Parent & PTA Information → Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Walkers
Children who walk to school or who are transported by parents are not to arrive at school before 8:40 unless they receive breakfast at school at 8:15 a.m. Dismissal time is 3:05. There is no supervision of students after 3:15 p.m. To ensure the safety of all children, we ask that your children leave the school grounds immediately after dismissal. If you need to pick up a child during the school day, please stop by the office and sign your child out. If you are bringing a child in late to school or after an appointment, please sign in your child and get a tardy slip for your child to take to their teacher.
Car Riders
Highland staff members are present outside during student arrival and dismissal to insure the safety of students. When dropping off or picking up students, please follow the directions of Montgomery County Crossing Guards and Highland staff members. Please reduce your speed and wait for a staff member to assist you in picking up or dropping off your child in the student car rider driveway. We appreciate your cooperation and flexibility during arrival and dismissal of students.
Kids After Hours
Kids After Hours (KAH) no longer resides at Highland ES. To make arrangements for transportation to the KAH site at Rock View ES, please call 301-989-0362 .
School Visitation
Parents are always welcomed at Highland Elementary School. Most parents attend parent-teacher conferences throughout the school year, but do not have the opportunity at that time to observe what children are doing in the classrooms. A great way to understand what is happening in your child's classroom is to visit. Please make arrangements with your child's teacher if you would like to visit the classroom. We ask that all parents, visitors, and volunteers stop by the main office and sign our "Visitor Book" and pick up a "Visitors Badge" before visiting classrooms. If you would like to make an appointment with a teacher or an administrator, please call in advance to schedule a time. This will avoid disrupting instruction in the classroom.
Volunteering and Parent Outreach
We invite parents to sign up to volunteer at Highland. Please stop by our Parent Outreach Office, across from the main office, and see Alice Tyler. Volunteering at Highland offers parents and community members various opportunities to assist the teaching and learning that occur daily. Adults can work with children in the classroom, assist teachers in preparing instructional materials, or assist the organization and distribution of materials in the Media Center.
Our Parent Outreach Office can assist parents in supporting their children's educational experience at Highland while also providing parents with many opportunities to learn about Highland instructional programs. Please look for announcements of Parent Outreach and education opportunities in the biweekly newsletter from Highland's Principal, "Highland Highlights."
Student Planners
Students in first through fifth grade receive student planners each year. The purpose of the student planner is to help the students with organization, study skills, and planning for homework. It is also a form of teacher/parent communication. Students are expected to have their planners signed daily by a parent/guardian.
Snow Days/Emergency Closings
Winter weather emergencies, such as snow and ice, may cause disruptions in school operations,
including the closure of school, a delayed opening or an early dismissal. The procedures used to address winter weather emergencies are consistent among all schools.
A weather contingency plan is in effect that will add student instructional days to the end of the scheduled school year and subtract days from spring break if schools are closed for more than five days due to excessive weather emergencies. We will continue to update parents as the Montgomery County Public Schools finalizes the schedule for making up instructional days lost due to emergency weather closings this year.
Public Announcements
Information about school operations is announced publicly as soon as possible on local radio and television stations and other media including the Internet:
Schools-Out.com on the Internet
MCPS Telephone information service at 301-279-3673
MCPS Public Access Channel 34
Local radio and television stations
If schools are closed or delayed, the announcement is made no later than 6:00 a.m. (or the night before if possible). If schools are closing early, the announcements are made by 11:00 a.m.
Closure of School
When schools are closed systemwide, all instructional programs and extracurricular activities in schools are canceled. Private day care providers in school buildings may elect to stay open if the facility and the central administrative offices are open. In extreme conditions, central administrative offices also may be closed.
Delayed Opening 10:40 a.m.
A delayed opening means that schools open two hours later than scheduled. All buses operate on the same delayed schedule and, therefore, the pick-up times are two hours later than normal. When elementary schools open on a delayed schedule, the following programs are canceled -- morning Head Start and EEEP classes are canceled. Because our kindergarten program is full day, kindergarteners report 2 hours later along with grades 1-5 at 10:50 a.m.
Early Dismissal 12:35 p.m.
An early dismissal means that schools will close 2.5 hours earlier than scheduled. All buses operate on that same early schedule and, therefore, drop-off times are 2.5 hours earlier than normal. When elementary schools close early, afternoon Head Start and EEEP are canceled. Our early dismissal time is 12:35 p.m.