Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

Receiving and dismissing approximately 450 students all between the ages of 3 and 9 is a large task and one that requires the assistance of every teacher and staff member of Ben Franklin. Your cooperation in following our expectations for these times greatly aids us in providing a smooth, efficient, and safe arrival and dismissal for all students.

Arrival

• Students arriving between 8:10 am and 8:25 am proceed directly to the all purpose room.
• Students are released from the all purpose room at 8:25 am to go to classrooms.  Students arriving between 8:25 am and 8:45 am report directly to classrooms.
• Bus: Our buses use the bus lane to drop off students.  Staff members assist students as they enter through the front doors of the building.
• Parent Drop Off:  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 Rider:  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 side door.  Please read the specific Car Riders Safety First Directions below.  
• Students being dropped off after 8:45 am must be walked by a parent/guardian to the front entrance.
• When dropping off a student, refrain from using the bus lane as it creates a traffic and safety hazard for students.
• Do not park in drop off lanes or fire lane lanes.

 

Dismissal

• Bus: Students riding buses are dismissed to the cafeteria where they sit in lines by bus.  Attendance is taken twice: once in the cafeteria and then again while boarding buses.
• Parent Pick Up/Walker:  Parents/guardians pick their children up at the Parent Pick Up/Walker area which is the grassy area just outside the modulars.  Staff assist students in this area.  Parents/guardians need to sign students out at this location.
• Car Rider:  Students are dismissed to the hallway leading to the side doors by the parking lot.  Staff members assist students to the appropriate vehicles.  Please read the specific Car Riders Safety First Directions below.  
• After School Programs:  Students attending an after school program at the school (i.e. PTO club, Y Program, etc.) report to the gym where staff ensure they are accounted for by their program leaders.  Students attending an after school program at another location (i.e. Boys & Girls Club, Every Child Valued, etc.) report to the cafeteria where they sit in lines and attendance is taken twice.  
• All Preschool and Kindergarten students are escorted by staff to these areas.

 

Changing Dismissal Plans

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. In order to ensure the safety of your child, one note covering multiple days will not be accepted.

If you need to change dismissal plans during the day, please call the main office at 609-671-5540. 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 s/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.

 

Main Office Pickup Before 3:00 pm Only

Please note that at 3:00 pm the main office begins preparations for dismissal. After 3:00 pm, students will not be dismissed from the main office. Families needing to pick up students from the main office may do so prior to 3:00 pm. After 3:00 pm, families may use the car rider pickup, parent/guardian pickup (aka walkers), or buses. We thank you in advance for your cooperation with this procedure to ensure the safe dismissal of all students.

 

 

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 the pickup sign provide by the school in your driver’s side door window 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 onto the sidewalk.  It is very dangerous to exit and enter on the driver’s side and walk through traffic.

 

Never pull around a car that is unloading.  Often times the few seconds that may be saved, lead to stops in traffic that actually lose time and create dangerous situations in the parking lot.  We are continually working to expedite the unloading and loading process.  Cars passing other cars actually create situations that slow traffic down.

 

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 pickup plans and need to park your car, park in a designated parking slot, walk to the front of the school, and your child will be dismissed to the Parent Pickup/Walker area near the modulars.

 

Follow normal school and traffic laws.

• Please obey the no left turn sign when turning onto Princeton Pike 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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Above all, please model cooperation, patience and teamwork for your child/children at all times in the parking lot and car line.

 

Thank you for following these expectations consistently and helping us provide a safe and orderly dismissal for all children.