After-School Authorizations

Early Pick-Up

If you plan to pick your child up from school early (doctor or dentist appointment, etc.), please send them to school with a note indicating the time that they will be picked up that day. If you like, you can use the Bear Creek Elementary Schedule Change Authorization Form.  (Two forms will print on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper. You can save the extra form for another time.) Students should bring their notes to the school office in the morning before taking them to their teacher. A staff member will make a note of the time they are to be picked up that day and by whom, so the student is expected when he/she comes to the office, and their teacher then can simply send the student to the office at the appropriate time. Parents picking their child up early should always do so by meeting their child in the school office and signing them out from that location.

Bus, Car, and After-School Passes

Upon receiving a written authorization from a student's parent or guardian, a staff member in the school office will write a car pass, bus pass, or after-school pass indicating the change in plans and give it to the student to give to their teacher. The original written authorization will be kept on file in the school office. It's best if students bring the notes or forms filled out by their parents or guardians into the school office in the morning prior to the beginning of the school day.
 
Authorizations from parents or guardians must be in writing, and can be written on the downloadable Bear Creek Elementary Schedule Change Authorization Form. Blank copies of the form may also be picked up in the school office. If you do not have the form available, just put your request in writing on a blank sheet of paper and be sure to include the following information:
 
* Full name of  your child
* Date(s) of change
* Parent or guardian's signature 
 
* Bus Number (for bus passes)
* Full name and bus stop of student with whom your child is going home (for bus passes) 
 
* Name of person picking up your child (for car passes)
 
* Time of pick-up and reason (for early pick-up)
 
* After-school activity and location (for after-school passes) 

The Walkway Meeting Area

If you're walking to school to meet your child when school dismisses, we ask that you meet them on the walkway in between our two school buildings. If meeting you there is not part of their normal dismissal routine, your student will need a pass. Upon receiving a written authorization note from a student's parent or guardian, a staff member in the school office will write an after-school pass indicating the change in plans and give it to the student to give to their teacher. The original written authorization will be kept on file in the school office. It's best if students bring the notes or forms filled out by their parents or guardians into the school office in the morning prior to the beginning of the school day.
 
Authorizations from parents or guardians must be in writing, and can be written on the downloadable Bear Creek Elementary Schedule Change Authorization Form or you can just write an authorization note on a blank piece of papers.

Authorization notes must include:

• Student's name
• Teacher's name
• Date that you will be picking them up
• Statement that you will be meeting them on the walkway
• Parent or Guardian's signature

 

Authorizing Your Child to Walk to Another Location

Some families choose to have older children walk by themselves to other locations off school property at the end of the school day. Parents or guardians choosing to do so should provide the school with written authorization to allow students to leave school by themselves at the end of the school day. We ask that everyone be considerate of our neighbors at the fire station, and that students not wait there to be picked up by drivers or play on the lawn near the fire station driveway. That's an area that should be kept as clear as possible for fire fighters responding to calls.

                           Cross-Country Runners at the Starting Line

Organized After-School Clubs and Activities

For several after-school activities that involve a large number of students, rather than requiring individual authorization forms and passes, we will rely on club and activity registrations to authorize each student to stay after school. By registering your child for a club or group activity with scheduled dates, you will be providing the written authorization that we require, and club or activity organizers will be responsible for retaining that written authorization, sharing it with the school office,  and providing rosters and schedules for the school office. If your child will not be participating in all of the activities for which they are registered, we will need written notification of that change in routine. To provide us with written notification, you can use the Bear Creek Elementary Schedule Change Authorization Form, or simply send in a handwritten note with the pertinent information. The office staff will then share the schedule information with classroom teachers. Clubs and activities that will be handled this way include:
 
Cross-Country & Track
PTA After-school Enrichment Classes
Chorus
Math Olympiad
Play practices and rehearsals

Unforeseen Emergencies

We understand that life does not always go as planned. While school policy requires schedule changes to be authorized in advance in writing, and does not allow for authorization via email or phone calls, emergency situations may make this extremely difficult. If you find yourself in an emergency situation that necessitates a schedule change for your child, please call the school office at 425.408.4100 and we will do our best to accommodate you.