Settler's Point School Safety
Back to School 2019
A Message from the Principal:
We are two days into the first week of school, and they really flew by!
In today's school climate, I felt it necessary to review some of our procedures, as I am consistently looking at ways to improve the safety and security of our students and staff members. I know that the Town of Gilbert was recently ranked one of the safest places in the country, a proactive approach is appropriate.
In addition, we have over 240 students that are new to Settler's, so I feel it's important to review our procedures.
Thank you in advance for reviewing, and we hope you have a great weekend!
Robert Bircher
Principal
Start Times for 2019/2020
In an effort to keep our students safe, students are not permitted to be on campus before 7:50. This is when our staff will be on duty and can supervise.
Annual Update...
The annual update ensures that we have up to date medical information, as well as, who to contact in case there's an emergency.
Please take the five minutes to do this ASAP.
Visitor Procedure Starts Monday!!
Rather than using the sticker visitor badge as we have in the past, when you sign in on campus, we will ask for your ID in exchange for one of these badges. Once you return the badge, we will give the ID back.
We had noticed that the previous system was not effective as it could have been. Some people were using stickers for multiple days, we were inconsistently asking for ID, and we didn't have a clear picture of who was on campus.
By using the ID as collateral, it forces us to ask for ID, gives us a clear idea of who is on campus, and can be a deterrent, as these will be harder to duplicate.
Visitor Procedures:
- Any adult on campus needs to sign in at the front office in order to be on campus.
- When signing in, you WILL be asked for your ID in order to receive a visitor's badge.
- Once you sign out, you will receive your ID back.
- Only relatives are allowed on campus to volunteer/visit, without a fingerprint clearance card. (This includes going on field trips)
Please know that I am aware that this is extremely inconvenient, particularly when you live towards Cypress; however, this is the only way to ensure that our students and staff are safe. My front office staff are the most knowledgeable about potential court orders and have current emergency data "at their finger tips."
If you come on campus without a badge, it could potentially put our school into our lock down procedures.
Parent Pick Up and Drop Off
- During the beginning and end of the day, you must make a right turn to enter the campus. A left will block traffic in two directions.
- When leaving the lot, please turn right. This ensures that the line of cars moves efficiently.
- Once everyone learns the system, we are able to clear all cars at the end of the day in under 12 minutes.
- If you are getting out of your car to pick up/drop off your child, please use only designated parking spots. Otherwise this "clogs" the flow of traffic.
- Place the "Parent Pick Up" tag on your dashboard to expedite the process. Additionally, you won't have to roll down your window (stay in the AC) to let us know who you are picking up (we will hand these out today at parent pick up). These signs are always available in the front office.
- Encourage your student not to walk past the gated area. Again, if we keep students under the ramada, they are in the shade, and the process moves quicker and safer (less cars moving in and out).
- Children should only enter the car on the passenger side, to avoid them walking out into traffic.
- Please do not create a "secondary" drop off/pick up lane through the parking lot. We do not have staff to cover this, and is a safety risk.
- Our West parking lot (staff lot) should only be used by daycare vans, GPS buses, and preschool drop-off/pick up.
Bus/VIK/Daycare
- This morning we went around to "tag" each students backpack to mark how they are getting home (picture below). Please do not take these off! Here are what the colors signify: Blue is for bus #192, Yellow is for bus #255 (Boys and Girls Club will ride this bus), Orange is for VIK, and Green is for a Daycare bus.
- Please note that if your kindergarten student does not ride with an older sibling, an adult must be waiting at the bus stop for the driver to let them off the bus.
- If a student is riding a bus home with a friend, they will need a pass from the front office. Please send our front office an email, or send in a note so that we can ensure that our students are accounted for.
Bike Riders/Walkers:
- Bike riders need to bring a lock with them to school in order to lock up their bike. While we do lock the gate during school hours, we have had bikes stolen or "mixed up" in the past. Using a lock prevents this from happening.
- Bike riders and walkers need to use designated crosswalks while around campus. Bike riders will need to walk their bike across.
- Parents that are on campus, should use designated crosswalks to ensure that a good example is set for our students.
Checking a Student Out Early:
- If you are picking up a student early, please be prepared to show an ID. The front office staff will compare the ID with our emergency contact list.
- If someone is picking up your student that's not on the "emergency contact" list, they will not be released (this is why the Annual Update is critical).
- The office will not call up students while you are in the car. This does not allow for a proper checking of identification, and often leads to students missing more class time. Your student will be called up to the front office, once your identification has been checked. Please plan accordingly.