Committed to Excellence and Success in All We do!

MISSION:

Dedicated to rigorous educational tasks that challenge and motivate students while always being focused on continuous improvement.

Dear McAllister Elementary School Parents and Guardians,

We are excited as we prepare to embark on the journey of another school year together.

We are ready for our hallways to be filled with all of our students once again. Their energy and love for learning is truly un-matched and is what motivates us as educators on a daily basis.

Our mission is to continue to create and maintain an environment that is safe, welcoming, and encourages continual academic, social, and personal growth for all McAllister Elementary School students. With this mission, our relationships with students and families are crucial. We know that strong relationships between families and educators improve students’ success both inside and outside of the classroom.

I believe open communication is vital to success of a school, so my door will always be open. I will be here to help with any questions or concerns you may have throughout the year. As partners, our students will continue to succeed!

Thank you for the opportunity to continue to work with you and your child!

Sincerely,

Heather Tucker

Principal

We know that class placement is crucial so we are always working on this piece until the very last minute. If you have not heard from your child's teacher by the morning of Monday, July 31st, please call the front office and we will be happy to share the name of your child's teacher with you.

If you arrive to the school prior to 4:00 PM on the day of Open House please enter through the cafeteria. Doors to the rest of the school will open at 4:00 PM.

Drop Off

• Drop off will be from 7:45 am until 8:00 am.

• Students will be walked directly to their classrooms. Please put a label on your child’s shirt with his or her name and homeroom teacher’s name,

• Students should be dropped off according to how they will arrive to school the first day to help them get familiar with the school.

• Bus riders- Front of school
• Car riders- Back carline
• Walkers- Walk to the front office door

Pick Up

• All students must be picked up from Kinder Camp as a car rider or walker. Please ensure your child's teacher knows which way he/she will be picked up.
• Car riders- Please utilize the car line that goes behind the school. ALL cars should utilize the inside lane. Please ensure you have your child's transportation tag on your dashboard.
• Walkers- Please meet us by the bike rack and bring your child's transportation tag with you.

Back to School Vaccination & Screening Events

Due to the number of students we have at MES and to ensure safety for all, students should be dropped off by their normal mode of transportation on the first day of school. Faculty and staff will be in place to ensure all of our students get to the right destination.

Open House is a great opportunity for you to walk the building with your child and show them exactly how to get to their classroom from their drop-off point. We will also be helping our youngest Wildcats through this process during our Pre-k & Kinder Camp on Friday, July 29th.

We know that Tuesday, August 2nd will be another amazing first day of school for our incredible McAllister Wildcats and we appreciate so much the support of our wonderful families!

This school year, starting after Labor Day, one week a month will be designated for lunch guests to give you the opportunity to eat lunch with your child.

Considerations for Lunch Guests

• All lunch guests must be on your child's white card.
• We ask for one lunch guest per child per visit due to space limitations.
• Please plan on visiting for lunch just one day of the designated week.
• Ensure you closely look at the schedule for designated weeks. We will only be able to accommodate lunch guests on the scheduled weeks.
• All guests will be required to sign in at the front office and wear a visitor's badge while on campus.
• All visitors will eat with their child at a designated area in the lunchroom. Due to space and safety, only your child will be permitted to eat lunch with you. Your child's friends will not be permitted to join lunch with you.
• No outside food will be permitted during your visit.

***Lunch guests will start being welcomed in September. The lunch guest calendar will be shared soon.

At McAllister Elementary School, we know that the development of the whole child begins with safety and security. It is only once these two components are well-rooted, that our students can begin to thrive socially, emotionally and academically. This is why at MES we wholeheartedly embrace a culture of safety and security for our students and staff members. We, along with the support and guidance of Bryan County Schools, take a proactive approach to keeping our students safe each day through a comprehensive safety plan, vigilant supervision, and regular safety drills.

As part of the McAllister family there are a few simple steps you can take to partner with us in increasing student safety:

1. Only use our main entrance to access the building unless instructed otherwise (i.e. special events, performances, Family Nights).

