We have recently noticed and been made aware of some issues that have been taking place during arrival and dismissal. We probably have the most complex arrival and dismissal schedule out of all of the Norton schools because we have separate times and processes for the Little Lancers (AM and PM) and for our K-3 students. Our shared priority is to make sure that every student is safe and we know that all families and staff want the drop-off and pickup process to go as smoothly as possible. Here are some reminders that should help keep everyone safe and efficient.
Arrival and dismissal procedures
All of the Little Lancers and K-3 arrival and dismissal procedures are clearly explained and mapped out on the school website at
https://jcs.norton.k12.ma.us/dropoffpickup. All adults dropping off and picking up students are expected to follow these procedures.
Pick-up tags
ALL adults picking up students MUST have a large, colored “Pick Up Pass” displayed in their car window. For the safety of all students, any adult that doesn’t have a pass will need to show an ID and staff will need to verify that the adult has permission to pick-up the student. As you can imagine this REALLY slows down the pick-up line for everyone. If you need a replacement or extra “Pick Up Pass” for your child, please let your child’s teacher know.
K-3 student independence
We are far enough into the school year that K-3 students should be able to exit and enter their vehicle independently and quickly. The exception is for students who require staff assistance and that is documented in a plan with the school. When a student is not able to exit the vehicle independently and quickly, it holds up the entire drop-off line and delays when students are able to get to class and start their day. We know that this is challenging for some students, so we kindly ask that families practice this with their child and also help them to be ready to get out of the vehicle before you pull up to a cone.
Kindness and understanding towards each other
We understand that arrival and dismissal takes time and that can be frustrating at times for families, students, and staff. Sometimes cars break-down while in line, students mistakenly go to the bus line instead of the pickup line, or the weather doesn’t cooperate. What we do ask is that all families show kindness and understanding towards each other and our staff. Yelling or beeping/honking at other drivers is not helpful in the moment and it can scare/upset students. If any family would like to report an issue that occurred during drop-off or pick-up, please contact the school office and we will look into it.
