Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Students arriving between 8:40 am and 9:00 am proceed directly to their classroom or to the cafeteria for breakfast.  Breakfast students should be at a school by 8:50.

• Bus Riders:  Our buses use the Harrison side to drop off students.  Staff members assist students as they enter through the main door of the building.
   
• Walkers:  Parents/guardians may walk their child to the front door of the building.  Staff members meet students at the doors and help them proceed inside.  
   
• Car Riders:  Staff members assist in unloading students from cars. There is no need for parents/guardians to get out of cars.  Students exit cars from the passenger side and enter the school through the designated door.  Please read the information on the Car Riders Safety First Directions tab.

Do not park in drop off lanes or fire lane lanes. Parents do not park in the parking lot to drop off students.

Breakfast:  
Breakfast will be available to all students when they arrive.  Students may purchase breakfast in the cafeteria.  Students should arrive at school BEFORE 8:50 to eat breakfast.
Late Arrival:  
If you arrive after 9:00 - students must enter through Door A (front doors) to be checked in by the office staff and issued a tardy pass.
 

• Bus Riders:  Students riding buses are dismissed from their classroom as their bus arrives.
   
• Walkers:  Door A (main door) Parents/guardians pick their children up in front of the school at the main entrance where the students will exit with the assistance of staff members. Bike riders must follow the sidewalk to the crossing guard and proceed from there.
   
• Car Riders:  Students are dismissed as your name is called by the staff carrying the inputting your family name.   Please read the information on the Car Riders Safety First Directions tab.

If your child's dismissal plan is different on a given day, please send in a written note with your child's name, the date, the change in dismissal plans, and your signature. A separate note must be sent each time your child's dismissal plan is different.

If you need to change dismissal plans during the day, please call the main office at 219-836-8635. The main office will inform the teacher of this change. While emailing the teacher is a great additional step, calling the main office is important since a teacher may not see your email in time for dismissal due to an absence or simply because she/he is working with your child. If your child attends an after-school program, it is important to inform that program separately of any changes since they will be looking for your child if you do not inform them.

Please note that at 3:00 pm the main office begins preparations for dismissal. Please do not call after 3:00 with dismissal changes unless it is an emergency.

Car Riders Safety First Instructions

In an effort to maintain the safest possible environment for our students and families, please read and follow the expectations below for drop off and pick up of students in the car line:

Please help us keep the car line moving by displaying your family name sign each afternoon for our staff to see.  For student safety, cars not displaying this sign and/or cars with parent/guardian faces that are unfamiliar to our staff may be asked to park and go to the main office to sign a child out.

Stay in one line and pull your car up as far as you can along the curb.  Even if there is not a car directly behind you, chances are one will be soon.  It is courteous, efficient, and safe to pull up as far as you can to allow the most amount of cars to line up along the sidewalk.

Allow your child to exit and enter from the PASSENGER SIDE of the car, directly onto the sidewalk.  We make every effort to have a staff member directly assist children as they exit and enter cars from the sidewalk.  It is very dangerous to exit and enter on the driver’s side and walk-through traffic.

Never park your car and come to the car line doors to pick up your child.  The car line dismisses to cars only.  If you must change your pick-up plans and need to park your car, please use School Street, walk to the front of the school, and your child will be dismissed with the walkers from the main door.

Refrain from parking and walking your child to the door.  We fully understand how important it is to say goodbye in the morning, but parking and walking through the car traffic is dangerous for you, your child, and the other drivers.

Follow normal school and traffic laws.

• Please obey the no left turn sign when turning onto Jackson Avenue during drop off and pick up times.
• Please refrain from using cell phones while driving.
• Smoking on school grounds even in your car is prohibited.
• Pets are prohibited from being on school grounds.

If you have a question for a teacher in the morning, please write it in a note or call the office.  During the morning arrival time, each teacher is on duty and has a very important responsibility in maintaining a safe environment.