Parents Request to school for early dismissal?

[3LittleGymmies]

Our school starts dismissal at 3:35, but the children can not actually leave the building until 3:50 when they are sent to either the car line or buses. It's not an exact science, so sometimes it's more like 4:00. We switched to a new gym toward the end of last school year that is 31 miles away - but with traffic at that time of day, it takes an hour to get there on a GOOD day, but more often than not, an hour and a half or even two hours sometimes if it's bad weather or there is an accident, etc. We were barely making it there and my daughter was always stressed out about the rushing. She is a super organized, Type A kind of kid - aren't all gymnasts? Now we have another one one team, so we are doing this drive four out of five school days. Unfortunately, they bumped practice time up to 5:00 and there is just no way we will ever get there on time (something they are very strict about). I was thinking about asking the school if they could release a little early on practice days. Maybe 3:30... but then I am worried that the teachers will be distracted with regular dismissal and forget, or the girls will get distracted with end of the day announcements, etc. and forget. So maybe 3:15? I know that they don't like for you to sign your child out in the last 20 minutes of the day, nor do I think they would appreciate me signing them out almost every day... although I am not sure there is a rule against it. If you asked for early dismissal, how exactly did you word your request? And what kind of response did you get? I am not sure if it matters, but they are going into 1st and 4th grades.

 

[bogwoppit]

Did you speak to the gym? They moved the time, perhaps it can be moved back.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

I don't think they will move it back just for us, and I wouldn't expect them to. I think that only our family and one other come from so far. Most live within about 30 minutes including traffic and the schools in that county release earlier.

 

[suebee]

Do you know the procedure for dismissal at your kids' school? If you do, you might be able to come up with a specific suggestion that would work best for everyone.

At my kids' elementary school, the "get ready" bell rings 5 minutes before the dismissal bell. From volunteering in my kids' classrooms, when the get ready bell rings, the kids all put away all their stuff in their classroom, put their chairs on their desks, and then go to their lockers, get their coats and backpacks, bring them back to the classroom, put their stuff they need in the backpacks, and then wait in their classroom for the dismissal bell.

When the dismissal bell rings, the kids go to one of 3 designated places: car line (one entrance), walker line (a different entrance) or bus line (same entrance as walker liner, but separate spot). It takes them several minutes for all the kids to get to where they're supposed to be.

Walker line is dismissed first, and then after walkers clear past the school property (about 5 minutes), bus line is dismissed and after buses leave the property (another 5 minutes), then car line is released. Because of this, it takes about 20-25 minutes from when "get ready" bell rings to when car line starts moving, and then you have to get through the car line.

My kids' school is pretty laid back and while we've not had to do this on a regular basis, the school would have no problem if I told them I wanted kids to come to main office as soon as they got their stuff after get ready bell (usually kids are waiting in their classrooms for at least a few minutes after they're ready and the dismissal bell) to beat the traffic, so to speak, and I would meet them there and take them out the door and into my car to leave before the walkers are released (otherwise, once walkers and bus are released, cars can't leave the parking lot until they're gone), and that would save nearly 20 minutes. And they wouldn't even be missing any school. I have done this on occasion for doctor's appointments after school, but not regularly.

Alternatively, what we've also done is to have kids dismissed as walkers, because they're let out first, and to have kids walk across the street from the school and we're waiting there in the car to pick them up to take them. We've done that weekly to get to gym on time.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

Our school must have a similar procedure. They start dismissing them to their designated waiting areas... hallway for car line, cafeteria for bus pick up, etc. at 3:35... so I would assuming that they start packing up/etc. around 3:25. I would be the first car in the pick up line, but sometimes they still didn't come out until 4:00. I know that they don't like for you to sign them out in the last 20 minutes of the day.. but perhaps that is more for the occasional pick up's when the teacher is too busy to focus on getting one child down to the office. Maybe they will be more open to it if it's a daily thing. I hope... if they don't think we're crazy.

 

[suebee]

Our school's official policy is also to discourage early dismissals, especially in the last 20 minutes. That being said, in actuality, I've never encountered a problem.

I would probably say that you don't really need an early dismissal (to let the school know that you don't need/want your kid to miss any school time, which is what early dismissal means to me) but that you need an alternative dismissal plan that would allow you to leave the school as early as possible after dismissal to allow your kids to get to gym on time. I would probably ask them what they thought would be the best plan, if you're not sure exactly how dismissal is at your school. I'm sure they know how long dismissal takes, as at our school, the teachers take turns monitoring bus line, car line, etc., so the school knows how long it takes for car line to be done.

 

[bogwoppit]

For our school it is no issue missing for sports from a certain level. Gymnastics it is P3, or about L7, that it is okayed for. They offer academic support etc.

But for lower levels it would be discouraged and it would be considered an unexcused absence.

I know our teachers prefer you miss a whole class rather than disturb a class leaving part way through. So perhaps you could look at that option.

If you stay with the gym long term it is going to be an issue. At our gym girls came late and the coaches accommodated them. I am not sure I would be too happy with a gym that was not flexible for elementary school. Because school should be first. But that is just the way I feel about it.

Once a student hits high school and higher optional levels I think I would expect some flexibility but not so much in grades 1 and 4.

