HIGHCREST HEADLINES

Please read below for important information about arrival and dismissal. There is also information about the bus expectations for the district included. We will see you in the morning!

It is important to remember to follow the traffic patterns at school so that we can ensure the safety of each and every student as they arrive and leave for the day. We expect all of our parents to exercise flexibility and understanding during arrival and pick up so that our students are safe, and so that our staff members directing traffic are respected and understood. They have all been trained and have been doing traffic duty for several years, so please look for their direction when entering and exiting the parking lot.

ARRIVAL: Supervision at HMS starts at 8:25 am. The closer you arrive to 8:25, the better chance you have of your child getting to homeroom on time, and you exiting the car line quickly.

Students arriving by car should be dropped off at THE DROP OFF POINT by Gym C. There will be cones to indicate this drop off point (shown in a blue box on the map below). Pull up to the cone and drop your child off as quickly as possible to keep the line moving. PARENTS SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR CARS during drop off.

Your child will be directed to head to the playground area of the school in back. In the event of inclement weather, your child will be directed to wait inside out of the weather. Staff will be on hand to direct your child to the correct spot and to ensure all students’ safety. In all cases, it is important to keep the line moving, and to maintain one line of traffic.

After dropping off your child, and exiting the car line, please turn right onto Hunter Road. This will help to keep traffic moving smoothly, and will ensure the safety of our students who might be walking to school. Also be aware of students crossing both at Hunter and Illinois, as well as at the crosswalk from the corner to the main walkway in front of the building.

Students who walk or bike to school should follow the path around the building to the supervised playground area (see map below). They will remain there until 8:40 am when the bell rings, and students enter the building. In the case of inclement or cold weather, students will be brought into the building to wait for the first bell.

DISMISSAL: School is dismissed at 3:35 pm. Students who are picked up by car, should exit through the front of the building and meet their car in the car line. The car line after school loops around the parking lot and utilizes the drop off area next to the visitor entrance. Please be patient in the line, and wait for it to move. We can not allow cars to bypass the line, as it creates an unsafe situation for our students.

For their safety, we ask that students stay on the sidewalk and wait for their car to advance to the front of the line. Crossing the parking lot causes opportunities for accidents and unsafe situations. PARENTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR IN THE CAR LINE.

When your child is safely in your car, and you are in the circle drive, please proceed efficiently out of the drive, waiting your turn in line. Exit the drive by turning right onto Hunter Road. Please also allow for the buses to enter and exit the upper lot, as it is important that they get on their routes efficiently.

Some families choose to meet their HMS students at a location away from the school drive. If this is your preference, please communicate that to your child clearly, and be aware of students who may be walking home or other cars who are traveling on the side streets. See the diagram below for more information about dismissal.

District 39 offers fee-based bus service. Parents may pay the bus fee at the district office 847-512-6000. Only students who have paid transportation fees or had their fees waived will be allowed to ride the bus. Students must show their bus pass to the driver each time they ride the bus and may only ride their assigned bus. There will be periodic bus pass checks throughout the year.

The purpose of having rules on the bus is to avoid the possibility of accident or injury. Riding the bus is a privilege, which may be revoked at any time if school and bus rules are not followed.

Student riders, while in transit or on the bus, are under the jurisdiction of the bus driver and subsequently the school district. Students are expected to cooperate with the bus drivers and follow all of their directions. All HAWKS expectations apply when riding the bus.

Bus Expectations

Students on the bus must follow all rules for bus behavior (See Below):

Please watch this short video that reviews these expectations, and review the D39 Transportation Handbook for behavior expectations.

If safety expectations are not met and unsafe behavior on the bus is reported, administrators will work with students to correct the behavior. After multiple reports, bus privileges may suspended.

More information on Bus Expectations is included in the Student Handbook that you will receive tomorrow.