CSES Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Our goal is to promote a safe and efficient drop off and pick up procedure for our students, parents, and staff. Please refer to the map below for a general overview of traffic flow and read the guidelines to ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors.
Parent Drop Off (Mornings)
- Parents can drop their children off in the car loop (front parking lot loop area, at green designated area on map) each morning beginning at 7:45 a.m. Do not allow your child to exit the vehicle prior to a Cool Spring staff member arriving at the car loop to supervise our morning drop off.
- When entering the parking lot, please follow the designated route (marked on the map above) to proceed to the parent drop off loop.
- Students may be dropped off at the designated location between 7:45 and 8:10 a.m. Students will proceed directly to their classroom. The tardy bell rings at 8:15 a.m.
- Please have your child ready to exit the car (backpack ready, goodbyes said, etc.) when you reach the drop-off location so that students may exit the car quickly.
- Your child will exit through a door on the passenger side so that he or she will not have to cross in front of cars.
- Drivers should not exit the car in the parent drop-off line. If your child needs assistance opening the door, one of the staff members on duty will assist your child. Please do not pull into or through the parking area to drop your child off.
- At 8:15 a.m. the staff member on duty will close the door at parent drop off. Students may not be dropped off in the car loop after 8:15 a.m.
- If your student arrives after 8:15 a.m. you must park in the parking lot and walk your child to the office entrance of the school. A staff member will meet you at the door to check your child in as tardy. Staff will be on duty throughout the building to assist students with getting to their classroom each morning.
- All kindergarten students are asked to wear their name tag to school for the first week. Staff will be on duty throughout the building to assist students with getting to their classroom each morning.
Parent Pick Up (Afternoons)
Each new family will receive two parent pick up car tags with your assigned family number. Families with children who attended CSES last year, we ask that you keep your numbered tags from last school year. If you need us to provide you with another copy, please let the front office know. The pick up tags for new families will be included in the information you receive from the teacher of your youngest child at open house. When arriving in the afternoons for parent pick up, please hang one tag on your rearview mirror so that the number can be easily read by the staff member on duty. This will allow us to precisely and quickly match students to parents for parent pick up. If you have a family member or neighbor who will pick up your child(ren), please be sure to give them one of your pick up tags to use the day that they are picking up.
- Parents may enter the car loop beginning at 2:45 p.m. Please do not arrive prior to 2:45 p.m. We want to limit traffic in the car loop area as our bikers and walkers are dismissed from school.
- Parents will enter the parking lot and follow the car line (arrows on map) to the designated pick up location. A staff member will be on duty reading car tag numbers.
- As the staff member reads your number, your child will be dismissed to the parent pick-up line. We ask that you wait patiently in your vehicle and an adult on duty will ensure that your child is safely loaded into your vehicle each afternoon.
- Each family will only be issued two parent pick up car tags. If the person picking up your child does not have the appropriate car tag displayed, the staff member on duty will ask for photo ID to verify permission to pick up your child(ren). This may cause a delay with our parent pick up procedure, so please make every effort to have the tag used on a daily basis.
- Once your child enters your car, you should remain in line to exit the parking lot. For the safety of all students, staff, and families, you should not pass cars in line or exit the line to cut through the parking lot to exit.
Bikers and Walkers
Students in grades 3–5 may walk or bike to and from school with parent permission on file. The permission slips will be sent home or are linked here: Bike and Walk to School for Grades 3–5. Students in grades k–2 may walk or bike with a parent or guardian but not with an older sibling. If you indicate that your child is a biker/walker, this will be their daily plan for afternoon transportation. If you plan to pick your child up in a car, you would need to send in a note to indicate the change in afternoon transportation.
- Walkers and bikers will use the sidewalk on the Taylor Farms side of Honey Meadows Road to approach the school. The crossing guard at the intersection of Honeybee Drive and Honey Meadows Road will indicate when it is safe for students to cross the road. Walkers and bikers may arrive between 7:45 and 8:10 a.m. daily.
- The bike rack will be located in the small parking lot on the office side of the school. Students on bikes should walk their bikes once they enter school grounds and lock their bikes at the bike rack.
- Walkers and bikers will be dismissed at 2:45 p.m. daily. If your child is in grades k–2, a parent or guardian will need to be present at A3 door off the gym to receive their child at 2:45 p.m. Adults must bring ID to check out their child(ren) until they are known by school staff.
- Parents/guardians are responsible for determining the best and safest routes for their child when riding to and from school. You are encouraged to ride or walk the route with your child prior to their first day of school.
Changes to Transportation and Early Dismissal
- Students will not be allowed to ride a different bus home or to a friend’s house this year. Students may only ride their assigned bus this year.
- If you need to alter your child’s typical dismissal plan (change from bus or daycare, biker or walker to parent pick up), please send a note to your child’s teacher in the morning. If an emergency arises and you need to make a last minute change, please call the school office at 723-3560 before 2:00 p.m. We ask that you follow up with an email as well. All students picked up at the end of the day will be picked up in the parent pick up line and not from the office.
- If your child has a medical appointment that requires early dismissal, please complete and send in a note to make your child’s teacher and or our office staff aware. Parents who wish to pick their children up prior to our regular dismissal (2:45 p.m.) should plan to pick up their child before 2:00 p.m. Please be prepared to state your name and child’s name at the doorbell and have your ID ready.
- Please note that if someone other than the parent/legal guardian is picking a child up early, we must have a note stating that the individual will be picking the child up early that day (even if the person is on the emergency contact/pick-up list).
- If you are sending an email regarding transportation changes, you must send the email to the teacher and to the front office. In case of a staff absence, we want to ensure that at least one person has received your e-mail communication.
- The note to school template can be used to be sure all pertinent information is included in your note.
If you have any questions about our transportation procedures, please contact the office at (804) 723-3560. Thank you for your support. We look forward to another safe and successful school year!