Because there are hundreds of students to monitor at the start and close of the school day, punctual arrival and timely dismissal are very helpful in facilitating the school day for the students. We appreciate your cooperation and support.

1. If your child is late coming to school, a parent/guardian must accompany the student to the office and notify the secretary.  The student will be given a late pass to proceed to class.
   
   
2. Regular attendance is very important for a child's education, so please make every effort to schedule appointments after the normal school hours. If they are to be dismissed early from school, your child must have a dated note from you. The student should, upon arrival at school, stop by the office secretary's desk to receive a dismissal pass. The secretary will log the request and issue a pass.  Students will present the pass to the classroom teacher. It is the student's responsibility to remember when they are to be dismissed and go to the office at that time, prepared for dismissal.
   
   
3. If your child is being dismissed early, they must be dismissed directly from the main office.
   
   
4. Parents/guardians wishing to pick up their child should report to the main office to sign them out in the Dismissal Book. Students who need to leave before the regular dismissal time of 2:50 p.m. must be dismissed by 2:30 pm in order to avoid bus traffic. For safety reasons, there will be no exceptions. Same day early dismissal must be received before 11:00 a.m. unless there is an emergency.
   
   
5. If you plan to pick up your child at school dismissal, please plan to do so after 3 pm. Your child will be dismissed with the walkers, after the buses have departed. There is to be no driving within the circle in front of the school during the posted hours.

On a daily basis, the school attempts to verify the attendance or necessary absence of every student. Please call the school to record any upcoming absence through the use of an available 24-hour phone line. This would include days of sickness, tardiness, vacations, or any other event that may keep a student from arriving at the beginning of the school day. Record the name of the student, the grade level, and the date(s) of the anticipated absence or tardiness.

Each morning, the school absence list will be reconciled with the phone calls recorded on our Safe Arrival line. In any situation where a child’s absence has not been accounted for by an appropriate phone call, the school will attempt to contact parents/guardians. We assume that all K-8 parents/guardians are part of the Safe Arrival Program. If you wish to “opt out” of this program, please contact your school’s main office.

Occasionally it is necessary that students stay after school for disciplinary reasons, extra help, or for a special project. Late buses are provided on Mondays and Wednesdays during the school year, and they leave at approximately 4 pm.

For the first two (2) weeks of school, students may only ride the buses they are assigned to until the bus capacities have been determined. Then students may be allowed to ride on alternate buses, but only with written approval from a parent/guardian and if there is room on the bus.  Please call the school to check beforehand to be sure that the bus is not overcrowded.  If your child is riding on an alternate bus, be sure that they know where to get off or is riding with someone who will help them get off at the appropriate stop. The bus driver is not in a position to ensure that a temporary rider knows where and when to leave the bus.

On occasion, children may need to be sent home other than at normal dismissal time, e.g., due to sickness or schools closing for inclement weather. Parents/guardians should have a plan for each situation to provide coverage for children who might arrive home early for whatever reason. Some parents/guardians arrange with relatives, friends, or neighbors to meet the children coming home early. In the event of a child becoming sick or injured at school and needing to go home, an adult will be contacted. This is one reason that the names listed on your child’s emergency procedure card must be up-to-date and that the people listed are available to pick up your child at their school.

Automobiles are not allowed in the area reserved for school buses and emergency vehicles. It is illegal and potentially life-threatening to pass a stopped bus when the red lights are flashing. Visitors must park in the designated areas only and follow the directions of school personnel directing traffic.