MORNING ARRIVAL - DROP OFF PROCEDURES

Classrooms have been assigned to one of three areas for student morning drop off. Once the students are dropped off they should proceed directly to their classroom where they will remain seated outside the classroom wall until the first bell rings. The drop-off areas are as follows:

Glassblock: Southwest section of campus.
Modular Classroom Driveway: Northeast section of campus.
North Driveway: North section of campus.

Please, do not leave your car unattended to walk your child(ren) to the assigned drop off area. Our parking facilities are limited and cannot accommodate the large number of parents who drive their children to school. Please comply with all traffic signs. Traffic tickets are issued by BSO.

DISMISSAL - PICK UP PROCEDURES

Students are to be picked up in their designated pickup areas (see below). If you are waiting to pick up your child, please DO NOT leave your car unattended and DO NOT block the flow of traffic. In order to speed up the traffic flow, we are requesting that parents keep moving up as the line moves forward. Please instruct your child to go to the pick up area as soon as they are dismissed. Dismissal areas are as follows:

Glassblock: Southwest section of campus.
Modular Classroom Driveway: Northeast section of campus.
North Driveway: North section of campus.

For safety reasons please do not double park or signal to your child to leave the sidewalk to come to you when they must pass in front of another car, even though the car is not moving at that time.
Please do not park in the swale area in front of the school. This area has been designated a No Parking Zone between 7:30 - 8:30 A.M. and 1:30 - 2:30 P.M. and is strictly enforced by BSO.

EARLY RELEASE DAYS

Early release days have been established by the district to provide a block of time for professional development or teacher record-keeping. Early release days are listed in the . Students will be released at 12:00 PM. Students will follow regular dismissal plans. Cooper City's Aftercare Program will be available for students enrolled in the program.

RAINY DAY PROCEDURES

If it is raining hard, or a heavy rain is imminent, it is important that your child knows what to do. If you plan to pick up your child on these days, please discuss the procedure you will follow with him/her. This is very important for two reasons:

1. It will keep a large number of students from coming to the office to use the telephones.
2. It will save the parent the trouble of calling when the telephone lines are overloaded.

Bicycle riders and walkers, as well as students in portable classrooms, will be held until the severe weather subsides. Students will be dismissed in a light rain. Rain gear is recommended for all students.

WALKERS AND BICYCLE RIDERS

Children walking or riding bicycles to and from school are encouraged to cross at street corners or where there are school crossing guards. State Statutes require bicycle riders under the age of 16 to wear a helmet. Please be sure that your child's name is clearly written on the helmet so your child is able to easily identify his/her helmet.

A locked gated bike area is provided for students. However, it is impossible to guarantee the safety of their equipment and the use of an additional lock would provide added security.

Please remind your children of the following bicycle safety rules.

1. Always wear your helmet. For this infraction, the police can issue the child a citation.
2. Ride bicycles with street traffic on the right side of the road, single file, use regular hand signals, and obey all signs and signals for control of regular traffic.
3. Walk bicycles across all intersections and on school grounds.
4. Towing is nationally recognized as a very dangerous practice causing many mishaps and is therefore expressly prohibited.
     For this infraction, the police can issue the child a citation.
5. Park bicycles in the designated area and lock them.
6. Bicycles should not be borrowed unless absolutely necessary and then only with the permission of the owner.

BUS TRANSPORTATION

Most students live within a two-mile radius of the school and therefore do not meet state criteria for bus transportation. If a student's behavior creates a problem or hazard in the safe operation of the bus by its driver, the principal will deprive said student of bus riding privileges in accordance with the district discipline matrix. If the behavior is willful and/or frequent, a recommendation will be made to remove the disruptive student from further bus transportation. During a period of bus suspension or expulsion, parents must provide transportation to and from school.

The driver's main responsibility is to transport the students safely to and from school. He/she needs the cooperation of students, teachers, and parents if he/she is to accomplish this.

Bus schedules will be provided annually to eligible students.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR EVACUATION OF BUILDING

Fire Drills: Fire drills at regular intervals are required by law and are an important safety precaution. The alarm is a pulsating horn. It is essential that when the first signal is given, everyone responds promptly. Students are to follow their teacher's instructions and clear the building by the prescribed route as quickly as possible. Students should refrain from noise and remain outside the building until the signal to return to class is given.

Tornado Drills: As with fire drills, tornado drills are an important safety precaution. A series of short rings of the bell or fire alarm signals a tornado drill. Students are to follow their teacher's instructions and to move to their assigned area in an orderly fashion and crouch in the proper position.

EMERGENCY DISMISSAL

In rare instances, the Superintendent must close all schools or dismiss students earlier than usual due to an emergency situation, such as severe weather. School authorities will use local radio and television to inform the public about an emergency school closing or early dismissal. You can prepare for such an emergency by working out an emergency plan with your child. Be sure your child understands where to go in the event of an early dismissal. An emergency dismissal form must be completed for each student and kept on file by your child's teacher and office. It is the parent's responsibility to be certain that this information is kept up to date and that their child knows what to do in the event of an emergency dismissal. A new form will need to be filled out each year and as often as the plan for your child changes.

EARLY DISMISSAL

Students are expected to be in school from bell to bell. Early dismissal should be avoided. No child will be released from school between 1:30 and 2:00 PM without administrative approval. We ask parents to make doctor and dental appointments after school hours whenever possible. Only a parent/guardian or persons listed on the school emergency form are permitted to sign out students. For security reasons, we do not accept telephone requests or notes from parents to release a student from school. They must be picked up by a parent/guardian. Time missed from school due to early sign-outs is recorded in the attendance database.

SIGN OUT POLICY

Parents must list the names of persons who are allowed to pick-up their child(ren) from school on the School Emergency Form. In order for a student to leave the school, they must be signed out on the sign-out log in the main office. No one is permitted to leave the school without getting permission from office personnel. Students will only be released to a parent/guardian and individuals that are listed on the Emergency Release Form after proper photo identification verification has been checked.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

Emergency information forms will be given to all students at the beginning of the year. There must be an emergency information sheet completed and on file in the school's office for every student.

If you move during the school year, please bring two new proofs of residency (utility bill, contract, lease, license, etc.) to the front office so your records can be updated. Also, notify the school office of any change of address, home or work telephone numbers, or place of employment. It is imperative that we have the most recent phone numbers on file in case we need to contact you for an illness or emergency.