As we start the school year, I would like to take this opportunity to share our arrival and dismissal procedures for Memorial School with our school community.  Please read and review this letter in its entirety, to ensure you are aware of all procedures.  I want to assure all parents that much time and consideration has been taken to ensure the safety of the children of Memorial School, while keeping in mind all of the many stakeholders that are directly affected by this procedure.  This plan has been reviewed with local law enforcement.  The guidelines below will help to assist with a smooth operation and make certain the students remain safe.

Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. for Pre-K students and 8:35 a.m. for grades K-4.  All children arriving late must report directly to the Main Office via the front entrance to obtain a late pass. Please be reminded that five tardies equals one absence.

Arrival: 8:25 am -  8:35 am

Drop-off begins at 8:25 a.m.

Students are to be dropped off no earlier than 8:25 a.m.  A helpful way to notate the school hours in each building is that there is a ten minute difference in arrival and dismissal times.

HMS:  8:15 a.m. – 2:49 p.m.  Memorial 8:25 a.m. – 2:59 p.m.

Memorial School doors will open at 8:25 a.m. in which students will be permitted into the building.  Students will report to their designated hallway / location where teachers will be on duty to supervise.  

Drop Off Locations:

We are requesting all families utilize the car line.  This will minimize the number of people approaching the school building.  For those who do not have the ability to utilize the car line, there are directions provided.

Drop Off Locations:

We utilize TWO drop off locations.  Students whose classrooms are located on the 1^st floor will be dropped off at the front entrance of Memorial School.  Students whose classrooms are located on the 2^nd floor will be dropped off by the back blacktop.  Please note: As you pull down Squaw Brook Road, some vehicles will be turning right into the first smaller parking area, while others will be going straight for entrance to the main parking lot.  Please ensure you are alert to the flow of traffic.  Thank you to the North Haledon Police Department for their assistance and partnership to implement these procedures.    

The classrooms and teachers located on each floor are indicated below.
If you have multiple children, you can simply utilize the front entrance drop off location as opposed to stopping in both locations.

1st Floor:   Kindergarten, First Grade, Losardo, Miller, Scully, Bacchas, Governale
2nd Floor:  Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Metzler, Endaz

Dropping Off Via Car Line

Pull into your designated lot to drop off your child. 
Please note: You may not park in the drop off lanes or leave your vehicle unattended while dropping your child off. These lanes are simply for those parents/guardians who drop their child off and continue out the exits towards Squaw Brook Road or High Mountain Road. 

Please note the following:  Cars are not permitted to line up in the parking lots for morning drop off prior to 8:25 a.m.   This is to ensure access for any emergency vehicles, as well as meeting the borough’s fire code. Additionally, these are the faculty/staff parking lots in which employees need to be able to enter the lot and have access to parking.  Parents are permitted to enter the lot to drop off their child after 8:25 a.m.   We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Dropping Off As A Walker

If you are unable to utilize the car line, and choose to walk your child to school, we will have cones notating the designated location where parents will say their good-byes and students will continue to the building for entrance.

Dismissal:  2:59 p.m.

Dismissal Locations

Walker - Students in grades 1-4 that will be picked up from a parent/guardian as a walker, will be dismissed from the exit located on the side of Memorial School along Squaw Brook Road.

Car Line - Students in grades 1-4 that are being picked up via the pick-up lanes will be dismissed from their designated exit. Students will exit from the same location they enter school in the morning. 

*ALL Kindergarten students are dismissed from the front entrance.

Car-Line

When picking up your child, you may drive through the separate pick-up/drop off lanes, which are accessible from the top of Squaw Brook Road. Using these lanes will allow you to pull up directly in front of the corresponding pick-up location. As you enter the school parking lots when picking up your child, please place your child’s Name Identification Tag on the passenger side windshield of your vehicle.  This will help to expedite the process of picking up your child and allow the Memorial School staff to identify the correct vehicle to release your child. Please pull all the way up and your child will come to you.  Please know the responsibility of the parent/guardian is to make sure your child’s safety belt has been fastened before departing from the pick-up lane. Please note:  If your child is unable to open/close the car door, and/or buckle their seat belt, you may prefer utilizing the walker line.  Staff will not open/close doors or buckle children’s seatbelts.  Staff are there to ensure the safe release of each child as they are dismissed from school.  Upon pick-up you may proceed out the pick-up/drop off lane via Squaw Brook Road or High Mountain Road.

Parents are not permitted to get out of the car in the pick up line to buckle/assist their child.  If your child requires this assistance, it is recommended to park your car in a nearby location and pick up your child on the walker line.    

Please note the following:  Cars are not permitted to line up in the parking lot prior to 2:50 p.m.   This is to ensure access for any emergency vehicles during school hours as well as meeting the borough’s fire code.  The lots will be opened at 2:50 p.m. to prepare for student dismissal.   We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.  

Walker Line

Parents/Guardians electing to park in neighboring streets must exit their vehicle and accompany their child back to their vehicle using the sidewalk along Squaw Brook Road. Students and parents will not be allowed to cross through the parking lot.

*Parents will be required to submit any carpool requests.  You will have the ability to enter this information electronically via Realtime parent portal.  As always, please refrain from changing your child’s pick-up schedule. If a change needs to be made due to an emergency, please notify the main office on the given day prior to 2:00 p.m. For safety reasons, all change requests made after 2:00 p.m. will not be granted.*

*If your child is enrolled in Before or AfterCare with Jenn’s Junction, you will follow the arrival/dismissal procedures sent from that program.

Please understand that our top priority at Memorial School is the safety of everyone.