New Dismissal Procedures at SSF
As you know, keeping your children safe is our most important responsibility at Solana Santa Fe. Over the first couple of months, we have been analyzing our protocols and procedures with regards to afternoon dismissal and have identified areas in which we can improve. Our intent is to create a more orderly and contained process that keeps students within gated school boundaries until parents have arrived by car or by foot to pick up their child(ren).
The first change is with car pick-up. Our plan is to have students congregate on the back playground under the shade structure and meet parents/guardians on the sidewalk in the side parking lot. When parents arrive to the pick up area, students will be released from the playground, walk out of the gated area, and load into the parent’s/guardian’s car. This will require all cars to pull as far forward as possible before students load. Students will only be allowed to load cars that are adjacent to the sidewalk. Once all cars are loaded, they will exit the line and the next set of cars will pull all the way forward. A name placard for each family has been sent home to place in the car to help our spotters identify your vehicle and expedite the process.. Please place placards on the dashboard of the passenger side of the vehicle (We will send more placards soon for families with multiple cars). An important part of this process is moving the cars quickly. If your child is running late, you will be asked to pull forward to the front of the school in a designated waiting area.
The second change is for walking pick-up. Students in grades 1st-6th will congregate on the Kindergarten playground. Once they have arrived, they will be asked to sit and wait for their parent. Parents/guardians of all students will enter the playground from the gate near the Kindergarten play structure and will depart the playground through the gate near the front of the school. Kindergarten parents/guardians will meet their children at the Kindergarten room.
Note: There will be no changes to the procedures for Back Gate dismissal area.
These changes were shared with the students today and we will begin our new procedures tomorrow, Friday, October 26th. As parents/guardians, one way you can be a big help to this process is by determining your plan for the end of the day and communicating it with your child(ren). A quick “I will meet you at car pick up” or “I will see you on the Kindergarten playground” reminder when you drop off your child in the morning will allow for a smoother, more efficient process.
If your child is in the car area and needs to meet you in the Kindergarten yard, please tell a staff member and he or she will radio for your child to walk to the other location. The same will occur in reverse. If you are holding up the car line while your child is in transition, we will ask you to pull forward to the front of the school so other cars can exit. We will have your child meet you there.
We understand these are significant changes to our procedures and are very hopeful they will run smoothly. As with any change, challenges could arise so we ask your patience as we work through any complications. In the end, we feel maintaining a safer and more organized dismissal is important for the safety and well-being of all our students and hope you find these changes to be positive for our school environment.
If you have any concerns with these changes, please feel free to contact me at mfrumovitz@sbsd.net or schedule an appointment at 858-794-4700. We also invite you to come to our Safety Meeting following Superintendent Jodee Brentlinger’s Meet and Greet on Tuesday, October 30th at 6:30pm in the Fine Arts Building.
