Greetings Standing Bear Families,

We are all getting prepared to welcome students back for the 2023-24 school year! The Omaha Public Schools District provides all necessary school supplies. Students should come with a backpack and have tennis shoes for recess and PE. The classroom teachers may put out a donation list once school gets going. Parents will have the opportunity to support staff and the classroom with supplies then. Just a few reminders and requests to make our morning and afternoon transitions most efficient. Please read this email in its entirety, as there is important information regarding the start of the year. Please carefully read and follow the dismissal procedures to ensure an efficient dismissal. We will have more parents picking up this year due to changes in district transportation. If we all follow the process, we will be able to dismiss quickly and safely.

• Staff will not be on duty until 8:30am. Please do not drop your student off until 8:35 for breakfast or to go to class. The bell will ring at 8:35am and the doors will open for students to enter the building.
  

• It is nice to allow parents to walk their student(s) to class on the first morning to ease nerves and get photos. We will allow parents to escort students the first few days if you feel you need to do so. However, we will ask that parents NOT escort students beginning Monday, August 21st. We love seeing families in the building, but we want to develop some independence also. We have staff in all hallways to assist students. If there is a specific concern you have please feel free to contact me.
  

• Please do not arrive at school for pick up prior to 3:55pm, once we get traffic moving the dismissal process is very effective, we dismiss at 4:05pm. It also makes it difficult for day care providers or parents picking up for appointments to get through the line to the front of the building. When parents come early and wait, we get backed up before we start and it is difficult for traffic to move through the line.
  

• Car Hanger Tags- This is probably the most important thing. Please have your car number tag visible throughout the entire pick up process. This will help us get your student(s) to you in a timely manner. YOU WILL RECEIVE A NUMBER HANGER ON BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT.
  

Detailed information about arrival and dismissal is listed below for your reference. Again, thank you for all you do! Standing Bear has the best families and I appreciate working with you all. It is going to be a great year!

Take Care

Stay positive, patient and flexible!

Sincerely,

Bridget O'Melia

When parents pull onto school grounds, outside staff will input your family number to indicate that you have arrived. Classroom teachers will get your student(s) ready to dismiss. How this works- We will enter your Family Number into a form, this will be visible to classroom teachers in the building and they will dismiss. Students will be dismissing out the main front doors staggered based on your arrival time. Students will NOT be dismissing out any other doors.

It will be extremely helpful if you let your student(s) know your preferred lane for pick-up. This will help them know to look for you in the main drive or the parking lot lane. Once your student(s) are loaded, you can pull out of the pick-up line to leave.

What you will need at dismissal:

• You will need to place your car hanger number on your rearview mirror so it is clearly visible to outside staff.

• You will need to pull all the way down to the front door (as cars move ahead, you move ahead) if you are picking up on the main drive, pull all the way down to the front main entrance or up to the vehicle in front of you. If you are picking up in the parking lot lane, you will still need to pull all the way forward. ALL students will exit out the main front doors.

• We will call your student(s) out as you arrive, continue to pull forward whenever possible until all your students are loaded.

** Kindergarten students- dismissal will remain the same for parents who walk up to get kindergarten students. If you are choosing to drive through for pick up, parents will still pull up like all other vehicles with their family number visible.

** Early Childhood will remain the same. Parents will need to park and come check out their child.

** Walk up parents- A staff member will be located out front, you can provide them with your family number so teachers are aware you are ready to pickup. You student(s) will then be dismissed.

** Each family will receive 2 car hangers. If you would need additional ones, please contact the office. It is imperative not to lose your issued designated car hanger numbers. Please clearly display upon arrive so there is no confusion to expeditiously release your child for pick-up.

WE WILL BEGIN DISMISSAL (ENTERING NUMBERS) AT 4:00PM. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE AT SCHOOL BEFORE 3:55PM TO PREVENT AN INITIAL BACKUP. The line moves very fast once we begin the dismissal process.

Thank you for everything!

Early Pickup for Students

If you are picking up your students early for a doctor appointment, etc please call the office ahead of time and we will have you child ready to go at the designated time. Parents will need to come into the office to check out your student(s).