New Parent FAQs

 

On behalf of the Montgomery PTO, welcome to Montgomery Elementary!  We are excited for your family to be part of the Montgomery Elementary School family for the 2023-2024 school year. 

 

We have developed this document to answer some of the frequently asked questions families have.  Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at info@montgomerypta.com.  

 

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Q: When does school begin?

 

School begins at 7:45 a.m. However, students should be in their classrooms by 7:40 so that they can unpack book bags, get settled and be ready for morning announcements. No student is allowed to be on campus before 7:15 am, except if they are riding the bus. Carpool does not begin until 7:15 so that all buses can unload safely. Students should report directly to the cafeteria after arriving and will wait until dismissed by the monitor to their classrooms. Breakfast is available for those students who arrive early. Students arriving after 7:45 are considered tardy and must be brought to the school office to be signed-in by a parent/guardian.

 

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Q: What is the procedure for morning drop-off?

 

If students do not ride the bus, they can arrive at school either through carpool or be dropped off at the main entrance.

Carpool: Carpool begins after the buses leave the parking lot at 7:15am. As you enter the school parking lot, move to the right curb as soon as possible. A teacher or safety patrol member will direct you when to stop and will assist your child in getting out of the car. Your child should then proceed directly to the main entrance. 

• Do not block the entrance to the teacher parking lot on the right side.
• Please do not get out of your car to assist your child. This significantly delays the carpool line and causes traffic for other parents and the surrounding neighborhoods.  If your child requires assistance, the teacher or safety patrol member can help, or you may opt to follow the drop-off procedure instead of carpool.
• Please avoid passing other cars in the carpool lane while exiting.
• Please discontinue cell phone use while in the carpool lane.

 

Drop-Off: Parents may also walk their student to the main entrance.  Please park in a legal parking space and be sure to be respectful to our neighbors.  If parking on a side street, please only park on one side of the street. 

 

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Q: What time is school dismissed?

 

Dismissal begins at 2:15pm. Walkers are dismissed at the lower elementary hall doors. Bus riders and day care bus riders are dismissed directly to their respective buses. Afternoon carpool begins after buses exit the property. The carpool line for student’s grade 3 through 5 is in the back parking lot accessible through Oconee Pass. The staging area for afternoon carpool for student’s grades Pre-K through 2 begins where indicated in the school parking lot to the right of the school. After the buses leave the school, cars are directed to pull forward to begin carpool. You will be given a parent pick-up tag to hang on your rearview mirror at the Back to School Fair. Please be sure this tag is displayed when in the carpool line. After 3:00pm, you will be asked to come inside and sign out your child. 

 

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Q: How can I find out about what is going on in my child’s classroom?

 

Each teacher has their own methods for communicating with parents. However, most teachers utilize email to communicate most frequently with parents. Be sure to check in with your student’s teacher to ensure that they have your current contact information. 

 

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Q:  May I visit my child’s classroom?

 

All teachers at Montgomery welcome parents to visit and help in the classroom when allowed by school administration. Please arrange this with your child’s teacher prior to your visit. All visitors must enter through the main front doors and must check in with the school secretary and pick up a visitor’s name tag. Parents should not interrupt instruction during classroom visits. If a parent/guardian needs to speak to a teacher regarding his/her child, please call the school, email or send a note to the teacher asking to schedule a conference.

 

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Q:  How do conferences work?

 

Parent-teacher conferences are encouraged. A parent may initiate a conference at any time by reaching out to your child’s teacher. Conferences are scheduled outside of instruction time. Your child may have more than one teacher. Please be sure to distinguish between your child’s homeroom teacher and an individual subject area teacher when arranging conferences. 

 

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Q: What are the lunch hours?

 

Lunch times vary between 10:20am and 12:20pm. Students can either purchase their lunch in the cafeteria or bring their lunch from home. 

 

Fast food is not allowed in the cafeteria. In addition, soda and candy should not be brought to school. 

 

Students can either bring an envelope for lunch money to school or prepay for lunches through School Cafe.  In order to register at School Cafe, you will need to know your child’s student ID which is available through the school office.   

 

Students also have snack time in their classroom which varies based on their designated lunch time.

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Q: What is Discovery and how can a child qualify for this program?

 

A: Discovery is the Gifted Program in the DeKalb County School System. This is an enrichment program offered for grades 1-5. Every child is evaluated for participation in Discovery, which requires a threshold score on standardized test MAP testing. The Discovery curriculum complements the mainstream curriculum with additional projects and creative learning opportunities.  Evaluation for inclusion in the Discovery program occurs after the completion of the CoGAT tests around February each year.  Please direct detailed questions to Moiya Nsele, Assistant Principal.

 

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Q:  Does Montgomery take precautionary measures for health issues and allergies? 

 

Parents of children with severe allergies or chronic health conditions are asked to contact the school nurse to discuss necessary information and procedures. Any medication required to be administered during the school day is required to be kept and administered by the school nurse.