School Procedures

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

IN THE AREA

While in the School Zone area of our school, please be sure to adhere to the following safety protocols. Adhere to all traffic laws and reduced speed requirements. Be alert for children, parents, and crossing guards in various locations. Please be alert and void of distraction while in our parking lot, loop, and surrounding streets. Please be vigilant about watching the parking lot for parents and students walking. Please yield to our buses that are entering and exiting our campus to assist them in traveling safely with our students and maintaining the timeliness of their route deliveries.

Morning Arrival

Morning

ARRIVAL WINDOW FOR OPS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: 8:45 AM-9:00 AM

Mills is a hub of activity in the mornings and student safety is our top priority. Please assist us in making sure students arrive at school safely. If someone other than yourself is responsible for getting your child to school, please make sure they are aware of our procedures. Mills Elementary does not open until 8:45 in the morning. Any student arriving before that time is not permitted inside the building and is therefore unsupervised. Please help us avoid any unsafe situation, such as this.

ATTENDANCE, TARDINESS & LATE ARRIVALS

If your child is absent from school, call the attendance number 918-272-2288 to report the absence between 8:15 AM and 9:45 AM each day he/she is absent. Any student who is absent is considered unexcused until a parent calls the attendance office.

We work hard to maintain a positive and welcoming school climate that both supports and encourages our students and the way we start our day together matters. Our tardy bell rings at 9:00 a.m. and students are considered tardy at that point as our morning classes commence. Students arriving late must check in at the main office to obtain a tardy pass for class. We actively monitor arrival and attendance trends and may reach out to you to assist in supporting your child’s regular or timely attendance.

BUS RIDERS

Students are allowed to have a water bottle on the bus. No food is allowed. Parents are encouraged to look up their child’s bus route information in advance. Please contact the OPS Transportation Department at 918-272-2231 with any questions you may have.

CAR RIDERS

Parents may utilize both the north (front) and south (back) entrances for curbside drop-off. Please pull forward as far as possible to allow as many cars as possible access to the sidewalk. Students are not permitted to exit the vehicle until there is a staff member on duty to greet them at 8:45 a.m. Beginning at 8:45 a.m., there will be personnel available to assist children both outside and inside the building.

WALKERS & BIKE RIDERS

Students who walk or ride their bikes should time their travel to school to arrive as close to 8:45 as possible. Students arriving before this time are unsupervised. These students will enter through the front door when the school opens at 8:45.

PARKING PARENTS

Our parking lot is a busy place. Parents are encouraged to remain in their vehicles and use the drop-off loops. However, if there is a need for parents to park their vehicle in the parking lot, parents MUST escort their child to the sidewalk or front door. Please do not signal to your child it is safe for them to cross alone, an adult needs to accompany them. Students are not permitted to enter the school until 8:45. Additionally, we have a morning drop-off loop that is quite active, which adds morning traffic, so please be alert when crossing.

STUDENT ARRIVAL

Students will report directly to their classroom or cafeteria if they are eating breakfast.

Pre-K Mid Day Dismissal/Arrival

Afternoon Dismissal

Afternoon

Afternoons at Mills are quite busy and fast-paced. We recommend a consistent daily dismissal plan for your child. Daily changes cause confusion for children and create opportunities for error and misunderstandings. Should your family have a need arise that causes a change to your daily dismissal arrangements, please notify your child’s teacher and receive confirmation of your request. If you are unable to get confirmation from your child’s teacher, please notify the office. Notifications arriving at our office after 3:00 PM may be unable to be fulfilled properly.

CAR RIDER LINE DISMISSAL

Please stay off cell phones and keep alert for the safety of our students and staff.

South Lot - Curbside pick up of 1st-5th graders will occur in our south (back) parking lot. Weather permitting, car riders will be waiting outside the south entrance for parent pick up. This entrance is drive-thru only and parents must remain in their cars.

North Lot - reserved for daycare vans, PreK/Kdg. parent door pickup and parent walk up. Parents will need to park in a space, walk across the car lanes, and meet their child.

BUS RIDERS

Students riding the bus home will report to the hallway outside of the office with their grade level and be seated in their appropriate bus line. Parents are encouraged to look up their child’s bus route information in advance. If you have any questions, contact the OPS Transportation Department at 918-272-2231.

WALKERS & BIKE RIDERS

We recommend a few safety tips for students walking home. Make sure students practice their walking route and know how to get home. Encouraging students to use a buddy system when walking is always a good idea. If they are riding a bike, they need to stay on the sidewalks, watch for vehicles, and adhere to the instructions of the crossing guards.

Other Coming & Going Procedural Reminders

Animals at Arrival & Dismissal

While it is tempting to bring up beloved pets to see your child off for their day or to greet your child after school, please refrain from bringing your family pets to school. Arrival and dismissal of a school can be busy and overwhelming for animals. For the safety of our students, families, staff, and pets, please keep them at home. We thank you for your cooperation with this matter.

Breakfast Service

Deliveries to Students

Inclement Weather Pick-Ups

We respect that at times during inclement weather you may choose to pick your child up early. However, we do ask that when picking up please be aware that when entering our office we may have young or worried ears nearby. Nothing concerns a student more than hearing fear or panic in the voice of an adult. We work diligently in our office to always remain weather-aware but also maintain a sense of calm and comfort for our students. We appreciate your support of our efforts in advance.

Parent Access to the Building

Parent Volunteer Opportunities

Parent volunteers are welcome on our school campuses, whether you are interested in being involved in our parent organization(s), assisting a classroom teacher, or volunteering for special groups/events we have a place for you! All volunteer work should be prearranged and confirmed with a school official or their designee. Volunteers are required to check in at the school office and follow background security protocols. While on campus volunteers should adhere to site expectations for their designated tasks and location(s). We appreciate the partnership of our parents to provide irreplaceable support to our schools.

Playground Etiquette for Parents/Guardians

While it can be tempting to want to stop and watch your child play out at recess, parents and stopped vehicles are not permitted outside of our playground areas. We practice a safe space for our students and if you linger near our fence you will be viewed as a stranger and could cause unnecessary alarm as our teachers and staff notify the administrators and School Resource Officers should someone linger nearby. Please help us stay free from distraction and our students free from concern. We greatly appreciate the partnership of our parents. Thank you for your support of these procedures.