2021-2022 Concord Elementary Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
The safety of students is our number one priority and it takes staff and families working together to ensure the safety of our students. It is important that the following arrival and dismissal procedures are followed daily for the 2021-2022 school year. This will be the second year that walkers will be able to use the sidewalk from McKaig Ave. It is important to review the procedures for walkers.
Bus Information - Bus Route Finder
Bus information about student drop off and pick up is located on the district website. Please use the following link (Click Here) to identify bus pick up/drop off times and locations. It is important to communicate any changes with Troy's transportation department as soon as possible. We use current transportation information as our guide to place students on the correct bus at the end of the day. Any changes in family busing arrival and dismissal plans must be communicated with transportation each year. It is also important to communicate with transportation and homeroom teachers if you plan not to use busing. Adjustments from last year, such as babysitter drop off locations, do not apply to this year's busing plan. Parents need to update transportation each year of any babysitter arrangements that affect pickup or drop off. We use current addresses to determine busing assignments for morning and afternoon transportation. The phone number for Troy City Schools transportation department is 937-332-6090.
Arrival Procedures:
By Bus:
Concord has a total of ten buses that service our Concord students. Due to a federal health mandate requiring masks on public transportation, students will need to wear masks at all times on buses. We appreciate our families’ cooperation with this, as we want our bus drivers’ main focus to be safely driving our students to school rather than looking back to remind students to wear their masks. Students will have assigned seats on buses. Unless state or district guidelines change, bus drivers will create seating charts based on grade levels with younger students centralized toward the front and older students in the back. At 8:45 A.M, Concord staff members will have students exit the bus, from front to back.
By Car:
Concord Elementary will start accepting drop-off students at 8:30 AM. We are asking all families to turn right off of OH 718 into the Concord drop-off loop, and then also to exit right back onto OH 718. Left hand turns in and out of Concord will dramatically slow the flow of traffic. Students must be dropped off curbside; parents cannot park and walk their child up to the main doors. In an effort to get as many cars as possible off OH 718, we plan to use the side parking lot as an extra loop around, only when it is needed. Students will only exit cars though once they are in the unloading area (along the front sidewalk in front of the building-where multiple staff members will be to monitor and assist students as they exit their vehicles). Students will walk in the main doors of Concord.
Walkers:
Students who are connected to the sidewalk off Mckaig Ave. and have been communicated with by the transportation department will be able to walk to school each day. Students are not permitted to walk from Stonebridge Meadows due to the dangers of crossing 718. Students will continue to be bussed to Concord Elementary from Stonebridge Meadows. Our doors will open at 8:30 AM for students who are walking to school. Students should not arrive before 8:30 AM. If you plan on walking with your child please drop them off at the edge of Concord Elementary property and Mckaig Ave. Students will finish the short walk to the building and staff members will be outside to monitor students. The following are some safety tips for students who are walking to school.
Safety Tips:
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Parents should plan a safe route
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Don’t take shortcuts
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Young children should walk with an adult
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Older students should walk with a friend
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Don’t push, shove, or chase each other when near the street
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Don’t take rides from people if it wasn’t arranged by a parent
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Wear bright-colored clothes
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Watch for cars at every driveway and intersection
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Stop at the curb or edge of the street.
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Look left, right, left, behind you, and in front of you for traffic, and don’t cross until the coast is clear.
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Keep looking for traffic until you are done crossing.
We are also working on a bike rack for our students and we will communicate when students are permitted to ride their bikes to school.
Dismissal Procedures:
By Bus:
We will dismiss bus riding students by grade level starting at 3:25 P.M. An announcement will be made for grade level bands to exit and load starting with fifth graders. When students load their bus, they will sit in the same assigned seats from their morning experience. Buses will depart for home once all bus riders are loaded and communication from the pick up zone area verifies that all is clear.
By Car:
We will start the dismissal process at 3:20 PM. Students that are pick-ups will be asked to exit to the front of the building. There will be multiple staff members out front to monitor students. Students will stay in their designated grade level waiting zones. Staff members will have radios in order to retrieve students and have them ready to load as the parent nears the loading area. To speed up the line, parents will be asked to place a name card in their front windshield. It notifies us of the last name of the student (s) you are picking up as you approach the loading zone. This greatly assists with this process. Parents-please use the drive through pick up process; we will not be able to have parents park and stand outside the door for their child to exit. Similar to the morning drop off process, the large side parking lot will be used as an additional looping area in order to lessen traffic congestion on OH 718. Students will only load into their vehicle once it is in the loading area (along the main sidewalk where staff members are monitoring). We are asking our families to try every effort to turn right into Concord and turn right back onto OH 718 to lessen congestion. To help with the flow of traffic we are also asking families to stagger dismissal times with the following pick up times:
If you only have students in grades 3-5 - 3:20-3:25 P.M.
If you only have students in grades K-2 - 3:25-3:30 P.M.
If you have students in both grade bands ( K-2 AND 3-5) - 3:35 P.M.
Walkers:
Students who are connected to the sidewalk off Mckaig Ave. and have been communicated with by transportation/Board of Education will be able to walk home from school each day. Students are not permitted to walk home to Stonebridge Meadows due to the dangers of crossing 718. Students will continue to be bussed to Concord Elementary from Stonebridge Meadows. Walkers will be dismissed at 3:20 PM each day. If you plan on meeting up with your child, please wait for them at the edge of Concord Elementary property and McKaig Ave. We cannot have parents waiting outside our doors this year due to the flow of student car pick ups and drop offs.
Thank you for your cooperation in supporting this safety plan. Again, it takes staff and families working together to ensure the safety of our students.