2. If volunteering or visiting campus, check-in through the main office and wear the provided identification badge at all times.

3. Have transportation tags and identification on hand when picking up your student.

Morning Drop-Off Procedures

PK-1st

Families with PK - 1st students will utilize the Dotted Line Traffic Pattern. McAllister staff will open the doors of the cars for these students. If you have a mixed group of students, please utilize this line if there is a PK-1st grader in the car.

2nd – 5th

Families with only 2nd - 5th students will utilize the Dashed Line Traffic Pattern. You will enter through the same lane where buses drop off students. Students should be prepared to exit from the vehicle on their own. McAllister staff will be out to assist as needed.

Click here for a larger version of the map.

Afternoon Pick-Up Procedures

All Car Riders

For all students, utilize the road that goes around the back of MES. After you pass the gate, traffic will sort into two lanes. If you are picking up any students in grades PK-1, you must utilize the "inside lane" (right). If you are only picking up students in grades 2-5, please utilize the "outside lane" (left) ONLY. Please utilize the same lane all year long even if one of your children are absent for the day.

Please have the appropriate Transportation Tag(s) displayed during pick-up. These Transportation Tags are what is used to call students out to the loading area and ensure that students are being picked-up by the correct adult.

Make sure that students know their car Transportation Tag number, which is how they are called from the supervised area to line up in the afternoons. If, for any reason, the Transportation Tag(s) is not displayed during afternoon pick-up, the driver will be required to check-out the student through the main office. A picture ID will be required.

Click here for a larger version of the map.

For the 2022-2023 school year, we will be going back to having Dependent and Independent Walkers as a mode of afternoon transportation. More specifics regarding each type of walker is outline below.

Independent Walkers

• Students must live in Buckhead East.

• A Walker Permission Form must be on file.

• Independent Walkers must be in grades 3-5.

• Younger siblings (in grades K-2) are only allowed to walk home independently when accompanied by older sibling(s). This must be documented on the Walker Permission Form. Pre-K students are not allowed to be an Independent Walker.

• If the older sibling is absent or not walking home at regular dismissal time, the younger sibling must go home another way.

• Multiple students from the same household must leave campus together.

Dependent Walkers

• Students must live in Buckhead East.

• A Walker Permission Form must be on file.

• All grade levels are allowed to be dependent walkers. Pre-K students are only allowed to be dependent walkers. (Students in grades K-2 can walk home with a sibling in grades 3-5.)

• These students are picked up by an adult who is listed on the White Card.

• The adult picking up the student(s) must have the Transportation Tag for each student being picked up that day. This will serve as identification.

• If an adult does not have a student’s Transportation Tag, the student should be picked up from the main office using a picture ID.

• Dependent Walkers will be dismissed from the bike rack on the side of the road closest to Buckhead East.

• School hours are 7:40-2:40. Students can be dropped off in car line starting at 7:05. Students should be dropped off no later than 7:35 so they are able to be in their classrooms and ready to learn by 7:40. If student arrive after drop-off is over, parents must sign-in their students in the main office.

• Any changes in a student's afternoon dismissal will need to be documented by a signed note sent to your child's teacher.

• Breakfast- $2.25 for students

• Lunch- $3.25 for students

We are very excited to have our volunteers back in our building on a regular basis! We will start welcoming volunteers back in the building after Labor Day.

In order to become a volunteer in Bryan County Schools, you must complete the Volunteer Orientation process. More information regarding how to become a volunteer will be sent out soon!

Our fall conference window will be in the month of October and we encourage ALL parents to sign up for a parent-teacher conference during this time.

We want to help support you and your child, so please reach out if there is anything we can do to help your child be successful at McAllister!

• Monday, July 31st 4:00-6:00 PM- Open House
• Tuesday, August 1st 8:00-10:00 AM- Pre-k/Kinder Camp
• Wednesday, August 2nd- First Day of School
• Monday, August 7th- Friday, August 11th- MAP Testing
• Thursday, August 31st @ 6:00 PM- PTSO Meeting/ Curriculum Night