Arrival & Dismissal

Arrival Time

School begins at 8:00am. Morning car line begins at 7:40am and ends at 7:55am. A warning bell will ring at 7:55am, and a tardy bell will ring at 8am. All students not in their seats by the tardy bell will be marked tardy.

Students may be dropped off no earlier than 7:40am unless they are participating in the before care program or safety patrol. Students arriving earlier than 7:40am will be marked as Present in the before care program and parents will be charged the appropriate fee ($10 per student per morning).

Dismissal Time

School dismisses at 2:40pm. Students not participating in extracurricular activities must be picked up at this time. Parents of students remaining on campus at 3:00pm will be charged for after school care ($10 per student per afternoon).

If a student is participating in an extracurricular activity which does not start immediately after school, the parent is responsible for arranging care and/or transportation for their child, or paying the $10 after school care fee for care provided before the extracurricular starts.

Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures

Note for siblings: Except for 3K, older siblings should go to the youngest sibling and follow their dismissal procedures. For example, a 2nd grader who has a sibling in 4K should go to the 4K dismissal area and wait with their sibling to be picked up. Likewise, a 7th grader with a sibling in elementary school should wait with their sibling and follow the elementary dismissal process.

This ensures that parents can pick up all of their children at the same time, allowing for a smoother dimsissal process.

3K Students

All students enrolled in the part-time 3K program must be walked into and out of the building by their parent. There is no car line for arrival or dismissal for this class.

4K Morning & Afternoon Car Line

• To enter the car line, pull in via the road next to the substation.

• Take the right-hand road and pull up at the side of the school buildings.

• 4K teachers will assist your child in and out of your car.

K-12th Morning Car Line & K-5th Afternoon Car Line

• Follow Fire Tower Road straight toward the Valorous Church sign, and follow the road around to the back of the church building, which leads you to the road between the playground and Building 4.

• Pull up to one of the cones with the flags. Students will exit and enter cars in between the two lanes - for example, if you are in the playground-side lane, your students will exit and enter your vehicle on the driver's side only. If you are in the school-side lane, your students will exit and enter your vehicle on the passenger's side only. All students will exit toward the middle.

• In the mornings, please have your child ready to exit the vehicle as soon as your car stops - seatbelt off, backpack on, and personal belongings gathered.

6th-12th Afternoon Car Line

• To enter the car line, pull in via the road next to the substation.

• Turn right and take the center lane to the front of the church building.

• After picking up your student, you will exit via the main exit, center to the church building.

Walk-Ups

To help us maintain a safe and orderly arrival and dismissal process, families are strongly encouraged to remain in their vehicles and use the car line. Parking and walking students to or from the designated area should be limited whenever possible. If you are walking up and do not follow the following procedures, you may be asked to enter the car line for the future.

• Mornings

Parents who park and walk their students to the entrance must:

• 1. Use the sidewalk along the side of the church and stop at the end of the sidewalk.

  2. Wait for a safety patrol student or staff member to signal that it is safe for students to cross.

  3. Remain at the sidewalk. Only students may cross into the school area.

Students who are dropped off not in car line must:

• Use the sidewalk of the church's circular drive.

• Wait for a safety patrol student or staff member to signal that it is safe for students to cross.

• Families are responsible for the safety of their child if they choose to not drop off via the car line.

• 4K and Kindergarten students must be dropped off in the car line or walk up with a parent or older sibling.

• Afternoon

Parents walking up to pick up their student should always:

• 2. 1. Understand that, for the safety of students and staff, the car line will be given priority over walk-ups. 

     2. Use the sidewalk along the side of the church. Stop and wait at the grassy area next to the sidewalk.

     3. Have their blue car tag visible and ready for verification.

General Policies and Procedures

Valorous Academy is committed to ensuring student and staff safety during arrival and dismissal. All families are required to follow these policies and procedures when in the drop off or pick up car line:

• Drivers should remain attentive and undistracted when in the car line.

  1. Cell phone use in the car line is prohibited.

  2. Drivers are expected to drive carefully and safely, and abide by all traffic laws.

• No parent or pick-up person may enter the school during drop-off or pick-up times.

• Students should only be dropped off at the designated areas.

• Staff members and members of the safety patrol will be present to assist students in getting in and out of cars.

• If it is necessary for the driver to leave their vehicle for any reason, they should pull out of the line first, then re-enter the line once ready.

• During dismissal, pull into the church parking lot to secure your child in a car seat.

• Do not allow your child to cut through the line of cars without the assistance of a staff member or member of the safety patrol.

• The school will provide car tags to be placed on the driver’s side of the windshield of your car. Have this tag in place before reaching the designated pick-up area.

  1. Students will only be released to those with car tags OR who are a verified pick-up person for the student.

  2. Only give your car tag to those who have permission to pick up your student. A car tag is permission from the parent that the person using it may pick up the student.

  3. If someone new is picking up your student, please let the school office know as soon as possible.

  4. Anyone who is not recognized as an authorized pickup person will be required to present a photo ID and may be asked to pull out of the car line while their identity and authorization are verified. If the individual is not listed on the student’s approved pickup list, the school must receive direct permission from a parent before releasing the student. Students will not be released until both the individual’s authorization has been confirmed.

Transportation and Student Drivers

Transportation

Valorous Academy does not provide transportation services to or from school. Parents will drop their students off in the designated area in the car line. No parents will be allowed to enter the school building with their child during drop-off times, with the exception of accompanying a kindergarten student on their first day, or accompanying an exceptional needs student, with permission from the school administration.

Student Drivers

Students must be fully-licensed drivers to drive themselves to and from school. Students may park in the school parking lot only. Student drivers are responsible for their own safety and the safety of those in their car while driving to or from school; the school assumes no liability regarding student drivers, their passengers, their vehicle, or any vehicles involved in an accident with the student driver. Students may not leave the school campus during the day without explicit permission from a parent, unless the student is 18 years of age or older.

Parents can give permission for their student driver to leave campus during the school day (for example, for a doctor’s appointment) by providing written permission via Class Dojo private message, emailing hello@valorousacademy.com, or calling the school office at (843) 548-8474. Students must sign themselves out at the school office before leaving and sign back in upon arrival back to the campus. Parents may also give one-time permission for their student to leave campus during the school day by calling, texting, or emailing the school office. Valorous Academy reserves the right to not permit a student driver to leave the campus during the school day, or to revoke the privilege entirely, at the discretion of the administration.

Maps

Please view these maps for a birds-eye view of arrival and dismissal procedures. Ensure you are viewing the correct map for your family.