TIME PERIOD - School doors open at 8:00 AM

Breakfast is served starting at 8:00 AM each morning. 
Students may choose to get breakfast or go directly to their classrooms beginning at 8:00 AM. 
Classes begin at 8:15 am. Students who enter the building after 8:15 AM must report to the office for a late pass

All students who have signed permission to walk home will be dismissed from the left side of the school, near the Tire Playground.

Families/Older Siblings can meet students at this location, however, PARKING in the MAIN LOT is CLOSED from 2:15 to 2:45 PM.

Traffic pattern 

During arrival and dismissal, vehicles must enter the McCarthy lot from the Oaks Rd/Flagg Drive intersection as Left Hand turns are not permitted into the parking lot. The front parking lot of McCarthy is reserved for staff only, with the exception of Pre-K, which is given reserved spots for drop-off. 

Caregiver ~ Rolling Drop-Off

• Arrival BEGINS at 8:00AM. 
• Vehicles may enter the McCarthy LOT beginning at 7:50 AM.
• All students who are driven to school MUST USE THE DROP OFF PROCESS.
• Cars must turn right to enter the McCarthy School lot from Flagg Drive. 
• Cars will stay to the right, and turn right as noted, following the drop-off route.
• Buses will stay to the left and proceed along to the Main Entrance of the school.
• PARKING in the MAIN LOT is CLOSED from 7:45 to 8:15 AM, unless you have business in McCarthy Elementary. 

Arrival/Drop-off Process:

• BEGINNING at 8:00 AM, WHEN staff are present, students may unload in the LOADING/UNLOADING ZONE
• Have your child prepared to step out of the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible.
  • For safety reasons, we REQUEST that students unload from the backseat, on the driver’s side.
• Once all cars have unloaded from the zone, they will be directed to exit.
• Await DIRECTION FROM STAFF before moving forward.
• Proceed to the straight, up the hill, to exit to the right.
• ALL CARS MUST TURN RIGHT ONTO FLAGG DRIVE when exiting.

Walkers & Bicycles 

• Families can walk and drop off their students at the side door by the Tire Playground beginning at 8:00 AM. 
•  However, PARKING in the MAIN LOT is CLOSED from 2:15 to 2:45 PM.

• Older children, with caregiver permission, are allowed to walk alone or ride bicycles to/from school. Caregivers must provide written permission with the office prior to students arriving or dismissing alone.
• Starting in Fall 2025, Bicycles need to be secured in the bike rack on the side of the school.  At the end of the day, children riding a bike will be dismissed with “walkers” and they will walk their bike across the crosswalk escorted by the crossing guard. 

Crosswalks

Always use the crosswalks when walking to and from school. There is a crossing guard stationed at the end of Normandy street turning onto Flagg Drive.

TIME PERIOD – Dismissal is 2:30 PM 

The front building doors will be locked until the bell rings and students are dismissed.  

Caregiver Pick-up

• Dismissal begins at 2:30PM. Vehicles will be permitted into the Pick-Up area beginning at 2:15 PM.
• Caregivers MUST REMAIN IN THEIR VEHICLE at ALL TIMES, while in the Pick-Up area.
• PARKING in the MAIN LOT is CLOSED from 2:15 to 2:45. All students who are picked up at school MUST USE the Pick-up PROCESS.

Dismissal/Pick-Up Process:

• Cars and Buses will enter the McCarthy School lot from Flagg Drive, as marked.
• Buses will stay to the left and proceed along to the Main Entrance of the school.
• Cars will stay to the right
• Have your DASHBOARD Sign, with your child's name, on the driver side dashboard. Please leave it in your dashboard until your child is in your vehicle.
• Students will be placed into your car in the LOADING/UNLOADING ZONE.
• We REQUEST that students load into the backseat on the driver’s side for safety.
• Once all cars have loaded, they will be directed to exit. Await DIRECTION FROM STAFF before moving forward.
• Proceed to the RIGHT, up the hill, to exit.
• ALL CARS MUST TURN RIGHT ONTO FLAGG DRIVE when exiting.
• *NOTE: There is a waiting/seat belt area for cars, as needed, to the left of the loading zone. Once your child is ready, cars MUST proceed up the hill, to exit.

