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:  8:55 am
AM Tardy:  8:56 am - 9:55 am
AM Absence:  9:56 am - 12:00 pm
PM Absence:  12:00 pm - 2:55 pm
PM Tardy:  2:56 pm  - 3:55 pm
End Time:  3:56 pm
Attendance Line:  248.328.3700 Prompt #2

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

Bike racks are provided for students who ride their bikes to school. We encourage you to have your child wear a helmet and to lock and secure their bike when they arrive. Patterson Elementary is NOT responsible for stolen or damaged bicycles. Students should walk directly to breakfast or to their classroom after securing their bike.

Bus Students

Morning bus drop off is at 8:40 AM. Buses pull up in the South parking lot to allow students to exit the bus. Students should walk directly to breakfast or to their classroom.

Car Line Students

Please drop students off at the East wing entrance. Students should walk directly to breakfast or to their classrooms. Do not drop students off in South parking lot. This parking lot is for bus drop off only and can be dangerous for students crossing the parking lot.

Walkers

Please enter the building through the front entrance. Students should walk directly to breakfast or to their classrooms.

Dismissal

All parents are asked to cooperate and follow our dismissal procedure.

For the safety of our students, we ask that parents have a normal daily routine for their child. Each year we ask for parents to share with their child’s teacher what the child’s after-school routine will be for each day of the week. If parents or guardians need to alter this routine, please send in a note to the child’s teacher or contact the school office at 248-328-3700. It is important to call before 3:00 PM so that messages can be given to the student in a timely manner.

Students leaving school early are dismissed from the office. For the safety of all children, we cannot allow individuals to go directly to classrooms. Students are expected to remain in their class until the end of the day. Please do not ask to have students dismissed during the last few minutes of the day. When picking students up early give yourself enough time to come into the office to sign them out and for us to call them from the classroom. We will not have children waiting in the office for you.

The combination of children, buses, and cars in the parking lot can be very dangerous. At all times, please be cautious around our school. Our buses enter at the light on Grange Hall Rd., turn left into the south lot and exit onto Riverside Drive back to Grange Hall Rd. Parents are asked NOT to drive through or drop students off in the south parking lot, as this lot is reserved for buses. Curbside pick-up is the safest.

Parent Pick Up Area

An area has been dedicated for parents that walk or park their car and want to meet their child at dismissal. Please meet your child at the north/playground end of the building by the gated area just off the parking lot. Staff will supervise students until they have been picked up.

Students will not be allowed to walk through the parking lot without an adult. Do not leave your car unless you are in a designated parking spot. Please treat all parking areas with extreme caution and never leave your car unattended and running.

Car Line Pick Up

Parents that are using the carline to pick up their students are asked to stay in their cars and follow the line to where the students are waiting to load. Please place your last name sign in your front window to assist with loading. Students are asked to remain in our designated area until their ride is in the loading zone and can be assisted by supervising staff.

As a reminder, Rolling Hills  Drive is not a designated parent pick up area. There is no supervision for students at that location.

Walkers and Bike Riders

Students walking or riding their bikes will dismiss through the south doors. If you are meeting up with your child to walk home, please meet them on the sidewalk by our Marque.