. Students will wait with building staff and will be released appropriately.

• Students may be dropped off at the Clarendon Street loop. This is a one way loop, and you must for the safety of everyone, stay in your lane and never pass on the left.

• Please pull as far forward as you can. School staff will wave your vehicle forward as far as possible. Vehicles that stop and drop off too far back on the loop create backups onto Clarendon.

• When it is time to unload, please unlock your doors, look for school staff members as they start to assist with unloading, and direct your passenger(s) to exit the vehicle. Please encourage your passenger(s) to exit with efficiency.

• Please stay in your vehicle. If you do need to get out of your vehicle, please put your hazard lights on. Children should exit on the right/passenger side. If you need to have your child exit on the left side because of a car seat, please put your hazard lights on.

• Students will wait with staff until they are able to enter the building.

Student sign-out and registration cards:

Sign out for student pickup will begin at 2:45 pm in the east gym lobby. Students who will be signed out at the end of the day will come down to the east gym lobby from their classrooms between 2:45-3:15 pm. Student registration cards will be checked and a dismissal pass (either permanent or day paper pass) will be issued.  Dismissal passes must be given to staff at the time of pick up. To avoid unnecessary calls to classrooms at the end of the day, and sign out delays, please send a note in with your child in the morning so that we know your child is not riding the bus.

• The person signing-out the child must be on the registration card; no exceptions. We will not accept verbal requests to add an approved pick-up guardian on the phone. Please understand that the child will not be released to anyone not on the card. In order to ensure student safety, the building principal maintains a list of individuals who are authorized to obtain the release of students in attendance at school. This list is kept on the back of the student registration card that the parent/guardian provides to the teacher.

• Custodial parent/guardians may amend this list, and all changes to this list must be made in person. We cannot accept changes over the phone, via text message, or email.

• No student may be released to the custody of an individual who is not the parent or guardian of the student, unless the individual's name appears on this list.

• Certified copies of any court orders or divorce decrees provided by the custodial parent, which restrict a parent's ability to seek the release of his or her child shall be maintained in the office.

• In the event of an emergency, the building principal may release a student to an individual not appearing on the approved list ONLY if the parent or guardian has contacted the building principal and approves the release. Early excuses for emergency reasons should be requested in writing by the parent or guardian. Reasons for release must be submitted to the main office. The person seeking the student's release must sign the register in the office.

Picking-Up Students at the End of the day (2:45-3:15 pm)

All parents are asked to park at the Clarendon Road entrance and sign out at the east gym lobby windows. Students will be discharged to parents at the east gym lobby doors. Parents will not enter the building during dismissal time. Masks should be worn and social distancing practiced.