DCPS Cafeteria Drop Off

[Anonymous]

We are new to DCPS after having been at a charter for the last couple of years. The system for drop off at our school is to leave your kid in the cafeteria if you get there 10-15 minutes before school starts. We have to drop my child off a bit early because we have to top another drop off for my second child at another school. My question is- why is it such a total shit show? I can't tell who works at the school, it's totally disorganized and my kindergartener is totally overwhelmed and perplexed by the whole deal. Why don't they allow classroom drop off? Why aren't there plenty of adults around and available to direct parents and children? Is this normal for DCPS drop off? I plan on speaking with the principal about my concerns as a new parent, but just wanted to get some feedback about the process first. We are new so this all feels very foreign and chaotic to us.

We do have her enrolled in before care so she isn't just randomly hanging out (although kids are allowed to be there unsupervised after 8:20 bc they serve breakfast), but I feel terrible leaving her. Today I put her in the hands of the person in charge of aftercare, but he was just happy to have her roam around and find a place to be. I could tell it all made her very nervous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are new to DCPS after having been at a charter for the last couple of years. The system for drop off at our school is to leave your kid in the cafeteria if you get there 10-15 minutes before school starts. We have to drop my child off a bit early because we have to top another drop off for my second child at another school. My question is- why is it such a total shit show? I can't tell who works at the school, it's totally disorganized and my kindergartener is totally overwhelmed and perplexed by the whole deal. Why don't they allow classroom drop off? Why aren't there plenty of adults around and available to direct parents and children? Is this normal for DCPS drop off? I plan on speaking with the principal about my concerns as a new parent, but just wanted to get some feedback about the process first. We are new so this all feels very foreign and chaotic to us.

We do have her enrolled in before care so she isn't just randomly hanging out (although kids are allowed to be there unsupervised after 8:20 bc they serve breakfast), but I feel terrible leaving her. Today I put her in the hands of the person in charge of aftercare, but he was just happy to have her roam around and find a place to be. I could tell it all made her very nervous.

I think dropoff procedures vary by school within DCPS. For example, at my kid's school, cafeteria dropoff for before care is pretty low-key, and kids just hang out with their friends until bfast and then they go up to their classrooms. I guess for a new kid, this could feel chaotic if there happen to be high-energy kids around. But typically, it's fairly calm.

What school is this?

[Anonymous]

I imagine she will adjust pretty quickly, as will the other kids.

They don't have classroom dropoff because that extends the teachers day and/or cuts into their planning time (this is actually a good thing for your kid and her teacher).

It's only 10-15 minutes. Be grateful you can drop off early. Not every school allows it.

[Anonymous]

If you are a two parent household, be glad you have options.

[Anonymous]

Once you start to recognize people, they suddenly don't seem as chaotic to you.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad they have cafeteria drop off. I DO NOT want random people coming and going into my child's classroom. With cafeteria drop off, there are plenty of school staff keeping an eye on students. Classroom drop off may work at a small school, but if you really want to see a shitshow, implement a classroom drop off a mid- larger school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are a two parent household, be glad you have options.

What the heck does that have to do with anything?? I already said I am paying for before care. I'm not asking the school or anyone else for any favors.
Thanks for telling me what I should be glad about, super helpful.

I am just asking for feedback bc I don't want to be a complainer if this is typical of drop offs for others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once you start to recognize people, they suddenly don't seem as chaotic to you.

+1. It's just the second day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once you start to recognize people, they suddenly don't seem as chaotic to you.

That is likely true. Good point. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are new to DCPS after having been at a charter for the last couple of years. The system for drop off at our school is to leave your kid in the cafeteria if you get there 10-15 minutes before school starts. We have to drop my child off a bit early because we have to top another drop off for my second child at another school. My question is- why is it such a total shit show? I can't tell who works at the school, it's totally disorganized and my kindergartener is totally overwhelmed and perplexed by the whole deal. Why don't they allow classroom drop off? Why aren't there plenty of adults around and available to direct parents and children? Is this normal for DCPS drop off? I plan on speaking with the principal about my concerns as a new parent, but just wanted to get some feedback about the process first. We are new so this all feels very foreign and chaotic to us.

