Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival is from 8:35 - 8:45.  Children are not to report to school in the morning prior to 8:35am, unless attending the Breakfast program.

The parking lot is for staff only.  It is CLOSED to parents and visitors.   

In order to ensure the safety of our children, it is imperative that parents/guardians follow all driving regulations and obey local parking regulations, especially handicapped parking signs and bus drop off/pick up signs.  

Please do not block or park in the driveways of residents or the bus lane. Always use the crosswalks to walk across the street. 

Drop & Go takes place on Cambridge Avenue during Morning Arrival, which is from 8:35-8:45.  Our Drop & Go line starts at the fence line to the crosswalk and then down to the driveway.  Cars taking advantage of the Drop & Go line should pull up as far as possible along Cambridge Avenue. and avoid blocking the driveway to the school.  Parents are not permitted to use the parking lot for drop off. When the School Bus arrives to drop off our students, the yellow curb area MUST be free of vehicles. Staff members will be there to greet students and guide them to their arrival entrance.  Once your child is dropped off, please pull out so others can access the Drop & Go line.

At 8:45 am, the arrival doors will close.  Students arriving after 8:45 should use the Front Entrance and will be marked late.  Students arriving late must be signed in with a parent or guardian.  Notification will be sent when your child has reached 5 tardies.    

Upon entering the building, students will be supervised by Smith staff members in the following locations:

• Kindergarten & First Grade - Gym

• Second & Third Grade -  Lunchroom

• Fourth, Fifth & Sixth Grade - Outside Classrooms

Dismissal is at 3:05 at the following locations:

• Kindergarten & First Grade Students - Gym Doors (Door 4)

• Second & Third Grade - Front Door 

• Fourth, Fifth & Sixth Grade - Upper Grade Doors (Door 14)

Siblings: Siblings may dismiss together at the door for the younger sibling.  Please reach out to your child’s teacher to indicate this as your preference.  

Parents need to inform their child’s teacher regarding how their child will be dismissed after school - walking home, picked up by a designated person, or attending ALPHABest (the onsite child care provider)

Parents/caregivers are expected to pick up their children punctually at dismissal times if that is the arrangement that a parent has made for his/her child at dismissal. 

Those children who are not picked up punctually will be escorted to the main office by their teacher, and office staff will then proceed to call each child’s parents and emergency contacts to pick up the child.  

In accordance with Saddle Brook Policy #8601 Pupil Supervision After School Dismissal, a parent may request that his/her children not be permitted to walk home from school alone unless escorted by a parent or a parent’s designee.  Please thoroughly acquaint yourself with this policy as well as the accompanying form on Genesis, Request for Supervision at Dismissal From School for Pupils in Grades K-6.  Students will only be released to a person who is listed as an Emergency Contact in our Genesis system.  If the person is unfamiliar to our main office, he/she must show their ID in order for us to release the student.  If the person who arrives to take home the student is not listed as an emergency contact, the parent/guardian must submit a request in writing (via note or email) for the release to occur.