Heritage is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable learning environment. The information below highlights policies and procedures that will allow us to provide maximum safety for students as they arrive to and leave from school daily. Major changes are reflected in procedures for student arrival and dismissal.Of most significance is the change indicating that parents will no longer be allowed to come into the building after 2:45p.m. to pick up students, unless they have scheduled a parent/teacher conference or need to conduct business in the office. We recognize the importance of the school and community working together and request that you read this information carefully and follow the policies and procedures outlined.
MORNING ARRIVAL
Students may enter the building at 7:50 a.m and report to the cafeteria for breakfast or the gym. Parents who arrive earlier than this time are asked to remain with their child. In order to drop off car riders in the morning, please proceed to the carpool sign posted by the entrance near the gymnasium facing the parking area. Students will use the doors located there to enter the building. PLEASE PULL FORWARD AS FAR AS YOU CAN TO DROP OFF STUDENTS. Students MUST exit the car on the passenger side only. Parents are asked to remain in their cars and be prepared to move quickly when students exit the car. There is only one carpool line and students should never exit their cars in the parking area to walk through carpool traffic without a parent. Students will not be able to enter the school using the front entrance unless accompanied by a parent who is coming to the office or has a scheduled parent/teacher conference. Please be sure to sign in at the office and obtain a visitor's badge. Keep in mind that students will not be allowed to go to their classrooms until 8:10 a.m. Please remember that students should be seated in the classrooms and ready to start the day by 8:20 a.m., so it is important that they arrive on time.If students are late to school, parents/ guardians MUST sign them in at the office. Do not send students to the office alone to sign in. Parents/guardians will be contacted immediately to return to school to sign in late students who are sent into the building alone.
AFTERNOON DISMISSAL
In order to maximize instructional time and maintain an orderly school environment and safe dismissal, no student may be checked out of the office between 2:45 and 3:20 p.m. unless it is an emergency. Your cooperation is appreciated. All students will be kept in the building during dismissal time. The most efficient manner to pick up students from school is to drive through the carpool line. Because of our limited pickup area, we strongly encourage parents to remain in their cars. Individual students are called and escorted to their cars as their rides arrive. To ensure the safety of students during dismissal time, parents must wait outside of the building near the concrete benches to pick up their children if they choose to park in the lot and walk to the building rather than driving through the carpool line. A line will be formed to the left facing the front entrance of the school for parents who park their cars and walk to the entrance to pick up car riders. All families will be issued a carpool number, which will help us with an efficient dismissal and ensure that we do not release students to anyone without a carpool number.Be prepared to give the staff your child's car pool number. Designated older brothers and sisters may not come into the building to get their siblings and must also remain outside and have a carpool number. Parents may not wait in front of the doors; this blocks students from coming out quickly and seeing their cars when they do exit the building. Parents should only come into the building if they are signing their child out of school early (before 2:45 p.m.) or if they have a scheduled parent/teacher conference (after 3:20 p.m.). Because of dismissal responsibilities, teachers will not be available to converse until this time unless you have made previous arrangements. Teachers are providing instruction or supervising students and do not always have time to talk with you, during dismissal. Please request a conference time or leave a message and the teacher will respond as soon as possible.