DAN MILLS SCHOOL RESOURCES
AND INFORMATION
NEW SCHOOL TIMES FOR 2026:
8:10-3:10
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During the first week of school teachers will ask every family how their child(ren) will be leaving school each day: walker, car rider, bus, or Fun Company Aftercare. Here are a couple of quick tips and reminders.
NOTE: on the first day of school, guardians are permitted to walk with their children to class
Arrival
Our doors open at 7:30 A.M.
Students arriving at 7:30 will not go directly to the classrooms, but to a designated area.
Students wanting breakfast may go to the cafeteria. For those not wishing to each breakfast, they will wait in the gym.
At 7:45, all students will be dismissed to their classrooms.
Dismissal
Pick-Up for all students will begin at 3:00 PM.
Our teachers are on duty until 3:15. We have one teacher that is responsible for "LATE DUTY" to stay with students who haven't been picked up.
Beginning at 3:25, parents will have to come inside the front doors to "sign out" your child.
Protocols have been established to ensure the safety of students and staff. Following these procedures will allow the process to operate efficiently.
Walkers:
Drop-off at the front of the school under the main portico
Pick-up is located on the side of the school by the loading dock
Car Riders:
Drop-off at the front of the school - please note the circular drive is one way and students should be let out of their car, on the passenger side, as soon as you arrive at the sideway closest to the school. Staff members will be there to guide your student to the front door.
Pick-up is located in the front circular drive - please pull up to the end of the drive and form two lines.
All traffic must turn right out of the Dan Mills driveway onto Kennedy during drop-off and pick-up.
Please do not exit your car during drop-off or pick up.
Bus riders:
For more information about bus transportation please visit the MNPS Transportation Site.
We ask all families to please drive slowly around the school and neighborhood and be respectful when parking on the streets around the school. Our buses do leave from the side parking lot and need easy access to Greenland Ave in the morning and afternoon.
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LATE DROP-OFF
ARRIVAL AFTER 8:01AM: Students arriving at 8:01AM or later are considered late and must be checked in at the front office by a Parent/Guardian. Remember that all adults entering the building are required to present a physical State ID to the office staff.
EARLY PICK UP
If your child needs to leave early, early dismissal ends at 2:30PM every day. After 2:30PM, daily dismissal is in effect. If you will be picking up early, you must come to the front office to sign your child out with your ID.
TRANSPORTATION CHANGES
To ensure a smooth and safe dismissal process, please follow these guidelines when communicating transportation changes:
Notify Both the Front Office and the Teacher
All transportation changes must be reported no later than 2:00 PM.
This allows us time to communicate changes to all necessary staff.
Best Method of Communication
The preferred way to report dismissal changes is via email to Mrs. Chaz. You can reach her at chasity.hinson@mnps.org
This ensures we have the request in writing from the parent. Email provides a clear, time-stamped record of the request, which helps avoid misunderstandings or miscommunication.
Information to Include in the Email Please make sure your email includes the following details:
Student’s full name
Teacher’s name
Usual dismissal method (e.g., bus rider, car rider, walker)
Requested dismissal method for that day
If someone new is picking up the student:
Full name of the person (as it appears on their ID)
Phone number of the person
Example for Parents:
Jane Smith in Ms. Jones’ class is usually a bus rider, but today she will be picked up as a car rider by Sue Clark (615-555-5555).
Why This Matters:
Following these steps helps us ensure every child gets home safely and that all staff involved in dismissal are informed and prepared for changes in routine.
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BOTTOMS PERMITTED:
Jeans, pants, shorts, capri pants, skirts or skorts (any color acceptable)
BOTTOMS NOT ALLOWED:
Clothing with holes; pajama bottoms; lounge pants; leggings -unless underneath clothing
TOPS PERMITTED:
T-shirts, Polo shirts, sweatshirts, light jackets (Solid, striped, patterns) Dan Mills spirit wear (ALL), Hoodies (*Hoods may not be on head in the building!)
TOPS NOT ALLOWED:
Violent, potentially disruptive words, graphics or illustrations. This includes clothing promoting any violent video games, TV shows, or movies.
Tank tops, halter tops, spaghetti straps, sleeveless tops
FOOTWEAR PERMITTED:
Tennis shoes are preferred for safety reasons. REQUIRED on P.E. days.
Shoes with a strap on the back.
FOOTWEAR NOT ALLOWED:
Flip flops, sandals, high heels, house shoes, slippers
Hats/beanies will NOT be allowed to be worn in the building.
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PLEASE READ CAREFULLY-
Excuse notes will only be accepted up to 3 days AFTER a student's return to school to be counted as an EXCUSED ABSENCE.
For example, a student is absent on September 2nd, but a parent doesn't send in a note until October would mean that this absence will NOT be excused.
By scanning the QR code below, parents can quickly and easily send an excuse note directly to the office with all the needed information. It can be used for absences, tardies, and early dismissals. This is simple way to submit excuse notes to avoid unexcused absences.
Please note that you may continue to send in excuse notes when your child is absent as you have always done in the past. This is just another tool we want to provide to make life a little easier!
IF the QR code is not working for you, you may also use the link below:
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NEW FOR 2025/26:
PreK staff will be in the front lobby starting at 7:45. 'An adult must walk to the lobby to sign their student in before dropping them off with staff.
PreK students cannot arrive before 7:45.
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The Dan Mills school lunch menu and calendar can be found here. For the 2025-26 school year, school lunch will be free for all students.
Families who qualify for free and reduced lunch should still fill out applications because the information connects families to other services and discounts.
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Information on the Family Portal can be found here.
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To ensure families will receive school and district calls, Parents/Guardians can:
Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at 855-502-STOP (855-520-7867) from the phone line that is not receiving calls, or
Opt-in to Text (SMS) messages: Reply START to 60680 from the phone line that is not receiving messages.
