Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Absences / Attendance
If a child is going to be tardy or absent from school, please call the office by 9:00 AM. Calling the office saves a tremendous amount of time when verifying your child’s absence. Calling the office eliminates the need for you to send in a note to explain your child’s absence. If you do not call in, please send in a note to your child’s teacher when they return. Please see district attendance policy for information on absenteeism related to truancy.
Instructional Start Time: 8:35 am
AM Tardy: 8:36 am - 9:35 am
AM Absence: 9:36 am - 12:00 pm
PM Absence: 12:00 pm - 2:35 pm
PM Tardy: 2:36 pm - 3:35 pm
End Time: 3:36 pm
Attendance Line: 248.328.3614
Attendance is taken twice daily in the school day (Morning and Afternoon). Students arriving within the first hour after the start of the school day will be marked tardy and those who arrive after one hour from the start of the school day will be marked absent for the morning. Students leaving prior to one hour from the end of the school day will be marked absent and those leaving within one hour of the end of the school day will be marked tardy for the afternoon. Please do not ask to have students dismissed in the last few minutes of the day unless you have an emergency or necessary appointment, which requires early dismissal.
*Absences due to vacation for extended periods are not encouraged. Classroom learning experiences often cannot be recreated outside of the school day, as learning is social, interactive and hands-on. Please understand that alternative assignments are typically not provided.
State law requires attendance in school. Absences of more than 10% per year will be considered excessive and may be referred to the Oakland County truancy officer. At the truancy officer’s recommendation, some truancy cases may proceed to a court hearing if necessary. Excessive absences may also result in a student being retained at the present grade level for the following school year. Please call the attendance line if your child will be absent. For extended absences, a doctor’s note may be needed.
Make-up Work for Absences
In most cases, students will be given an opportunity to make up work when they return. For extended absences contact the school. Please allow 24 hours notice for teachers to gather materials. We ask that you not leave a request for make-up work on the attendance line. Please call the office to make these arrangements.
Arrival
First bell rings 15 minutes before the start of the school day (instructional start time). There is NO Staff Supervision before that time. Students arriving at school prior to this time, please utilize our Latch Key Program or make arrangements for before school daycare.
Bike Riders
Students must be in grades 3, 4, 5 to ride their bicycle to school. Special permission may be granted to students in Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade. This permission will be granted on an individual basis and will require a letter from the parent, to be kept on file in the office. Please call the office, 248-328-3600, to make these arrangements. We encourage you to have your child lock and secure their bike when they arrive. Holly Elementary is NOT responsible for stolen or damaged bicycles.
Bus Students
Morning bus drop off is at 8:20 AM. Buses pull up in front of the building to allow students off the bus. Students walk directly to breakfast or their classroom.
Carline Drop Off
Parents drop students off at the East wing entrance. Students walk directly to pick up breakfast or their classrooms. Do not drop students off in front of the school unless you are planning to park your car and come in to school. This entrance is for bus drop off only and can be dangerous when crossing the parking lot.
Dismissal
All Parents are asked to cooperate and follow our dismissal procedures.
1. For the safety and security of all students, we ask that all parents wait outside.
2. For the safety of our students, we ask that parents have a normal daily routine for their child. Each year we ask for a 5-day per week plan. This information will be added to their emergency information in Skyward and an email is sent to their teacher. If you need to alter this routine, please send in a note to the teacher or contact the school office at 248-328-3600 . It is important you call before 3:00 PM so the message can be given to the student in a timely manner.
3. Students leaving school early are dismissed from the office. For the safety of all children, we cannot allow individuals to go directly to classrooms.
4. If you are walking to school to pick up your child, weather permitting; please wait outside, in front of the library. This will help with the congestion at the main entrance.
5. Please have a plan for your child should he/she arrive home and find no one there.
Parking Lot Safety
Parents picking up or dropping off should enter “ Car Line Drive” from Elm Street and drop off/pick up their children at the end of the East Wing. Do not exit your car. If you need enter the building, please park in the front lot on the south side utilize the main entrance. For the safety of all students, parents must accompany their child across any road to a vehicle. Students are not allowed to cross “Car Line Drive” to any vehicle. At dismissal, the main entrance is for walkers and bus students only. We are exiting students as quickly as possible. If you are opting to pick up your child, for their sake, please be courteous and patient. When we work together it only takes about 10-15 minutes to get everyone safely into cars. Thank you for your cooperation.