School Safety, Arrival, and Dismissal

School Safety
During the school day, no child is left alone or unsupervised outside the building or in the classroom. Pre-K students are escorted by an adult in the hallways at all times. K-5 students are escorted by an adult or have a hall pass. The school conducts monthly fire drills. severe weather drills, lock-down drills, and bus evacuations are practiced annually. During the 2025-26 school year, we plan to conduct two lock-down drills with WCPSS Security and local law enforcement.

Before and After School Child Care Programs
For a fee, childcare is available at Poe between the hours of 7:00 - 8:35 AM and 3:35 to 6:00 PM. Options are available for families to select days of the week for before and after school care. Please contact our front office for more information. Monthly fees are collected in advance each month. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Poe GT/AIG Basics Magnet Elementary School.” Contact Sally Register with questions or for an application at sregister@wcpss.net. Registration packets are also available for download on the Poe website. 

Arrival
Students should be in their classrooms by 9:05 AM for the start of the school day. Students arriving after 9:05 are marked tardy.

Morning Carpool Procedures

· Enter the school driveway slowly, and drive through the back parking lot behind the gym and around to the front of the gym. Students will be dropped off in front of the gym between 8:35 and 9:05 AM. Do not allow your child to leave the car until a staff member is present.

· Children should exit the car from the passenger side so they are clearly visible to staff members on duty.

· Students must exit cars within two car lengths of the staff member on duty. Please have students ready to exit the car so the line can move efficiently.

· Please be patient and refrain from passing other cars in the parking lot, as it creates an unsafe situation for our students.

· Breakfast will be served to students who are in line between 8:35 and 8:55 AM.

· If you need to walk in with your child, please park in the front or back parking lot (there is NO parking on Peyton Street).

· Children should not be dropped off on Peyton Street.

· Please hold your child’s hand when walking through the parking lot and park only in a designated parking spot.

· Do not drop your child off in the bus loop.

· Parents/Guardians who drop off their child(ren) after 9:05 AM and do not come in to sign in their child will be contacted to return to school.

Walking Procedures
Walkers “walk” to school. Students MUST NOT be dropped off on Peyton Street and walk to school. If you are driving your child to school, use the carpool loop. Walkers will enter the school grounds using the sidewalk and crosswalk in the front of the school.

Bus/Van Procedures
Bus and van riders are dropped off in the bus loop and supervised by staff members

Dismissal
The school day at Poe ends at 3:35 PM. Students may not be checked out after 3:15 PM without administrator approval in advance. This expectation promotes safe dismissal procedures and ensures that all staff members and students are prepared for the end of the day.

Walkers — Walkers will be dismissed from the cafeteria. All K-1st grade students will only be dismissed to a parent/guardian or family member approved by a staff member.

Van Riders/Bus Riders — Van/bus riders are supervised in the building until the bus/van arrives in the bus loop. Students are supervised while boarding the van/bus.

· All students must display a district bus tag to board the school bus or van. The bus tag should be attached to the student’s bookbag.

· Transportation routes and the designation of bus stops are the responsibility of the central administration through the area bus supervisors. If you have questions or concerns about transportation, call (919)856-7916. We do not manage bus routes or stops at the school level.

Car Riders - To pick up a child by car, please enter the carpool line by the gym. We will not release carpool students from the office, lobby, or cafeteria walk line during dismissal. When picking your child up in the afternoon carpool, please be patient. Cars are expected to line up in the carpool lane between 3:35-3:50 PM. Please follow staff member directions. Students will load on the passenger side (right side) of the car. Refrain from using your cell phone during carpool and in the Poe parking lot.

· Two 2024-25 carpool tags will be issued to each family. A carpool tag must be displayed and visible to Poe staff members during dismissal. Please remain in your car and be prepared to show identification IF you do not have your carpool tag displayed.

· Please do not try to cut into the carpool line or turn left into the parking lot from Peyton Street. Please turn RIGHT into the parking lot from Peyton Street. This keeps traffic flowing.

· When leaving the parking lot, please turn right onto Peyton Street. Turning left out of the parking lot during that time is discouraged for safety reasons. Please be aware, students walking are crossing the street and driveway throughout dismissal

Safe and Efficient Dismissal Expectations

· Please refrain from checking students out early after 3:15 PM unless approved by an administrator. We understand that occasional appointments arise and we will work with your schedule.

· Please call in all transportation changes before 3:00 PM. Transportation changes should be made through the main office at 919-250-4777.

· If your child is riding home with a friend, please send a written note to your child’s teacher. Only students assigned to a bus route are allowed to ride a bus. Bus riders are not allowed to invite friends home on the school bus.

· In the absence of a written note, students are sent home by their usual transportation.

School Closings
School closings due to inclement weather conditions are announced by the Wake County Public School System. WCPSS will send a family message through School Messenger informing of all school closures, delays, or early releases. Please listen to local news broadcasts or check the Wake County Public School website www.wcpss.net for up-to-date information. In the event of early closing, every attempt will be made to notify parents by phone. Make sure the school has all of your current phone numbers, including home, mobile, and work.

Express Bus Transportation
The Wake County Public School System offers Express Bus transportation for magnet students to shorten ride times. Most of the stops are located on the campus of another WCPSS school. Please be mindful of the guidelines below:

· In the morning, students should remain in the car with an adult until the bus arrives at the assigned stop.

· Family members should arrive at the established bus stop 10 minutes prior to the pick-up time.

· The bus stops only at the assigned stop. If you miss the bus, you must drive your child to school.

· In the afternoon, parents should be at the express stop 10 minutes prior to the assigned drop-off time.

· To ensure the safety of all children, please gather your child immediately so we know all students are picked up.

· Students must respect the host campus.

ALL kindergarten-first graders must have a parent/guardian waiting at the bus stop. If an adult is not present at the bus stop, all kindergarten and first graders will be returned to school. Express bus riders will not be released from the bus without a parent/guardian present at the stop.