Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Car & Bus Arrival
Keeping students safe is our highest priority. Riding the bus will be your student’s quickest way on and off the VFE campus. We expect over 200 students will arrive by car each day -- a tremendous amount in a small area. We encourage you to carpool with other families as much as possible. If more families have their children ride the bus instead of being car riders, we will reduce the number of cars on campus.
Car Riders: If you drive your child to school, we need your help making the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up as safe as possible. Please help us ensure the safety of your students by using the designated loop. And, please stay in your car until greeted by the staff.
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In the morning, 15 minutes prior to and until the start of the school day, there will be staff members meeting and directing students. For your child’s safety, please do not drop students off until staff supervision has arrived. Students must be dropped off at the curb in front of the school.
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If you arrive after the start of school, please park and walk your child to the office to check-in.
Car Pick Up at Dismissal
We need your help being good neighbors and maintaining safe driving conditions on Rhodes Lake Road near our dismissal time. The Blue Crew works hard to efficiently load cars while ensuring the safety of each and every child. We need dismissal to be done by 3:25 PM. And, we need to keep the traffic on the roads near campus moving. We need your help making this happen. PLEASE have your ID or Car Tag ready (the car tag serves as a form of ID when picking up students)
- Please do not arrive on campus before 2:50 PM. Arriving earlier than 2:50 PM blocks the busses from entering campus and creates a safety hazard. Please see the details below for your assigned arrival time.
- Please keep driveways clear on 188th.
- Carpool: One way the community can help with this is for friends and neighbors to carpool.
Having more families carpool, walk, or have their children ride the bus will reduce the number of cars entering campus, which should allow the buses to enter campus sooner, load sooner, and leave sooner. We appreciate your patience and support.
Car Tags
- If you are picking your child up, please hang your assigned car tag for the 23-24 school year from your rearview mirror with a student number facing out. This number quickly allows our staff to tell which child is being picked up and helps maintain safety. Numbers were given out at the Back-To-School Night or you can ask the front office for one.
- Like last year, we are implementing a staggered release based on car numbers. The staggered release should allow fewer cars to arrive on campus at the same time and keep traffic flowing. When the right cars are here at the right time, we can load 16 cars every minute. We are requesting that families maintain the following schedule.
- Car tags 0-150 arrive on campus between 2:50-3:10
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Car tags 150-300 get in line at 3:15
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Car tags 300+ and any one-off requests get in line at 3:20 PM
Walkers
Another way the community can help ensure arrival and dismissal is safe and efficient is for car riders who live within walking distance to use one of the safe walking paths to school.
Back Gate
Families that live in the Fennel Ridge/Bonney Lake Manor area can use the Fennel Creek Trail to drop-off and pick up their students at the back gate. Please help us be good neighbors and be mindful of where you are parking. Please avoid parking in front of mailboxes or driveways.
Families that live off Angeline could walk up the Fennel Creek Trail and pick up their students at the back gate. A staff member will greet students at the back gate at 8:10 am Tuesday-Friday and 9:45 am on Mondays. A staff member will supervise dismissal and verify adult identification at pick up starting at 3:10 pm
Front Gate
Families that live on 188th Ave Ct E are encouraged to walk with their children to and from school via the front gate. A staff member will greet students at the front of the school 8:10 am Tuesday-Friday and 9:45 am on Mondays. A staff member will supervise dismissal and verify adult identification at the front gate for pick up starting at 3:10 pm
Walking from Falling Water
As we shared in our August newsletter, we are still learning about how the new configuration of the Rhoades Lake/Falling Water intersection will impact arrival and dismissal. At this time, we encourage Falling Water families to take advantage of the bus. If you live in Falling Water and would like to walk to school through our front gate on 188th, please contact the offices as soon as possible.
Appointments & Dismissal Changes
If your student is taking a different route of transportation after school than their normal dismissal, to ensure the safety of your child, you must call the front office to let them know. 253.891.4700. We ask that you call before 2:30 pm as this helps get all our changes to the teachers in a timely manner.
If you plan to take your student out for an appointment or out early before dismissal time at 3:10 pm, please call us a few minutes before you arrive so we can get your student from class. Please park out front and come into the office to sign out your student. We do ask that you have your ID ready to go when you pick up your student.
If your student will be late for any reason to school, please park your car and walk them to the office to sign them in.