With the addition of our gymnasium, all students can be dropped off at 7:30am in the gymnasium for supervised playtime until breakfast is provided at 7:45am. Students will be released at 8:00 to head to the classroom buildings. Please follow the specific guidelines for each group of students.
Elementary: Free breakfast is available in the cafeteria from 7:45-8:10. Students will be permitted to enter the building at 8:00a.m. Classroom doors will open at 8:15a.m. and classes will begin at 8:30. Students arriving to the classroom after the 8:30a.m. bell will be marked tardy. Kindergarten – 4th Grade Dismissal time is 2:45p.m. until 3:00p.m. 5th grade students are dismissed at 3:00. Typically, special Early Out days on the calendar will hold dismissal from 12:30-12:45 for K-4 and 12:45-1pm for 5th Graders.
Middle School – Free breakfast is available in the cafeteria from 7:45-8:10. Students will be permitted to enter the building at 8:00a.m. Classroom doors will be open at 8:00a.m., with classes beginning at 8:15a.m. Any student not seated in their classroom by the 8:15a.m. bell will be marked tardy. Dismissal time is 3:00p.m. until 3:30p.m. Special Early out days on the calendar will hold dismissal from 12:45-1pm.
Because supervision of students is not provided after the established dismissal time, elementary students who are not picked up promptly by 3:00p.m. will be taken to the office. Parents who are repeatedly late will be in violation of the Parent Contract and could be cause for dismissal from the school. PCS will contact the Palmetto Police Department to take students who are not picked up by 4:00pm. Habitually late pick up will result in dismissal from Palmetto Charter School.
Parents who pick up both elementary and middle school students should arrive at dismissal just before the end of the elementary dismissal time.
All students should be dropped off and picked up in the designated car loop. For safety reasons, students are not permitted to be dropped off or picked up in the staff parking area along the side of the Kids on the Rock Daycare/Preschool building, behind the PCS buildings.
For students attending breakfast, parents may also drop off students in the Church on the Rock parking area in front of the cafeteria. Elementary students under third grade should be escorted to the school by a parent or responsible middle school sibling from this area.
After the first few weeks of school, student safety patrols will be able to assist students being dropped off in the loop.
Parents wishing to walk their student to the classroom may park in the designated area and escort their child through the circle area. Parents may drop the student off at the double green doors. The students are responsible for the procedures of unpacking and preparing for their day and it is recommended that parents allow them to be successful independently. To start the day on a positive note, the teachers meet and greet each student at the door.
Parents waiting to pick up their student in the circle should not arrive at the dismissal area before 2:45 and should not block the path of the circle by parking along the side of the road, but rather should continue to circle. Parents arriving earlier than 2:45 should park in the COTR lot until the time their child is dismissed. Parents should not park in the designated handicap or “timed” spots unless they are complying with the spot restrictions.
Only those authorized to pick up students are allowed to do so. If someone other than the regular pick up person is coming to pick up your child, they must be on the approved list in your child’s file and must present a Driver’s license in order to pick up your child.
If parents are changing their child’s after school plans, it is mandatory that they contact the office before 2:30p.m. (same day) If known in advance, please provide a note in writing for the student’s teacher. Do not call the teacher and leave a message, as they may not receive it before dismissal. We need your help to make sure that everyone gets home safely, which is our first priority!
Dismissal cards (car tags) to be placed in a vehicle’s window will be issued to families at the beginning of the year. They should remain visible in your car for at least the first month of school. The cards will help staff learn to identify family vehicles and allow students to be ready when their vehicle has arrived to the pick-up area. If you are participating in a carpool, please request and additional car tag for your child.
Parents should not stop and get out of their vehicle in the pickup circle. If your child needs assistance with a seat belt or car seat, please pull forward to the first available parking space.
If an employee has a question of whether or not someone is authorized to pick up a student, the employee will ask the person to park and go to the office to verify their authorization to pick up the child. They will have to provide a Driver’s License. This requirement will also apply to any student who is picked up during the school day. Only those authorized by the student registration form, or clearly authorized by the parent may remove a student from the school. PCS has no legal right to withhold a student from a legal parent unless court-ordered restraint documents have been placed on file with the school.
PCS does not actively supervise the departure of 5th grade or middle school students. Parents should notify the school of any possible concerns regarding the safe departure and travel of their 5th grade or middle school student. Where possible, PCS will intervene to aid in the safe travel of students from school to home.
Please be patient during the first few weeks as PCS staff learns student names and the adults/ cars that go with each student. Please understand that PCS administration may need to make some adjustments after the year begins.