The warning bell will ring at 8:25am.  At this time children are on their way to their classrooms.  At 8:30am the tardy bell rings.  At this time the children should be in their classrooms and reay for the morning announcements in order for instruction to begin promptly following the announcements.  Please be sure to have your child here and on time each day.

The dismissal bell rings at 2:50pm. All children are to be picked up by 3:15pm.

Prior to the start of school, the bus schedules are published in a special "Back to School" section of the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.  Bus routes by school as well as by address along with a department form to request a new stop is published on the Leon County Schools Transportation Web Page. Bus riders are encouraged to ride the bus on a regular basis, bus stops can turn to an inactive status if there are no students at the stop.  Schools are not allowed to add or change stops to bus routes.  Parents will need to directly contact the transportation department at 488-2636 or 414-1928.

It helps if children start off with the routine they will follow during the year - riding the bus, being dropped off by their parents, etc.  Gilchrist will have extra help from special area teacher, support staff, and parent volunteers during the first week to help children and parents.

Students will have waiting areas by grade level from 7:45-8:25, kindergarten students will report to the music room, 1st grade students will report to the media center and 2nd-5th grade students will report to the cafeteria.  Pre-K students will check in directly in the classroom.  Only at the warning bell or if directed by a staff member are students to proceed to their classroom.

We invite our new parents on the first day of school to our Boo Hoo Breakfast the located will be posted within the school.  We realize sometimes the first day of school is more difficult for the parents.  Children do better when they see their parents leaving happy and confident, and usually adjust quickly even if they are uncertain about this new experience.  Should a problem arise, we have plenty of staff on hand ready to assist you and/or your child.

If your child arrives late to school, you must sign your child in with the front office staff and obtain a late pass.  The tardy will be marked as unexcused unless the student provides a note such as a doctors note.  Dr.'s offices can directly fax a note to the front office at 850-487-0959 with the child's full name and attention: Registrar

Florida Statues and Leon County School District policy state that it is the responsibility of the student's parents/guardians to notify the school when their child will not be in attendance.  If the student has a prolonged illness (i.e. mumps, chicken pox) notification on the first day of absence will be sufficient.

It is the responsibility of the parent/guardians to make sure their children have recovered from contagious diseases before returning to school.

A written excuse from the parent/guardian is required when a student has been absent or if the child is late to school or leaves early because of a doctor's appointment.

Dates may be found on the school calendar when the new school year begins.  Grades are also available online through the Parent Portal.

Parents will receive periodic progress reports to show pupil performance and progress.  Teachers will schedule conferences during the first nine weeks.

You are welcome to visit your child's classroom, but you are required to contact your child's teacher to  make arrangements at least 24 hours prior to the visit.  Please do not "pop in" without making arrangements through the office and with the teacher.

On the first day of school each student will be given a Gilchrist "holder folder" that holds a great deal of information.  Printed on the folder itself are all of the school's rules and procedures.  In addition, the folder contains permission forms, notices from the district, lists of volunteer opportunities, the school calendar and more. This website and the LCS District Website will hopefully provide the answers to the majority of questions you may have.  Policies and Procedures can also be found by entering a keyword in the search box on the following link http://www.neola.com/leon-fl.  Please contact the front office for additional assistance.

Join the Gilchrist E-Mail List Service!  If you have email at your home or office, please join the Gilchrist Elementary Mailing List.  Our principal sends out a weekly note including announcements, updates and other pertinent information from the school.  There is no cost for this service, and it is easy to join!  Just follow this link LCS Gilchrist Parent E-mail List Service, Click on "Join or Leave the List", enter your e-mail address and click "Join or Leave GES-Parents" upon joining, you will also need to confirm receipt of an email sent to you.