The safety of our students is our highest priority. To ensure a smooth and secure arrival and dismissal process, we ask all families to carefully follow the procedures outlined below.

• Student Drop-Off

  • Student drop-off takes place in the horseshoe parking lot on Dickinson Road.

  • Morning arrival is car drop-off only for families arriving by vehicle. This procedure allows staff to safely receive students and minimizes pedestrian traffic through moving vehicles. 

  • Families who live within walking distance may continue to walk their child to school using the sidewalk.

  • Parents should approach the school by traveling along Dickinson Road toward Yale Road and make a right turn into the drop-off loop. Please do not approach from Harvard Road and make a left turn into the loop.

• Safety Procedures

  • Children should be seated in the rear passenger-side seat whenever possible.

  • Staff members will assist students directly from their vehicles. Parents should hand their child to a staff member along the drop-off loop rather than walking them to the entrance.

  • Parents are not permitted to enter the building during morning arrival unless directed by school personnel.

• Traffic Flow

  • Pull your vehicle all the way forward in the drop-off loop before stopping, even if there is open space ahead.

  • Have your child ready to exit the vehicle with backpacks, coats, and belongings prepared before entering the loop.

  • Keep conversations with staff brief so traffic continues to move efficiently.

  • Please do not park illegally, block driveways, or impede neighborhood traffic while dropping off students. We appreciate your partnership in being respectful of our surrounding community.

• Arrival Times

  • Student drop-off is from 8:15 AM to 8:30 AM.

  • Students arriving after 8:30 AM must be signed in through the main office and will be marked tardy.

Bus Transportation

• Students arriving by bus will be greeted by staff and escorted directly into the building.

• School buses load and unload at the front of the building along Yale Road. 

• Bus Expectations 

  • All students are expected to:

    • Sit in their assigned seat.

    • Remain seated until instructed by the driver.

    • Follow all directions given by the bus driver.

    • Keep hands, feet, and belongings inside the bus.

    • Refrain from eating or drinking while riding the bus.

  • Unsafe behavior may result in disciplinary action, including the suspension of transportation privileges in accordance with district policy.

  • Parents and guardians are not permitted to board district buses during arrival or dismissal.

Dismissal Procedures 

The Board of Education requires that students attend school for the full instructional day in order to receive the maximum educational benefit from the instructional program. Students are expected to arrive on time and remain in school for the entire school day. Late arrivals and early dismissals should be limited to compelling circumstances.

The Principal may approve a late arrival or early dismissal for good cause when a written request is submitted in advance by a parent or legal guardian whenever possible. Good cause may include, but is not limited to, medical or dental appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of the school day.

Student dismissal begins at 2:30 p.m.

Walkers and Parent Pick-Up 

• Students who are picked up by a parent or authorized adult will be dismissed from the cafeteria doors on Dickinson Road. To ensure a safe and organized dismissal:

  • Parents should line up in the designated dismissal area.

  • Two dismissal lines will be used:

    • Preschool

    • Kindergarten

• Families with children in both Preschool and Kindergarten should report to the Kindergarten line so staff can efficiently reunite siblings.

• Parents should remain in the designated lines and should not wait outside the cafeteria doors, in the grassy areas, or along the access ramp. These procedures help maintain an orderly dismissal process and ensure student safety.

• Students will only be released to a parent or individual designated in writing by the parent or legal guardian. A valid photo ID is required before any student will be released. 

Bus Riders

• Students riding the bus will be escorted by staff directly to their assigned bus.

• A responsible adult must be present at the bus stop to receive preschool students. If no authorized adult is present, the student will be returned to school. Multiple incidents or repeated returns to school may result in the suspension of transportation privileges in accordance with district policy and may require a meeting with the building principal and the Transportation Department.

Early Dismissals

• Instructional time is valuable, therefore, requests for early dismissal should be reserved for unavoidable circumstances. 

• To minimize disruption to classroom instruction, early dismissals during the last 30 minutes of the school day will only be approved in cases of genuine emergency. If an early dismissal is necessary:

  • Report to the main office and present a valid photo ID.

  • Provide written notice to your child's teacher in advance whenever possible.

  • Students will only be released to individuals authorized by the parent or legal guardian.

Consistent Dismissal Plans 

• To ensure the safety of all students and maintain an efficient dismissal process, families are expected to establish a consistent dismissal plan at the beginning of the school year. 

• Frequent changes between bus transportation, parent pick-up, and walking are difficult for school staff and bus drivers to safely manage, particularly when students follow alternating parenting schedules. 

• Whenever possible, families should utilize their child's assigned bus stop as the consistent dismissal location, even when different adults are responsible for receiving the child on different days. 

• Requests for ongoing alternating dismissal arrangements (such as switching between bus transportation and parent pick-up throughout the week) generally cannot be accommodated. 

• Exceptions will be considered only on a case-by-case basis or in the event of an emergency and must be approved by the building principal or designee. 

• Students attending RASKEL in the PM who utilize district transportation must have a consistent transportation schedule throughout the school year. Any transportation arrangements involving RASKEL must be coordinated with and approved by RASKEL staff and the building principal. 

• If a temporary change in dismissal is necessary due to an emergency or unforeseen circumstance, parents or guardians must notify the school in writing as early as possible on the day of the change. 

Changes in Dismissal Plans 

• If your child will be dismissed differently than usual, please send a written note to your child's teacher. The note should include:

  • Student's name

  • Date

  • Name of the person picking up your child

  • Parent or guardian's signature

Safety Reminder

• Families parking on surrounding streets are asked to be respectful of our neighbors by:

  • Not blocking driveways.

  • Parking legally and facing the correct direction of traffic.

  • Avoiding crossing between buses when walking with children. Please cross only in areas where visibility is clear for both pedestrians and drivers.