Who We Are

Academic Expectations

Attendance

Behavior Expectations

Enrollment/Student Records

Health & Safety Basics

Parent Information

Student Information

Cafeteria Procedures

Transportation Basics

Students may be dropped off at school no earlier than 9:10 a.m. Once at school, all students may eat breakfast in the cafeteria. Those not eating breakfast will go to one of three designated areas to wait and will be escorted to class by school staff at 9:35 a.m. 

• Kindergarten: Music Room 

• First and Second Grade: Library 

• Third and Fourth Grade: Gym 

• Fifth Grade: 5th Grade Classrooms

School staff will monitor each area to ensure student safety.

• Afternoon dismissal will begin promptly at 4:20 p.m. each day. The order for dismissal will be as follows: 

  1. Car Riders

  2. Walkers 

  3. Bus Riders 

  4. CEP (Child Enrichment Program)

  Once dismissal has begun, in order to ensure the safety of all students, parents will not be allowed to enter the building until 5 p.m. All students should be picked up no later than 5 p.m. each day. 

  It is important for parents to make sure the Enrollment Form and the Authorization for Pick-Up Form completed at the beginning of the year are always up to date. School staff are not authorized to release a student to anyone not listed on either the Enrollment Form or the Authorization for Pick-Up Form. For safety reasons, anyone coming to pick up a child at school must be able to present a picture I.D. to verify his or her identity to school staff. 

All transportation changes should be made as early in the day as possible, but they must be made by calling the office no later than 3:30 p.m. This allows the office staff time to alert the teachers and students of the changes prior to the beginning of afternoon dismissal. If a student is going home with another student—as a walker, car rider, or bus rider—notes must be sent from parents of both students verifying the transportation change. Please include telephone numbers in case the need arises for school staff to verify the notes. 

Bowen Elementary offers before- and after-school childcare through the YMCA’s Child Enrichment Program (CEP). If you are picking up your child from CEP, please be aware that parents will not be allowed to enter the building until 4:35 p.m. Only enter and exit through the CEP door. This will help CEP staff safely account for and monitor all students. For more information, visit the JCPS website or the YMCA website or call the School-Age CEP offices at 637-1575. 

Kindergarten students use the same service provided for all elementary students, which involves being picked up at bus stops that may be several blocks from home. Kindergarten students must have an adult present at the bus stop before they will be released from the bus. 

The JCPS website provides specific information about bus routes. You may also contact the bus compound directly. Three bus compounds serve our school. Use these numbers for transportation concerns and assistance before and after school hours.

If your child will be a car rider at any time during the year, please read this section carefully. 

Morning Arrival 

• In the morning, cars should enter the car rider entrance off Roosevelt Avenue and follow the traffic pattern through the parking lot to line up along the curb at the back of the building, pulling as far forward as possible. Do not block the crosswalk. 

• Starting at 9 a.m., staff members will greet and supervise students as they enter the building. Students are not permitted to exit their cars until a staff member is present. 

• To exit the parking lot, cars must follow the traffic flow. Passing other cars is not permissible. Please drive slowly as you exit. 

• Parents must remain in their cars to keep the traffic flowing. Please do not leave your car parked or unattended in the car rider line. 

• Carpool ends promptly at 9:40 a.m. After that time, parents must park in the lot and walk their child into the building to sign in at the attendance desk. No student should be allowed to walk in unattended after 9:40 a.m.

Afternoon Dismissal 

• In the afternoon, cars should enter the car rider entrance off Roosevelt Avenue and follow directions given by school staff to line up correctly to wait. 

• Once dismissal begins, car riders will be called to lobby in groups to wait. 

• Staff members will begin to call students to come meet their cars. 

• Students classified as car riders will be assigned a car rider number, which will be printed on a car rider tag. Please keep this tag displayed during the entire afternoon dismissal. School staff will use these tags to call students out during afternoon dismissal. For any car that does not have a tag displayed, the driver must be listed on the Authorization for Pick-Up Form and present photo identification to pick up a student. 

• No parent should meet a student at the back entrance to the school where car riders are dismissed. If you are parked off school property and are not in the car rider line, you must wait until 4:45 p.m. to enter the school building and proceed to the office to pick up your child. 

• Once students exit the building, they must wait until school staff signal them to walk safely to their cars. 

• Students should walk down the sidewalk and enter their cars on the sidewalk if possible. If it is necessary for a student to enter the car on the driver’s side, a parent must meet the student on the sidewalk and assist him or her in loading safely. 

• Once loaded, all cars should patiently wait for school staff to signal them to exit the parking lot through the Earlham Dr. gate.  

Bowen Elementary is located adjacent to a wonderful neighborhood. We try hard to be excellent neighbors, but we need the help of our car rider families during afternoon dismissal. Please adhere to the following:

• DO NOT BLOCK DRIVEWAYS or entrances/exits onto other roads. We have had several complaints from neighbors that they cannot pull into their driveway after getting home from a long day at work. Please be mindful of these entrances as you park to wait or pull forward.

• SLOW DOWN. We have noticed some of our families zooming down Westmoorland Way and Farnham Drive to catch up with the end of the line. There are many walkers and bike riders in the area. Remember, safety comes first! We have placed several safety markers in the areas where we have noticed speeders. 

• DON’T TURN AROUND to navigate in line. There is only one way to enter the line: off Roosevelt Avenue, down Westmoorland Way, and onto Farnham Drive. Don’t attempt to cut back through the neighborhood or turn around in neighbors’ driveways to jump in line. 

• DISPLAY YOUR BOWEN CAR TAG. We need to know you are picking up your Bowen Bee and not a neighbor trying to get through. If your gold car tag is displayed, we know to direct you around. If you (or your designated person) need a new tag, please let me know or call the office at 485-8213.