CUT-OFF TIME FOR DELIVERING NOTES TO STUDENTS
We get out at 3:00; our cut off is 2:45.
We do not have a cut off time for messages as we're a K-3 building and I can't keep a little one off the bus just because the parent calls late. We actually have had parents call late enough that the child is unable to do what they ask because the bell already rang. We do have a policy that with no note or phone call, bus riders get on the bus. And ofcourse sometimes they come right back on the bus forme to find a parent.
It's a constant problem. We ask parents to call before 1 p.m. but year after year we have another batch of parents that call at the last minute. I believe it's a reflection of their lives--they don't plan ahead or know what's happening next--everything's at the last minute.
In previous years this has been a very time consuming and confusing process the requires constant disruption of the classrooms. This year we decided to not allow transportation changes unless there is an emergency. We require that the parent write a note in the morning if they would like the p.m. transportation changed. I had this policy change put in the handbook. To me this is a safety issue...I have over 370 students to dismiss and have to disrupt the classroom to notify them of the change.I have used this explanation to parents and most understand. I willbe flexible on inclement weather days etc. The note in the a.m. is good because I then have a written record. Hope this helps.
After a set time, we tell parents we will do our best to get the message, however they are past our time cut off. Our cut off is 5 minutes before the end of the day. We try to be as resonable as possible.
I have said in the past they must call at least 15 minutes before the end of the school day. Most will abide by this, you will always have a few that will not.
We accept parent phone calls throughout the day with no cut off time,
but the school secretary waits until about 15 min before dismissal to
then call the teachers of those students to let them know about the
change in transportation. This has become our routine, so the
teachers expect these types of notices at the same time each day.
We dismiss at 3:05 -
I tell parents after 2:45 there is NO gurantee I can find your kid -
Kids are everywhere in the last few minutes -
I had one that used to call at 3:00 almost every day to tell her kid how to get home. Of course his last hour class was PE - I had to have a conference with mom –
We had the same problem last year in our elementary. We added the
following paragraph to our handbook:
Parents should designate a primary dismissal procedure on the
student information sheet at the beginning of the school year. Parents
need to send a note to school if a student needs to be dismissed in a
manner that is not their regular daily routine. If no note is sent to
school, students will follow their daily routine dismissal.Phone calls
will be accepted regarding a change in dismissal procedure in cases of
emergency.
We haven't had a problem yet this year.
We do pm announcements that are right before dismissal, so messages are read at that time.