Arrival Procedures

Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Students are not allowed on campus before 7:30 a.m. The school day begins at 7:55 a.m. Students will be marked tardy after the 7:55 a.m. bell. A parent/guardian must accompany late arrival students. Students will be marked absent from school until a parent or guardian signed the student in for the day.

All bus riders, walkers, and bike riders enter school through the main entrance of school and all car riders will enter school through the Leona Street entrance. They will proceed to the cafeteria main hallway entrance where they will enter the cafeteria to wash their hands and eat their breakfast. Students will exit the cafeteria from the library hall exit and go to their homeroom classes once they are finished breakfast.

 

Bus Riders

Students must be on time at a designated stop. Time of stop can vary 10 minutes before published time and/or 10 minutes after published time. Students will be dropped off at the front entrance of school and will proceed towards the cafeteria for breakfast. All rules and regulations set by St. Mary Parish should be followed.

 

Car Riders

Parents who bring children to school are to use the Leona Street entrance. Cars bringing children to school will form a single lane of traffic. Parents are not to bring students to school before 7:30 a.m. Duty teachers are not scheduled to be on duty before that time.

Walkers

Parents of children who walk to school should instruct them how to do so safely. Your child’s safety is a concern of the school, but the cooperation of the home and the school is necessary to build proper habits of safety. Children should be urged to walk only on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the left side of the street, facing oncoming traffic. Cross at intersection protected by a crossing guard/faculty member at Willow and Federal. Students need to obey the crossing guard/faculty member and proceed directly to school or home. In NO case should students who walk or ride to school with parents arrive before 7:30 a.m. because there is no one on duty until that time. Students will be held accountable for their actions to and from school.

BIKE RIDERS

Any student riding a bicycle to school must park the bicycle in the bike rack. The student needs to walk the bicycle across the street crossing at Willow and Federal. The bicycle must be walked directly to the bike rack in the morning. When arriving and departing school, students must walk their bicycle while on the campus and campus sidewalks. Students reported for riding their bicycle in an unsafe manner or violating a safety rule shall be reprimanded. The reprimand could result in the loss of bicycle privileges for an indefinite period. Students who bring bicycles to school do so at their own risk. The school is not responsible for stolen bicycles; therefore, it is highly recommended to have a lock for the bicycle.

TARDY/CHECK-INS

Students checking in to school at or after the 7:55 a.m. bell must be signed in at the front office by a parent/guardian. 

The automated system will make phone calls if your child is marked absent, tardy, or checked in and/or out.  If your child is absent from school, please notify the school (985-384-4986) before 8:10 a.m.  Parents/students should become familiar with the parish attendance/tardy policy found on the St. Mary Parish School website.

 

Dismissal Procedures

Car riders will begin dismissal at 3:00 p.m. and regular dismissal begins promptly at 3:05 p.m. This meaning that students leave the classroom at these times. Students may exit the building a bit later. Parents are not allowed to enter the school building to wait/pick up their children from 2:40-3:10 p.m. This causes a congestion in the main entrance hallway which is a safety hazard. All students are expected to be off campus by 3:10 p.m. Please follow these exit rules to ensure the safety of all students to dismiss from school. Your cooperation is vital.

 

Parents should give students instructions for after school plans before students leave to come to school. We cannot trust elementary students to tell us if their means of getting home has changed.  Therefore, parents must send a written note for any changes in how a student gets home.  Students will need to give their teachers the notes in the morning. For the safety of our students and to preserve instructional time, we cannot give daily messages. Every message takes away from instructional time.  If an emergency happens and plans need to change during the day, please notify the office in writing or in person well before 2:40 p.m.  Messages cannot be delivered after 2:40. Thanks for your assistance in making dismissal smoother by planning. 

 

Keep the same dismissal plan daily – remember that the teacher cannot escort every child at dismissal.  All classes have car riders, bus riders, and walkers.  A duty teacher will supervise your child, so it is important that they go home the same way each day.  Example:  If they are a bus rider and a grandparent needs to get the child after school one day, ask them to meet the bus at the drop off area instead of switching your child’s dismissal plan to a car rider.

 

Rainy Day Plan

Please make sure your child knows how he/she is getting home if there is a rainy-day dismissal. It is not safe to dismiss your child as a walker or bike rider if it is raining outside. All bus and car riders will be dismissed first. Depending on the severity of the weather, at that point, walkers and bike riders may be release. If the weather is unsafe to release bike riders and walkers, the students must be picked up as a car rider. 

 

Emergency Dismissal

If an emergency causes an early dismissal, the school will send a JText and/or a JCall that includes instructions for dismissal procedures. Please be flexible and cooperative to ensure a smooth dismissal when necessary.

 

Bus Riders

Students assigned to ride the bus will dismiss at 3:05 p.m. The bus driver will follow the assigned route when dropping off students. The drop off area will be based on the home address in our JCampus system. If this is incorrect, please make sure to call the office.

Car Riders

Students will be dismissed on Leona Street exit starting at 3:00 p.m. Parents are to form a single lane coming up Leona Street and follow the directions of the duty teachers. Leona Street is a one-way street from 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday – Friday based on the school calendar. The first car in line should pull up to the first sign labeled Car 1. Duty teachers will get your child(ren) to you. Parents should stay in their car, and a teacher will direct your child to your car safely. We will not allow parents standing around the gate area waiting for their child to arrive. This is for the safety of your child.

Walkers

Pre-Kindergarten through 1^st graders will be dismissed from the gym doors closest to the main entrance only to an individual that is designated to pick them up unless instructed to walk with an older sibling. Please be prepared to show identification. All other grade levels will be dismissed from the opposite set of gym doors. All walkers and bike riders must cross on the crosswalk by Willow and Federal. Our crossing guard/duty teacher is there to ensure that our children cross in a safe manner. If you indicate on the student information form that your child is a walker, they will be dismissed as a walker. We are not responsible for what they do on their way home, therefore, please instruct them on where to go and what to do.

check-out policies for maitland

Students may check out for emergencies: doctor visits, illness, or other allowable reasons.  Parents must come to school and sign students out.  Students should notify their teacher if they are ill and need to check out.  The teachers will fill out a sick slip and notify the office/nurse to call home.  Student must be sent to the office to call for medication only.  Emergency contacts listed on the family information sheet will be deemed acceptable to check a student out of school. Custody issues must be accompanied by paperwork, otherwise, both parents have the right to check out the child. A picture I.D. may be required. No expectations.

 

The automated system will make phone calls if your child is checked in and/or out.  If your child is absent from school, please notify the school (985-384-4986) before 8:10 a.m.  Parents/students should become familiar with the parish attendance/tardy policy found on the St. Mary Parish School website.

 

Excessive check-outs will add to absences and referral to the Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance.

 

No check-outs will be allowed after 2:40. This will allow for a routine and safe dismissal.  If you need your child before 3:00, make sure to check them out before 2:40.  We MUST receive WRITTEN notification of changes in transportation. Phone calls will not be accepted.