EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR DAY ONE AT DMES!

Welcome to Drayton Mills Elementary School! We are excited to welcome our students and families for a fantastic school year. Please review the important information below to help ensure a smooth and successful first day.

Arrival

Students may arrive beginning at 7:00 a.m. (please do not arrive earlier). Students are considered tardy after 7:45 a.m.

Registration Information

New student registration and completion of incomplete registrations will take place in the back of the school (car line area) from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on:

• Thursday, August 6

• Friday, August 7

Families may also receive enrollment assistance and teacher assignments during these periods. Students will not be permitted to enroll without completing registration.

Beginning Monday, all registration needs will be handled through the front office.

Bus Riders

If your child will ride the bus, please complete the transportation form available on our website.

Please note:

• Students may not ride the bus until transportation approval has been confirmed by the District 7 Transportation Office.

• This process may take several days.

• Transportation will not notify the school of bus numbers, so parents should communicate the bus number directly to their child and teacher once it has been assigned.

Car Riders

Morning car rider traffic will enter campus from the road behind the school, accessible from the red light on Skylyn Drive.

To help keep traffic moving safely:

• Pull as far forward as possible to the white line or the car in front of you.

• Do not block crosswalks.

• Students should be prepared to exit quickly from the passenger side of the vehicle.

• Please do not drop your student off on the outside perimeter of the campus. You must pull into the car line.

• Staff members will be available to assist and guide traffic.

To help prevent traffic from backing up onto surrounding roads, vehicles may form two lines as they enter campus and then merge at the cones using a "zipper merge" system, similar to the Chick-fil-A drive-thru. This process is designed to improve efficiency and is most successful when everyone is patient, courteous, and cooperative.

If Your Child Is Tardy

After 7:45 a.m., the car rider entrance will be closed.

Parents must:

• Park and walk their child into the front office.

• Sign their child in before going to class.

Please do not drop students off unattended anywhere on campus.

Walking Students In

Parents of 4K, 5K, and 1st grade students who would like to walk their child in during the first few days may:

• Park in Teacher Lot 2 near the car line.

• Use the designated crosswalk.

• Hold your child's hand while crossing.

• Check in with staff members stationed at the doors.

We respectfully ask that parents say goodbye at the door rather than stopping to meet with teachers, who will be supervising students during arrival. If you need to speak with your child's teacher, please schedule an appointment.

Beginning Monday, August 18, kindergarten and first-grade students should begin walking in independently.

Meals

All students receive free breakfast and lunch each school day.

• Students may bring lunch from home if preferred.

• Please do not send breakfast from home.

Breakfast and lunch menus will be sent home on the first day of school and will continue to be distributed monthly.

Dismissal

Students are dismissed each day at 2:30 p.m.

Car riders should be picked up no later than 3:00 p.m.

If your child's transportation changes, please notify the teacher in writing.

Bus Riders

The District 7 Transportation Office will provide bus stop information.

For safety reasons, younger students may not be dropped off without a responsible adult present.

Car Riders

Afternoon car rider procedures are the same as morning arrival procedures.

Please remember:

• Have your child's car tag displayed each day.

• If you do not have a car tag, you will be required to show identification before your child can be released.

• We cannot release students to "walk-up" pickups from the car line.

• Please do not park and walk up to retrieve your child.

The first few days may take a little longer as everyone learns the routine, but the process becomes much faster as families and students settle into the system.

Kids Club

Kids Club will begin on Monday, August 6 for registered and accepted students in grades 1-5.

Most importantly, please ensure your child's teacher knows exactly how your child will be getting home each day. This information is critical to student safety.

Communication

We believe strong school-home communication is essential to student success.

Please keep your contact information current so you receive important:

• Emails

• Phone calls

• Text messages

Stay connected with us through:

• Facebook

• D7 Phone App

• The DMES website

Additional communication includes:

• Monthly Principal Newsletters

• Weekly teacher newsletters

• Parent-teacher conferences

• Email communication

• ClassDojo updates

If you need to contact me, please reach out anytime:

Carla Cato, Principal

Cbcato@spart7.org

You may also call the school office at (864) 586-7979 between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on school days.

Get Involved!

We love partnering with our families and would welcome your involvement at DMES.

School Improvement Council (SIC)

Interested in serving on our School Improvement Council? Email: Cbcato@spart7.org

PTO

Interested in joining our PTO? Email: dmespto21@gmail.com

Volunteering

To volunteer in any capacity, please contact:

Amber Twitty, Parent Facilitator

AMTwitty@spart7.org