We do have her enrolled in before care so she isn't just randomly hanging out (although kids are allowed to be there unsupervised after 8:20 bc they serve breakfast), but I feel terrible leaving her. Today I put her in the hands of the person in charge of aftercare, but he was just happy to have her roam around and find a place to be. I could tell it all made her very nervous.

I think dropoff procedures vary by school within DCPS. For example, at my kid's school, cafeteria dropoff for before care is pretty low-key, and kids just hang out with their friends until bfast and then they go up to their classrooms. I guess for a new kid, this could feel chaotic if there happen to be high-energy kids around. But typically, it's fairly calm.

What school is this?

P.S. Before we started at our kid's school, we requested and got a tour of the aftercare program. That helped familiarize us with the before/aftercare staff and procedures quite a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are new to DCPS after having been at a charter for the last couple of years. The system for drop off at our school is to leave your kid in the cafeteria if you get there 10-15 minutes before school starts. We have to drop my child off a bit early because we have to top another drop off for my second child at another school. My question is- why is it such a total shit show? I can't tell who works at the school, it's totally disorganized and my kindergartener is totally overwhelmed and perplexed by the whole deal. Why don't they allow classroom drop off? Why aren't there plenty of adults around and available to direct parents and children? Is this normal for DCPS drop off? I plan on speaking with the principal about my concerns as a new parent, but just wanted to get some feedback about the process first. We are new so this all feels very foreign and chaotic to us.

We do have her enrolled in before care so she isn't just randomly hanging out (although kids are allowed to be there unsupervised after 8:20 bc they serve breakfast), but I feel terrible leaving her. Today I put her in the hands of the person in charge of aftercare, but he was just happy to have her roam around and find a place to be. I could tell it all made her very nervous.

I think dropoff procedures vary by school within DCPS. For example, at my kid's school, cafeteria dropoff for before care is pretty low-key, and kids just hang out with their friends until bfast and then they go up to their classrooms. I guess for a new kid, this could feel chaotic if there happen to be high-energy kids around. But typically, it's fairly calm.

What school is this?

P.S. Before we started at our kid's school, we requested and got a tour of the aftercare program. That helped familiarize us with the before/aftercare staff and procedures quite a bit.

Yes, I had the person in charge take us through everything today and that was great. It helped enough so that she didn't cry when I left, but she still looked pretty lost and nervous. I know it is a time for adjustments, I'm just reaching out here to see how others deal/dealt when new. Thank you- I wish I'd thought to do that!

[Anonymous]

It is chaotic at the beginning (or always to me) but the kids get used to it quickly. At our DCPS only PK is dropped in the classroom. Everyone else is out on the playground with a few adults and parents standing around. On rainy days they go straight to their classrooms.

[Anonymous]

We started at our DCPS mid year after having been at a charter school for several years. I was a bit flummoxed by the cafeteria drop off until I understood it as well.

In our case, different grades are assigned different places. (K-1 in the cafeteria, 2-3 in the gym, PK classroom eg.) But within each space there are still zones. So each class has a bucket of books and one table. If kids are eating breakfast- they sit with their homeroom at the assigned table. When finished, they join their friends around their assigned bucket of books.

Note- neither the tables nor the bucket of books are labeled.

The teaching assistants are in the cafeteria during this unstructured time before school starts ... at the appointed time, kids line up and walk to their classrooms as a group.

Now I "get it" and it works great. Just had no one to explain the ropes to me so I was as confused as you were.

[Anonymous]

We're dealing with this at our DCPS. In Pk we dropped off at the classroom and now we're supposed to drop off in the cafeteria so it is new to us. It seems chaotic but we're hoping it starts to feel a little more organized later this week. My DD eats at home so I really wish there was another option for kids who don't need breakfast.

[Anonymous]

They can't have classroom drop off because the teachers are in the classroom, finishing last minute preparations for their day. They can't begin to supervise children until school actually starts.

However, our DCPS has the PK and K kids wait separately from the big kids, because it is chaotic.