This Week’s SafeSchools Minute

Dismissal Saftey

Part of the Guided Weekly School Safety Program

How to Use This Week’s Reminder

Share this week's SafeSchools Minute with your staff through your school's usual communication channels.

Use the Ready-to-Send Email below to quickly copy and paste a message into your email, then attach the Reminder PDF before sending.

Each reminder takes about one minute to read and reinforces an important everyday school safety habit..

Included with this Reminder

📄Download Reminder PDF

  • Subject: This Week’s Safety Reminder: Dismissal Safety

    Staff,

    This week’s SafeSchools Minute™ focuses on dismissal safety.

    Dismissal is one of the busiest and most vulnerable times of the school day. Students are moving to buses, parent pickup areas, after school programs, and other locations while staff members are managing transportation changes and multiple handoffs.

    Every student must remain under active supervision until they have been released to the correct bus, approved adult, or designated program. Please do not rely on assumption, familiarity, or a student’s statement when a dismissal change has not been properly verified.

    This week, pay particular attention to last minute changes, students separating from their assigned groups, unfamiliar adults near pickup areas, and situations where responsibility has not clearly transferred.

    Before releasing a student, take a moment to confirm that the dismissal location and handoff are correct.

    Please take one minute to review the attached reminder.

    A student is not safely dismissed until the handoff is complete.

    Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and consistent dismissal process.

  • Dismissal is one of the busiest and most vulnerable times of the school day. Students are moving to buses, parent pickup areas, after school programs, and other locations while staff members are managing transportation changes and multiple handoffs.

    Every student must remain under active supervision until they have been released to the correct bus, approved adult, or designated program. Never rely on assumption, familiarity, or a student’s statement when a dismissal change has not been properly verified.

    A student is not safely dismissed until the handoff is complete.

  • What should you do if a student tells you that their dismissal plan changed, but you have not received official confirmation?

    Suggested response:

    Keep the student with you and contact the main office or designated staff member. Do not change the student’s dismissal plan based only on the student’s statement or an informal message.

  • Pay particular attention to:

    • Last minute dismissal changes
    • Students separating from their assigned group
    • Unfamiliar adults approaching pickup areas
    • Students leaving before the approved handoff
    • Staff members assuming someone else completed the transfer
    • Distractions caused by conversations, phones, or end of day tasks

    Make sure every student is supervised until responsibility has clearly transferred.

  • Choose one dismissal period this week and focus on completing every student handoff without relying on assumption.

    Pause before releasing each student and confirm:

    • Is this the correct dismissal location?
    • Is this the approved adult, vehicle, bus, or program?
    • Has responsibility clearly transferred?

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