Important Information for Families

Dear families:

School Dismissal Manager (SDM) is an organized and efficient tracking system for afternoon dismissals. Using your desktop or smartphone browser, you can quickly and easily update your child’s dismissal instructions when they need to be changed, making it no longer necessary to call or send notes and emails to the school for dismissal changes.

The easy-to-use interface will allow you to make changes in advance or for the current day by creating “exceptions”. You can report absences, early pick up, and schedule recurring dismissal instructions for after-school activities. When creating an exception for the current day, note that the cut-off time on regular days is 2:15 p.m. and on early release days is noon.

We will begin using SDM to report daily absences and dismissal changes on the first day of school. Please make sure you have downloaded the app and set up your account for a smooth transition into the school year.

We will be using FastLane during our afternoon dismissals. Families who are picking up will scan a QR code that will be located at the entry of the parking lot (2), the gravel lot (2), and posted on the front door of each building.

Here is a 2-minute video that shows the flow.

All groups: Please do your best to file forward behind the car in front of you and move as efficiently as possible. If extra buckle ups or rearranging is needed, please pull ahead into the gravel lot in order to preserve traffic flow.

We will be offering a time to practice the end of day pick up routine during normal pick up time (3:30 – 3:40) on Aug. 28th. Come on by with your phone ready to scan and see how this new system works!

As you begin to use School Dismissal Manager, if you have questions, check the Frequently Asked Questions or click on Help in your top menu when logged in. If your question remains unanswered after checking here, please contact the school office and we will be happy to assist you further.

Safely and efficiently moving over 750 students each day takes all hands on deck! Thank you for using this tool to help us keep the dismissal process safe, smooth, and positive for students, families, and staff.

More information about School Dismissal Manager is available on our website. Please reach out to our office team with any questions.

Nate Beede, assistant principal, 360-966-1950, nbeede@meridian.wednet.edu

We are so excited you are here! Please review the list below for important information and to answer some of the questions you may have. If you have any additional questions, please call the IRE office at (360) 398-2111.

1.  Schedule

Our school hours are from 9 A.M.-3:40 P.M. (1:15 P.M. on early dismissal days). Students may be dropped off in the morning starting at 8:50 A.M. Students eating breakfast may be dropped off at 8:40 A.M.

Every Friday is late arrival. School will start one hour late. Students may be dropped off starting at 9:50 A.M. (9:40 A.M. for breakfast).

2.  Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast and lunch for elementary students will be free this year. There will be a $.50 charge for purchasing a single milk. Students may have school lunch or they may bring a lunch from home. Breakfast begins at 8:40 A.M. (9:40 A.M. on Fridays). We still need all families who may qualify for free/reduced lunch to complete the application.

3.  Recess

Recess will be outside as much as possible. Please send a warm coat for cooler times of the year. If it’s one of our cold northwest days with hard rain and wind, we will stay inside the classrooms or hallways.

4.  Parent Square

You will receive our newsletters and other communications from the school through the Parent Square app. You will be able to choose how and when you receive these notifications, via text, email, etc.

5.  Student Drop Off

To make our morning drop off as smooth and fast as possible, please remain in your vehicle as you pull forward to our drop off zone (yellow curb in front of the school). Prepare to “kiss and go.” Have your child exit from the passenger side only. IRE staff will welcome them to school. If students are in Building A (PK, TK, K, 1, 2) they will enter through the main entrance. If students are in Building B (3, 4, 5) they will enter through Building B’s main door. Students in the portables may go straight to their classrooms. Students eating breakfast may go straight to the cafeteria before going to class.

6.  Student Pick Up

We use School Dismissal Manager (SDM).

Download the app on your phone. Create your username and password and enter your student’s information and default pick up settings. This will be how you will communicate with the school about your student’s end of the day routine. New families will receive an email regarding set up which will include credentials. Returning parents will use last year’s information. Make sure to check your junk mail.

•   If you are making permanent changes to your transportation plan such as changing bus routes because of a move, please contact our school office at 360-398-2111 with this information. Then, enter this as your default transportation in SDM.

7.  Change of plans

If you are making an exception for the day to your default transportation (riding another bus route with a friend, getting picked up early, etc.). Please enter these as exceptions into SDM prior to 2:15 P.M. (12:00 P.M. on early release days) on the day of the change. No need to contact the school office for day-to-day exceptions. With more than 750 students in our building, the cut off time is vital in making dismissal smooth for students and staff.

8.  Reporting student absences

If your child will be absent, please enter the absence using the SDM app or call the school office at 360-398-2111.

9.  Picking up your student at the end of the day

Upon arrival, use the SDM app and scan the QR code at the parking lot entrance. If you do not have a phone, a staff member will assist you in signing in. After you have scanned the code, you will proceed to pick up.  

•      Arriving before 3:30 P.M.: If you arrive before 3:30 P.M. to pick up your student, please scan the QR code and continue to pull around and park in the gravel lot. This is vital for avoiding gridlock and keeping over 100 cars flowing through our pick up line each day. When a few cars stay parked in front of the school, even for a few minutes, it backs many more cars up behind.

•      Checkpoints: We have adults at checkpoints along the hallway and outside to make sure children know where they are going and that they are safe.

•      Exiting: Once your child is safely in your car, you will slowly exit the pick-up area and the next set of cars will slowly move forward. This system works well and provides a safe and orderly pick-up routine. Please be sure your child’s booster seat is installed on the backseat passenger side of your vehicle for safe entry. 

10.  Early Pick Up

If your student has an appointment, please pick them up prior to 3:15 P.M.. This will eliminate any end of the day confusion and ensure your student makes it to their appointment on time.

11.  Bus Routes

If your child will be riding the bus and you have not yet been given the route information, you may visit our district website at  www.meridian.wednet.edu. Click on Families & Students – School Day Information – Bus Transportation – Bus Routes. You may also find this information through Skyward.

Thank you for sharing your children with us! We are so excited to have them here. We hope your afternoons will soon be filled with stories of all the fun things your child learned in school that day.

Tyler Dockins

Principal