Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

Student Drop-Off / Pick-up

Arrival Procedures

  • All doors open at 8:00 a.m.
  • Prekindergarten students report to their classrooms.
  • All Kindergarten and first grade students arriving before 8:20 a.m. report to the Primary Learning Center (PLC) and/or cafeteria in the PLC for breakfast.
  • Students in second through fifth grade report to the cafeteria for breakfast or directly to their classrooms where teachers will receive them.
  • Students in sixth through eighth grade report to the Middle Learning Center (MLC) cafeteria where they will be supervised and escorted to class by security (5005 NW 112th Ave, Miami, FL 33178).
  • For the safety of all students, parents are not allowed in the building during arrival.  Parents are asked to drop off their children in the designated “PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP” area.  Please drive all the way down so as to accommodate the maximum number of vehicles.  Parking and/or leaving cars unattended is not permitted in this area. 
  • Unfortunately, parking is very limited.  The Doral Park Golf Resort has requested that cars not park across the street from the school.  Additionally, Miami-Dade Doral Police have requested that we not use the area for parking. 
  • The breakfast program begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 8:15 a.m.  Children are expected to be seated in their homeroom classes by 8:20/8:35 a.m. for the opening exercises.  Any student arriving after this time is tardy and must report to the office for a pass!
  • After 8:35 a.m., other than the front entrance, all doors and gates will remain locked for security purposes and the safety of the children.

Dismissal Procedures

To ensure the safety of students and staff during the dismissal process, the following procedures have been established according to the needs of students. 

  • Parent Pick-Up students will remain with their teacher in their designated dismissal area until picked up by a parent.  All students will be under the supervision of staff at all times.
  • Pre-kindergarten parents will pick-up their children from the classroom at 11:30 a.m./1:35 p.m. daily.  After this time, these students will remain with their teachers in the “PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP” area.
  • Students in Kindergarten, first, fifth and sixth grade will be picked up behind the school at Morgan Levy Park’s circular driveway in the “PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP” area (5304 NW 102nd Ave, Doral, FL 33178).
  • Students in second through fourth grade must be picked up by the circular driveway in front of the main campus in the “PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP” area (10415 NW 52nd St, Doral, FL 33178)
  • Students in the elementary campus with younger siblings will report to their younger siblings’ dismissal location and remain there to be picked up by their parent.
  • Students in sixth through eighth grade must be picked up from the Middle Learning Center (MLC) circular driveway in front of the school in the “PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP” area (5005 NW 112th Ave, Miami, FL 33178) unless they are taking the shuttle bus back to the main campus.
  • Students in sixth through eighth grade who are not picked up on time, will be taken to the MLC office and parents must go into the office and sign their child out.
  • Students riding buses will be escorted by their teachers to the bus area at dismissal for safe boarding procedures.
  • Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be escorted to the “PARENT DROP-OFF/PICK-UP” area by teachers to wait for parents.  Parents are not allowed in the building and are urged not to block the dismissal area in order to move the flow of student traffic safely.  Students not picked up within fifteen minutes after dismissal will be escorted to the sitting area directly in front of the main office.

Please be reminded that on Wednesday all students are dismissed at 1:50p.m.

Shuttle From MLC

A shuttle will be provided for students in the MLC to be transported to the main campus for after-school activities and/or if they have a sibling attending at the main campus.  Only students with activities and/or siblings in the main campus will be allowed to board the shuttle. 

Bicycles/Skateboards Dismissal
Bicycles/skateboards must be parked in the area provided on the school grounds.  All bicycles/skateboards should be locked.  In the event that it is raining, we urge you to return to pick up the bicycle/skateboard as soon as the weather permits.  Remember parents, the law requires children to wear helmets.  Scooters will not be permitted in the school. Children must walk bicycles/skateboards on the school grounds and on the sidewalks adjacent to the school.  The school will not be liable for bicycles, skateboards, or any items that are stolen. 

Walkers
Many children walk to and from school.  For their information and safety, review these ideas with them:

  1. The safest route to school and home.
  2. What to do if it rains.
  3. Friends they can walk with.
  4. Strangers in cars, what should they do?

Older brothers and/or sisters attending John I. Smith K-8 Center should not be made responsible for younger siblings in kindergarten or first grade at dismissal time.  The children in these grades cannot be kept in the classroom or the office until older brothers or sisters are dismissed at 3:05 p.m. Students may not remain in, or return to, the building after dismissal to wait for friends. 

UNDER NO CURCUMSTANCES SHOULD ANY STUDENT REMAIN IN THE BUILDING OR RETURN TO THE BUILDING AFTER DISMISSAL.  ALL STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LEAVE SCHOOL GROUNDS WITHIN 15 MINUTES FOLLOWING DISMISSAL TIME, EXCEPT FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN THE AFTER-SCHOOL CARE PROGRAM.

RAINY DAY DISMISSAL

It is most important that all children understand the plan for rainy days.  These plans must be made in advance with your child so that he/she understands exactly what to do in the event of inclement weather.  Children will not be allowed to call home to make any rainy day arrangements. 

  • Parents will be able to park and come to the exit doors of the dismissal locations. 
  • We will have a portable mic/sound system available at the exit doors and designated staff will call the students.
  • Once you give the name of the child to the person calling the students, please step aside for other parents to give their child’s name.
  • Older siblings will report to their younger sibling’s classroom. They will remain in the class and follows the procedures for the grade level of the younger sibling. 
  • Walkers will report to the cafeteria and will be dismissed once the weather allows for a safe dismissal. If alternate plans can be made to pick up your child, please inform your child’s teacher.

Parent pick-up will be as follows:
BACK OF THE SCHOOL DISMISSAL – MORGAN LEVY PARK:
Parents may park at the Morgan Levy parking lot and walk to the door of the PLC to pick up the K & 1 and 5th and 6th grade students.

FRONT OF THE SCHOOL – MAIN ENTRANCE  
Parents may park at the visitor’s parking lot in the front of the school and walk to the main entrance doors to pick up the PreK and 2nd – 4th grade students. 

Early Dismissal

Parents must report to the office to receive children who are to be dismissed prior to dismissal times.  Students cannot be dismissed early from their classrooms without approval from the office staff.  Office personnel will call for students; parents/guardians are responsible for signing students out after showing proper identification.  (K-1st gr; students may not be picked up early after 1:20pm; grades 2–8 students may not be picked up early after 2:30pm).  Please note that students will only be released to the persons listed on the Emergency Contact Form which is completed by the parents and kept in the office. 

In the case of divorced or separated parents, the enrolling parent shall indicate on the Emergency Student Data Form the individual(s) to whom the student may be released during the school day.