SCHOOL HOURS
Parents are responsible for ensuring that their children arrive to school on time and get picked up from school within 15 minutes of the end of day.
Breakfast 7:30 am - 7:50 am
Bell 8:00 am
Dismissal 3:20 pm
Please be aware that between 7:30 am and 8:30 am, our primary focus is ensuring that all students have arrived to school safely and are actively engaged in learning; campus administrators are not readily available to meet with parents during these times. You may be asked to schedule an appointment for a later time.
ATTENDANCE
Regular school attendance is essential for student learning and language development.
The school day begins at 8:00 am. Students who are not in their classrooms at 8:00 am are considered tardy. The school year has 180 school days. In order for students to participate in clubs, performances, and field trips, a student must have 96% attendance and punctuality; they cannot have more than 7 absences, tardies, or early dismissals.
Students who are absent must bring documentation that describes the reason for the absence, include the date the note was written, dates of absence(s), and student’s name.
Parent notes may be used to excuse a total of 8 absences for the school year.
A student absent for more than 5 consecutive days due to personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s extended absence from school.
Excessive absences may result in a violation of compulsory attendance laws and the Student Code of Conduct. Such violations may result in the loss of course/grade credit, and/or court action.
ARRIVAL
Parents may drop off children through the Gym entrance on Virginia St. between 7:30 am and 7:50 am.
The Virginia entrance will close at 7:50 am; students who arrive after 7:50 am will enter school through the front doors on Gevers St.
In order to help build independence, parents may not escort students to the classroom. Campus personnel is available to guide and escort the younger students.
Please ensure that your children arrive to school before 7:45 am so that they have time to eat breakfast.
CAR DROP-OFF
Virginia St is the official car drop-off loop at Smith ES Students must exit the vehicle through the right side and be able to exit independently.
Do NOT park and exit your vehicle to walk child into the building.
Do NOT stop in the middle of the street.
Do NOT cut in front of cars that have been waiting in line.
Do NOT cross Virginia St; there is no crosswalk and is unsafe.
TARDIES
In accordance with Texas Education Code, students must receive a minimum of 75,600 minutes of instruction (TEC § 25.081) in a school year. Every minute that a student is tardy is a loss of required instruction; it is important that they arrive to school on time.
A student is considered tardy if he/she is not physically in the classroom when the tardy bell rings at 8:00 am.
When a student is tardy, parents are required to accompany their child into school, sign him/her in, and obtain an admittance slip.
Students who have more than 7 late arrivals will not be able to participate in clubs, performances, or field trips.
EARLY PICK-UP
Parents who need to pick-up their children before the regular dismissal time, must go to the attendance office, show picture identification, and check-out their child before 2:30 pm. Students will not be released after 2:30 pm. Please consider this information when scheduling medical appointments. Students who have more than 7 early pick-ups will not be able to participate in clubs, performances, or field trips.
DISMISSAL
Parents will need to park and walk up to the dismissal locations and form a line. Students will ONLY be released to individuals with the Dismissal Forms or authorized parents, guardians, and adults with a valid picture identification. Once teachers are familiar with parents, they may no longer require to see an identification; substitute teachers will always require picture identification before releasing children.
Dismissal locations will vary according to grade level:
PK, Kinder, 1st School Gym (Entrance on Virginia)
2nd,3rd, 4th, 5th Side Entrance on Virginia St (Where the Ramp is)
Students who have siblings will be released from the same location of exit of the youngest sibling.
Parents must provide teachers with written notice anytime their child will go home a different way than usual. If written notice is not received by 2:30 pm the day of, your child will return home the usual way.