Whitehouse Elementary

Please visit our Parent Involvement room for resources and support. The Parent Involvement Room is located just outside the front office in Room 101 and is open during the school day. 

Duval County Tardy and Early Checkout Policy

Students are to be in school every day, on time and for the  full day as required by Florida Law, Statute 100.24 and 1003.27.  Excessive absences, tardies and early checkouts are in violation of this law.

For learning activities to be fully effective, it is  required that students arrive to  class on time and remain the entire school day. A student who is tardy or checked out early not only places his/her learning in jeopardy but also interrupts the learning of others.  Due to dismissal students should not be checked out after 2:15p.m.

Students will not be recognized for perfect attendance if they have three or more unexcused tardies and/or three or more early checkouts (in a nine weeks). 

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival Procedures  

The campus opens to students at 8:00 am. Before this time there is no arranged supervision so please do not drop off your child before 8:00 unless he/she is in extended day.

To better supervise our students we have the following areas designated for children in the mornings: 

Kindergarten students will wait in the front hallway until their teachers escort them to class.

1st grade students will wait in the Media Center until 8:20.

2nd - 5th grade students will wait to the Cafeteria until 8:20 am.

After 8:20 am, all students report to their homeroom classes. At 8:20, the first bell rings and the front gates to the school must be closed. Children can arrive through the main hallway. Students are not considered late until after 8:30am, at which time they will need to receive a pass from the front office.

Car Riders

Congestion on Chaffee Road can lead to dangerous conditions for our students. This year we have a traffic pattern set up to assist. Please follow the traffic pattern to ensure the safety of all students. The planned route is to drive down Beaver, turn onto Celery Ave, then right onto General Ave to turn left into the school loop. When exiting the school drop off loop, turn right on to General Ave and return to Celery Ave to exit to Beaver.

• Students may not be dropped off in the road or the grass on General Avenue. 

• Students will arrive from the front of the school from the car loop on General Avenue. 

• Please do not turn into the school from Chaffee Road during pick up or drop off. 

• Please note that no parking is allowed at anytime in the drop off lane of the school. Please only park in designated parking spots. If spots are not available, you make park along the fence at The Whitehouse Athletic field. This is the safest option for our students to enter school. 

   

Bus Riders

Students will unload the bus on the Chaffee side of the school in the bus loop/faculty parking area. Students will report to the cafeteria or their assigned morning area until they are released to go to class at 8:20. Teachers and patrols are available to help younger students. 

Dismissal Procedures  

In the afternoon students will be dismissed to their appropriate area in order to arrive home safely. Students are not permitted to be checked out of school after 2:15pm for regular school days.  Dismissal begins at 3:00pm. On early release days, students should not be checked out after 12:30pm. Dismissal begins at 1:15pm.

Car Riders

Students are kept in the front hallway for safety and weather precautions. We do not permit adults to walk in the front entry to pick up during car-rider dismissal. This is for the protection of all students.

• Students will dismiss from the front of the school from the car loop on General Avenue. Please hang student's name, grade and teacher from the rear view mirror of the car. 

• Please do not turn into the school from Chaffee Road during pick up or drop off. The planned route is to drive down Beaver, turn onto Celery Ave, then right onto General Ave to turn left into the school loop. 

• When exiting the school drop off loop, turn right on to General Ave and return to Celery Ave to exit to Beaver. 

• Please note that no parking is allowed at anytime in the drop off lane of the school. Please only park in designated parking spots. If spots are not available, you make park along the fence at The Whitehouse Athletic field. This is the safest option for our students to enter school.

   

Bus Riders

Students will load the bus on the Chaffee side of the school. Students are to sit and buckle up. Must ride assigned bus. 

Bus Information

It is recommended that an adult meet kindergarten students and / or any student who is the only one at a bus stop. Bus drivers will not release students if they deem the situation is unsafe. 

Students whose permanent residence is 1.5 miles or more from school or who are enrolled in an exceptional education self-contained class are eligible for transportation. Bus schedules will be distributed to all students transported by bus and are available in the office. 

Bus students are expected to ride to and from school daily. Students are to be at the stop 10 minutes before pickup time. Additionally, buses have a 10 minute window on either side of the scheduled pick-up or drop-off time due to traffic. Please plan to be at the bus stop during this time frame. Students must ride the bus to which they are assigned. Children may not change their bus assignment without prior written approval from their parents and the principal or designee.

Bus transportation is a privilege. The school principal or designee may suspend any transported students who refuse to obey the rules from riding on a school bus. 

Please read the Elementary Code of Student Conduct to review students’ responsibilities as bus riders and bus safety rules.

Walkers 

Students will exit the side gates by the ball field.

 *Note – if the weather is bad, students will be dismissed from the gate in the front on the left hand side of the school closest to the playground area.*