Reporting an Absence or Tardy 

Absence line: 508-626-9161  

Call between 4:00 P. M. and 8:00 A.M. if your child is to be absent OR tardy.  

Late students must report directly to the office upon arrival.

Dismissing a Student Early 

A written request from a parent is necessary for ANY dismissal changes. Requests should be emailed or brought into the school office before the start of the school day. No requests will be taken after 12:30 pm unless it is an emergency.

Caregiver Teacher Conferences 

Teachers hold parent teacher conferences twice a year. These are usually held during school hours on early release day. Teachers will communicate directly with parents for date/time slots.  The fall conference is a progress report. The spring conference is a summary of the year and an assessment of your child’s progress. 
 

Report Cards 

Report cards are shared twice a year. Report Cards can be found on the SIS (Aspen X2) portal. 
 

Curriculum Nights 

In the early fall, the school hosts Curriculum Nights. Teachers and administration will discuss the general curriculum for the year and the expectations in each grade.  Parents will also see classrooms and have time to ask questions to the staff and teachers. It is recommended that children do not attend.

The Lost and Found is located near the ramp entry to the school cafeteria to the right of the main entrance door. Whenever possible, please label your children’s belongings with their name and class. Our fifth grade Meerkat Monitors work diligently to keep the Lost and Found organized and return lost items. Items not claimed (after a certain period of time and with notification) are donated to Goodwill.

School Parking Lot 

Parking is limited in the school parking lot, and it’s best to avoid it during the morning and afternoon rush, except for scheduled meetings. The only parking spaces available for caregivers are in the MAIN LOT in  front of the school, marked visitor parking. The parking lot on the side of the school by the Tire Playground is reserved for staff as well as the majority of the MAIN LOT. In addition: 

• PARKING in the MAIN LOT is CLOSED from 7:45-8:15 AM and 2:15-2:45 PM daily for arrival and dismissal, with the exception of caregivers of Pre-Kindergarten. 
• You may not pull into the school lot using a left hand turn from Flagg Drive. 

On-Street Parking 

There is minimal street parking near McCarthy Elementary school. Families may choose to park in the parking lot of the Framingham Parent Information Center (PIC), also called Farley Building and formerly known as Mass Bay Community college, and walk to McCarthy.

CORI Form
CORI, Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information, is good for 3 years.  It is required if you are going to be working or volunteering in the school or on a field trip. Please check in with the office to confirm your CORI hasn’t expired before signing up for an event this year. An online CORI form can be found here.

Helping with events 

The PTO is excited to host fun activities and events each year. Information about these events is posted on the lobby bulletin board and in our weekly PTO newsletter. There is always a need for volunteers and chaperones for events and field trips – we cannot do it without your help!  Please be sure that you have a processed CORI prior to volunteering in school or field trip.   

Mystery reader 

Kindergarten Only 

Teachers may ask for various “mystery readers” during the course of the year to read books to the class. The “mystery” is that the students don’t know who is coming to read, and your arrival will surprise and delight all! Please note that you MUST bring a photo ID. Once you arrive at the school the office will enter your information into the Raptor system and issue you a visitor’s badge.

Weekly Newsletter

McCarthy Memo is the school’s weekly newsletter. It is sent to parents via ParentSquare and includes messages and important school announcements from the principal and staff. It is an informative resource for parents and a great way to stay connected.

McCarthy PTO

The McCarthy PTO is a volunteer organization of dedicated parents, teachers and staff to promote fundraising events and extracurricular activities to support McCarthy students and families. 

• McCarthy PTO to learn more about McCarthy PTO 
• Want to stay updated on school events, like our amazing Pumpkin Fair, Winter Dance, or Summer Bash? PTO Email to be added to our PTO email list!

Follow us on Facebook (@mccpto) or Instagram (@miriammccarthypto) to stay up-to-date on everything happening with the McCarthy PTO.