Arrival/Dismissal and Attendance

What are the drop off/pick up procedures at Caruso?

Please respect all traffic signs and stay off your cell phone. You will see building administrators and staff out and about welcoming students and directing traffic. If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask. The key points for safety: obey the rules, be patient and respectful, and keep moving!

Additional notes regarding CMS traffic:

• Traffic moves clockwise around the building. Do not attempt to travel against the posted traffic flow.
• You can drop your child off at two locations on the drop-off path. They are the front doors, the 6th grade hallway entrance. Then merge your car left into the drive thru lane to vacate the premises. The 7th grade entrance is reserved solely for bus traffic. It is not a point that parents can drop off students.
• When buses are leaving the premises, cars must stop and yield! Also, please remember that it is illegal to pass a bus with its stop arm out.
• Carefully observe the “Traffic Controller” in the intersection of Montgomery and the entrance to the school. When school is in session, he/she will use a stop sign and hand signals and a stop sign to notify you when it is time to enter or exit the premises.
• The beginning of the afternoon pick-up lane is on the west side of the building. When your child enters the car, you can then merge left into the drive-thru lane to vacate the premises.
• After school is dismissed in the afternoon we begin holding traffic at the back of the building. This is done in order to allow the buses to make it to the elementary on time. Traffic will be released after the buses vacate their pick-up area.

Can my child ride a friend’s bus home from school? 

Yes, but only if your child is normally a rider.  If you want your child to take a different bus home, please send them with a note to the office indicating their normal bus route and the route they would like to ride home for the day.  They will then receive a temporary pass from the office for that day.

What happens if my child is tardy?

Students who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged because they miss starting the day with their peers and miss out on the instruction given at the beginning of class. This means that they are often unsettled and confused about tasks, resulting in reduced achievement, regardless of academic ability. It is also very important that students establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that is important to develop. 

Tardiness to school will be unexcused even if a family member brings the student(s) to school. Oversleeping, missing the bus, car/traffic problems etc. are all unexcused. Tardies are excusable under the following circumstances: personal illness of student, serious illness or death in the family, a doctor/dentist/professional appointment (a note or phone call from a parent or a professional), family emergencies, and religious holidays.

School begins promptly at 8:00 am.Students are expected to be in class by 8:00am. If students are not in the classroom, they will be sent to the office for a pass. The consequences for tardiness are as follows:

• Tardy #1: No consequence
• Tardy #2: Warning and a phone call home
• Tardy #3&4: Student will be assigned to the after school Reflection Room.
• Tardy #5: Return with a family member. A family member must meet with a member of the administrative team and the student to discuss intervention measures going forward.

Please note: at the beginning of each quarter students’ tardies will be reset to zero.