Emergency Drills
HCSD is required to have a variety of safety drills throughout the school year. Some of these drills include fire drills, lockdown drills, evacuation drills, and emergency go-home early drills. It is critical for your child’s safety that parents/ guardians follow the school’s instructions in the event of an emergency.
Parents/guardians will be aware of some of these drills in our monthly newsletter, with the exception of routine fire drills. All pertinent information regarding an early dismissal or evacuation will be on the television and radio stations listed above. We encourage parents/guardians to watch and listen rather than call the school and tie up our phone lines. In addition, students do not have access to personal cell phones during school hours.
Building Security
While we continue to welcome parents/ guardians and other adults into the school, our school personnel must take appropriate steps to ensure that our school building and its inhabitants are safe and secure at all times. To assist us with this, the following building rules will be in effect:
- Whenever school is in session, any and all non-school personnel must enter the main door, check in at the iPad Kiosk, and obtain a Visitor’s Tag.
- Your Visitor’s Tag must be prominently displayed while you are in the building.
- At the completion of your visit, please check out at the iPad Kiosk and discard the Visitor’s Tag.
- Parents/guardians and other visitors who are in the building to attend a scheduled special event (e.g. graduation ceremony) will not be governed by these rules.
- While we strongly encourage parents/ guardians to visit with classroom teachers, such visits must be pre-scheduled. This is especially the case when parents/ guardians want to see staff members while our children are arriving to school in the morning. Classroom teachers should be using this time to meet and greet the students and to get ready for the instructional day. This is not the time for unscheduled meetings with parents/guardians. Your cooperation in assisting us to better ensure the security of your children here at school is sincerely appreciated.
Pick-up and Release of Students
Parents/guardians picking up your child for any reason during the school day or as a change in routine at the end of the day are requested to send in a note that morning. As part of a requirement of Section 3210 of the Education Law, we require a signed note for any change in the normal school routine.
If you are picking up your child(ren) at regular dismissal, you will do so in the front of the school. Grades K-2 student dismissal is from 12:35-12:50 PM. Grades 3-5 student dismissal is from 1:00-1:10 PM. If you have children in both dismissal times, you will loop back in the parking lot and wait until the second group dismisses.
Some of our children come from homes that have experienced a divorce or separation. The school will need a copy of any Custody Order or Orders of Protection in order to ensure your child’s safety. Having a copy of these papers will guide us in not releasing your child to a person who by court order does not have the right to the child.
Bus Stop Safety
Kindergarten students must have a parent/guardian waiting for them at the bus stop in order to be dropped off, otherwise, they will remain on the bus and be brought back to the elementary school. If no one is present at the bus stop, you will be notified and responsible to come and pick your child up promptly. A second option would be to provide a written note giving permission for a kindergarten student to walk home with a sibling.
General neighborhood conflicts should be resolved by the parents/guardians and are not a school matter. In most cases, parental supervision at the bus stop prevents problems from occurring. HCSD is not responsible for actions that take place at the bus stop.
School Bus Rules
- Be ready when the bus arrives. The bus driver is on a timed schedule and is unable to wait for students who may not be at the bus stop on time.
- When crossing a highway before entering or after leaving the bus, do so IN FRONT of the bus with the driver’s guidance.
- When entering the bus, immediately be seated in the nearest available or assigned seat.
- Remain properly seated, facing forward (no leaning out across the aisle or changing seats).
- Keep the bus aisles clear of backpacks, instruments, etc.
- Talk quietly and respectfully, without swearing or screaming.
- No fooling around, harassing, fighting, or bullying is allowed.
- No eating, drinking, or chewing gum on the bus.
- No littering, spitting, or smoking on the bus.
- Keep pens, pencils, and any other objects that may be dangerous in your backpack or book bag.
- Keep your head and hands inside the bus windows at all times.
- Obey the driver; the driver is responsible for the safety of all on the bus.
Violations of these rules by the student could result in a bus conduct report with disciplinary consequences or removal from the bus.
Please note that if there is a problem or concern with your child’s pick-up, drop-off, or bus driver, your initial contact should be with Birnie Bus at 895-4150, ext. 221.
School Hours
The school opens for K-2 students at 7:40 AM and for 3-5 students at 8 AM.
Tardy
Any K-2 student is considered late after 7:55 AM. Any 3-5 student is considered late after 8:15 AM. You must escort your child into the building and sign them in. Please be aware that chronic tardiness is addressed in HCSD’s attendance policy.
Students are dismissed between 12:35 and 1:10 PM depending on grade level, as described above.