DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP EXPECTATIONS

Safety is a priority for us. We are asking that you drop off and pick up your student on our side of the street.

• There is no marked crossing or signage. Dropping off and picking up on the other side of the street increases the safety risk of your student, staff, and you. Your convenience is not worth the risk.
• Dropping off and picking up on the other side of the street block the flow of a two-way traffic.
• Residents on the other side of the street have also asked us not to block their driveway. It is usually full of parked cars which leaves no space for you to safely stop and not block traffic. 
• The purpose of the Before and After School Program (BASP) is support a healthy and safe community. If you need to drop off your student before 8:00 a.m. or pick up 30 minutes after school dismissal, then please sign up for the Before School Program and/or After School Program. Please email Elizabeth Garcia, BASP Coordinator, at egarcia@mitacademy.org, for more information and registration.
• MITA MS staff provide supervision during morning drop-off and dismissal within school property line. There is no line of sight to the north end of the school fence on Corcoran Avenue. For safety reasons, do not allow your student to wait at the fire station.

BACKPACK “DUMP” PROCEDURES

To ensure the safety of staff and students, we are asking parents to do the following:

1) Frequently clean out and check your student’s backpack. Ensure there are no items that will disrupt the learning environment.

2) Reinforce the message that they will not accept contraband passed to them from another student.

3) Accept that the students are clever and be proactive. We do not pat down a student.

4) Frequently talk to your student about at-risk behaviors.

5) Say something when you see or hear something. Call us, email us, or see us in person

6) Listen to us as we listen to you. Kindness goes a long way.

7) Get to know your student’s friends.

8) Stay involved and engaged with the school. Attend school events.

9) Volunteer at school. No positive and productive support will be turned away.

10) We all make mistakes. We will error on the side of caution on safety issues. We do not have time to “target” students, but we will make the time to ensure that students and staff are safe. This is always a work in progress. The work is physically and cognitively exhausting. IT TAKES ALL OF US.​​​​​​

Our backpack “dump” is to support student and staff safety. It is student-led.

1) The administrator asked the student if there is anything dangerous, unsafe, or not relevant to school activities in their backpack.

2) The student is provided context as to why they are being asked to do a "backpack dump."

3) The student empties the contents of the backpack.

4) If applicable, the Admin will ask for permission to check the backpack to ensure that the backpack is empty.

5) The student is asked to turn inside out the pockets of their jackets and pants.

6) The student is asked to unzip their jacket and empty interior pockets if applicable.

7) The student is asked to upside-down their shoes as applicable.

8) The student packs up their backpack.

The administrator does not empty the backpack nor touch the student. The process is student-led to help students take ownership of their actions and be part of creating a safe school. For the parents who believe we are unfair or targeting their students, you may choose to conduct the backpack “dump” with your child or choose a school that is a better fit for the family. The time spent addressing unruly and unproductive behavior means time away from the important task of teaching and learning. We expect parents to work with us collaboratively to ensure the safety of students and staff and the maintenance of a disruption-free learning environment as you have made a conscientious decision to make MITA MS your school of CHOICE.