EMS Information
Frequently Asked Questions
School Hours: School begins at 9:00am and dismissal is at 3:40pm
Office Hours: The front office is open from 8:00am - 4:00pm
Office Number: 602-449-4200
Attendance Number: 602-449-4201 You can leave a message 24 Hours/Day
Early Release: 1:00pm
Lunch Time: 11:39am-12:12pm
PE Uniforms: For more information, contact the Explorer Physical Education department. Physical Education - Explorer Middle School (pvschools.net)
Festival Sports: Athletics - Explorer Middle School (pvschools.net)
More helpful information
Picture day info for 2022 for ID pictures: Information coming soon.
Supply lists are given during the first week of school. Students should bring paper, pen and pencil on the first day as well as their lunch if they don’t plan on buying a lunch.
7th and 8th graders can access their schedules on infinite campus beginning August 8th.
There are no lockers, so students carry everything with them all day, including lunches.
Everyone (7th and 8th graders) eat lunch at the same time: 11:39 a.m. to 12:12 p.m. If a student has forgotten a lunch you can bring it to the office before lunch and place it on the cart in the lobby with their name on it for them to pick up at lunch time. Parents are allowed to bring lunch for their student only.
Drop off/pick up (school begins at 9:00 a.m. and dismissal is at 3:40 p.m.) Buses are easiest; if driving, pull into drop off lanes north on 40th Street from Deer Valley. In the morning, arrive early to drop off but no earlier than 8:30a.m. After school, arrive early to get in queue for pick up, make alternate arrangements, or wait until 3:50 p.m. when the traffic has cleared. Please be patient. Please be watchful.
PARKING. BE EARLY, BE RESPECTFUL, BE PATIENT.
Appointments: Any time a student is late, returning to school from an appointment, or is being pulled to go to an appointment, a parent/guardian must come inside the office to sign the student in/out. Bring photo ID if signing out.
Early release (“Half Days”) dismissal is at 1:00 p.m.
Instruments are stored in the band/orchestra rooms when not in use. Duty aides open rooms to store/retrieve instruments.
Parent/Teacher conferences are in the fall and spring. Information on in-person/online format will be disseminated closer to conference time. Fall 2022 conferences will be held during the week of October 24th, Spring 2023 conferences will be held during the week of January 23rd.
Check teachers’ websites for what’s happening in classrooms and Infinite Campus for grades.
Explore Explorer’s school website https://explorer.pvschools.net/. Particularly helpful information can be found under FAMILIES (such as bus routes, lunch menus, handbook, etc.)
Explorer PTO holds monthly meetings, which are a great way to stay informed and meet other parents. Most PTO meetings are held at 9:15 a.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at Explorer Middle School.