given new, later, start time, can I drop my 4th grader at the (closed) door at 8:30?

[Anonymous]

Asking about elementary schools' later opening time in Montgomery County: Can I drop my 4th grader in front of the closed doors at 8:30?
I have to get to work, and my new boss is a stickler for punctuality. Last year, when the doors opened at 8:30, I barely made it at 9AM...Now with school opening at 8:45, I worry.
My daughter is a responsible kid--heck, she's in fourth grade.
How much trouble will I be in for dropping her off at 8:30?
--Working mom who walked herself to kindergarten, 'way back when...

[Anonymous]

I can't imagine your school will be OK with that.

[Anonymous]

At our MOCO elementary school they expressly say you cannot drop off before the doors open. I very much doubt you will be able to do this.

[Anonymous]

Our 3rd grader walked herself to school last year. Is that an option?

[Anonymous]

I know our school says this too yet there are kids dropped of early every day (I wait with my child for a magnet bus at the ES). If you have to do it, I would stay with her the first day and see if she will have company. My guess is she will be waiting with a small group. Is waiting at the school different than walking to school alone at the same time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know our school says this too yet there are kids dropped of early every day (I wait with my child for a magnet bus at the ES). If you have to do it, I would stay with her the first day and see if she will have company. My guess is she will be waiting with a small group. Is waiting at the school different than walking to school alone at the same time?

Are you people crazy? Do you really and truly think that you are allowed to have your kids milling around the school grounds unsupervised BEFORE school doors are open.
The answer is no. That is why there is before care. Not being able to afford before care is one thing, that is perfectly understandable. But, isn't it common sense that school does not want the liability of kids wandering around on school grounds with no supervision.
Don't believe me, call the principal and see what she/he says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asking about elementary schools' later opening time in Montgomery County: Can I drop my 4th grader in front of the closed doors at 8:30?
I have to get to work, and my new boss is a stickler for punctuality. Last year, when the doors opened at 8:30, I barely made it at 9AM...Now with school opening at 8:45, I worry.
My daughter is a responsible kid--heck, she's in fourth grade.
How much trouble will I be in for dropping her off at 8:30?
--Working mom who walked herself to kindergarten, 'way back when...

Do you have bus service?
My 4th-grader will go on the bus by themselves this year, so I can make to work on time. Will give him cheap prepaid phone just in case for my peace of mind.
Responsible 10 yo can manage that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know our school says this too yet there are kids dropped of early every day (I wait with my child for a magnet bus at the ES). If you have to do it, I would stay with her the first day and see if she will have company. My guess is she will be waiting with a small group. Is waiting at the school different than walking to school alone at the same time?

Are you people crazy? Do you really and truly think that you are allowed to have your kids milling around the school grounds unsupervised BEFORE school doors are open.
The answer is no. That is why there is before care. Not being able to afford before care is one thing, that is perfectly understandable. But, isn't it common sense that school does not want the liability of kids wandering around on school grounds with no supervision.
Don't believe me, call the principal and see what she/he says.

THis!
We've been getting the emails already warning us not to do this, yet people do it anyway. It's unsafe and the school can't watch over your kids for free when the teachers are trying to get ready for the day. Honestly I don't know how the school handles it exactly. Do the staff walk right by these kids? Do they bring the kids to one of the classrooms because it's unsafe to leave them outside unsupervised?
Your plan sucks OP. We shell out for before care for this reason. I have to be at work at 8am. So either shell out for before care or see if you can drop your child with a neighborhood child who's also heading to that school. It pisses me off that I pay for before care and some people try to skip out on doing the right thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know our school says this too yet there are kids dropped of early every day (I wait with my child for a magnet bus at the ES). If you have to do it, I would stay with her the first day and see if she will have company. My guess is she will be waiting with a small group. Is waiting at the school different than walking to school alone at the same time?

I don't think so. If children are old enough to walk to school by themselves, then they are old enough to wait outside the school by themselves, or play on the school playground by themselves before school. That is certainly what children used to do.

[Anonymous]

Nope, school won't allow it. Can she visit a neighbor before heading to school? Or take the bus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

THis!
We've been getting the emails already warning us not to do this, yet people do it anyway. It's unsafe and the school can't watch over your kids for free when the teachers are trying to get ready for the day. Honestly I don't know how the school handles it exactly. Do the staff walk right by these kids? Do they bring the kids to one of the classrooms because it's unsafe to leave them outside unsupervised?
Your plan sucks OP. We shell out for before care for this reason. I have to be at work at 8am. So either shell out for before care or see if you can drop your child with a neighborhood child who's also heading to that school. It pisses me off that I pay for before care and some people try to skip out on doing the right thing.

Why is it unsafe?

And maybe the people dropping their children off don't expect the school to watch over their children. Maybe they expect the children to watch over themselves until the doors open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope, school won't allow it. Can she visit a neighbor before heading to school? Or take the bus?

What does "school won't allow it" mean? What will the school do?

OP's child is in fourth grade -- she's 9 or 10, not 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

THis!
We've been getting the emails already warning us not to do this, yet people do it anyway. It's unsafe and the school can't watch over your kids for free when the teachers are trying to get ready for the day. Honestly I don't know how the school handles it exactly. Do the staff walk right by these kids? Do they bring the kids to one of the classrooms because it's unsafe to leave them outside unsupervised?
Your plan sucks OP. We shell out for before care for this reason. I have to be at work at 8am. So either shell out for before care or see if you can drop your child with a neighborhood child who's also heading to that school. It pisses me off that I pay for before care and some people try to skip out on doing the right thing.

Why is it unsafe?

And maybe the people dropping their children off don't expect the school to watch over their children. Maybe they expect the children to watch over themselves until the doors open.

It's unsafe because the school will view themselves as liable, and if anything were to happen to this child, don't you think the parents would blame the school? Yes, they would. And the school knows that. Whatever, who cares about that point- the point is, the school says it's not allowable yet OP wants to do her own thing anyway.

[Anonymous]

No problem at all, OP. She won't be the only one!

She can read a book.
Make sure she's warm during the winter month, and that there's a roof she can duck under when it rains or snows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope, school won't allow it. Can she visit a neighbor before heading to school? Or take the bus?

What does "school won't allow it" mean? What will the school do?

OP's child is in fourth grade -- she's 9 or 10, not 5.

The school will call the parents. As to what happens after that, I don't know. But they will act on it.