But your first step is to go and talk to the school and see what they will offer.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

A few years ago my dancing DD was put in a level where her classes started earlier (it was assumed the girls in it were middle school age... She was in 4th grade. Middle schools let out 50min earlier than elementary schools here). I simply asked her principal if it would be OK for me to pick her up early that day.He looked up what class she had at that time and knew her academic grades, so he had absolutely no problem with it since it happened to be a subject she could easily catch up on at home (reading). However.... This was one day/wk. all year, but only the one day.
Our gym emphasizes academics, and there is one school district who gets out kinda close to practice time, but the few kids in that school are just allowed to be late and do warmup by themselves as soon as they get there.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

I absolutely agree that school should come first. I would have a big problem with pulling them out even a full hour early. But 15 or 20 minutes does not seem like a big deal to me, but I am not sure how the school will feel about it. My daughter who is going into fourth grade has always had straight A's, so I am not really concerned about her work being affected. She is going to do one meet of level five and then go to level six. My other daughter is a new level three - but their practice days mostly overlap (thankfully!). Our gym's policy is that if you miss warm-up, you may not practice. We are planning to move closer to that area next year, so hopefully this will only be an issue this school year. It was definitely the right decision to switch gyms, but the commute part stinks .

 

[2G1B]

Ok, first, if school is out at 3:35, there should be SOME way for you to have them by 3:40. I would not be OK with it if the school wasn't willing to work with me on that. If the resolution is that you check them out at 3:25 each day then that should be fine.

For our school, walkers/walkup car riders are the first released. Then they start working with the bus and car riders.

I figured out after the first day of school last year (first time I had to deal with a practice time close to school dismissal) that walk up car rider was the way to go. I have to get to the school before the car rider line gets too long, otherwise, it is out in the street and there is no way to get into the parking lot. The bell rings at 2:15. I'm in the parking lot at 1:45. I'm out of there by 2:20 most days and when I leave they haven't even started with the car riders yet.

If I were you, I'd ask if there was some solution like that.

And, I'd also talk to the gym. When we changed gyms to one further away I was upfront that some days my kids would be late just due to logistics. I do my best; but there is only so much that I can do. I have seen that they get onto some kids who are late; but they have been true to their word that they don't get onto my kids when we are late. They have been understanding that we have a longer drive than anyone else in the gym and that sometimes it just isn't possible to get there on time.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Unfortunately that isn't allowed at our school at all. We dismiss at 3:45. You can not check out after 3:20 no matter what. You can occasionally check out early, but they will not allow regularly scheduled early checkouts. My dd's practice starts at 4:00 and is about 20 minutes from her school. They also do not allow you to park and walk up. So I have to get to carpool by 3:10 at the latest in order to leave the lot by 3:50 or so. And we are still 10-15 minutes late every day. Luckily, her coach is understanding about it because we just really don't have any choice in the matter. Another local school lets kids out at 3:15 for practice with no trouble. So I guess it all depends on the school..

 

[GYM0M]

We are not allowed to check out early either. If we do, the kids are counted absent from ALL of last period. Same concept if they are 1 minute late for school in the morning. It's like they missed all of 1st period. Last year was enough for us.....we will homeschool (virtual public school actually) this year! Starting tomorrow.

 

[profmom]

The end of the day is an important time for a lot of teachers to ensure that planners are filled out, notices are distributed, etc. It's also important for the kids to have a last chance to collect things up. It would put a non-trivial burden on both teacher and child to go through that process individually 15 minutes early. I would not worry about being a little late to practice for an elementary aged child who's still in compulsories. I'm sure the coaches will understand if you talk to them, and I'm sure she won't be the only one.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Wow, what s different system. Ours finish at 3.15, teacher chucks them out by 3.20 at the latest and they go home, however they travel.

 

[tuckfull]

I would talk to the principle and see what type of arrangement could be worked out - having them be first in line at pick up or whatever. It seems like you should be able to get them and go, since you said you could be first in car line. You aren't asking for them to miss school, just to be able to leave right away when they are dismissed. There are a few kids at our school who are dismissed "early" - when the students are gathering backpacks, etc and waiting for buses and walkers to be called, that handful of kids would walk to the office to wait for their parents to sign them out. This wouldn't work in every school of course; people could abuse it and the office staff wouldn't want forty kids hanging around in there! The few occasions we did this there (for a doctor appointment, not practice) there were only one or two other kids waiting.

Also, I remember when my DS was in second grade there was a little girl who had gym right after school and while other kids were gathering backpacks, she changed into her leo under her clothes. One less thing to do after her mom raced her to gym, lol!

 

[Frase]

Wow, what s different system. Ours finish at 3.15, teacher chucks them out by 3.20 at the latest and they go home, however they travel.

Unless of course it's chucking it down with rain then they won't be out till at least half past or until you are drenched through - whichever is the latest ;-)

 

[wsg13]

This is so different to the Australian system will in my town any way. All schools primary and secondary start at 9 and end at 3.30 give a couple of minutes some times. Keeping children after the bell like that would not go down well!

 

[OzZee]

Another who can't imagine kids taking 1/2 an hour to get out of school!
I won't be complaining when mine are the last out of class at 5 past anymore, lol.
But what a waste of time, we'd get no homework done if we were wasting all that time.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

I am not sure what takes so long! My kids say that they leave their classrooms at 3:35 and they go to the gym for parent pick-up and wait until their names are called. Kindergarten and 5th grade are called to the gym first, then 1st and 4th, then 2nd and 3rd. They said they wait for all of the car riders to get in the gym and then the person in charge goes out to the cars to collect the names and then they call them out in order of that.

It won't really be an option to only pick up my optionals daughter and not my compulsory daughter because they have the same days/start times for practice... two days a week one has practice and the other does not (one day for each).

Thank you all for sharing your insight and advice. I'll update with what the school says.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Unless of course it's chucking it down with rain then they won't be out till at least half past or until you are drenched through - whichever is the latest ;-)

But it's always raining at 3 isn't it !