Quiet Dismissal
Quiet Dismissal is a shared Google sheet that allows real-time info about dismissal in a much quieter way than using PA systems, runners, and walkie-talkies. 
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What is it? Silent Dismissal is something I created because our elementary school's dismissal program was too loud, too dirty, and a waste of enrichment/instructional time.
When do I use this? Every day students are in the building. How it works: One teacher sits near the PA system microphone and the input computer Front Office (Silent Dismissal Crew). This is usually me but now there is an awesome teacher-librarian that is learning the system. I hear the car rider numbers called out over the walkie-talkie by the Car Rider Teacher. Another teacher mans this post outside. A third teacher is down with the buses - the Buses Teacher. The Principal or Assistant Principal lead off closing announcements, and make the first call for PreK and Kinder to dismiss. Then they turn it over to Quiet Dismissal Crew. Car Rider Numbers. Our school assigns each family a car rider number based on the oldest child's grade level. We have 200 numbers set aside for each grade level. If Jose is in 4th grade and his younger sister Jasmine is in 1st, then both children would share a car rider number in the 1100 range. Twins in PreK would both have the same 100 range number. We assign EVERY CHILD car rider numbers, even if the child(ren) are bus riders every day. There is always that one time when the child will miss the bus, or needs to be checked out early. We do this by car rider number. Special Situations with Car Rider Numbers: Usually, each family gets two tags with the number on it. If two unrelated families live in one house, they would get two sets of numbers for each family. That carpool might hang two tags in one car. If there is a divorce, 3-4 parent-step parent families, or grandparents then they might need multiple sets of numbers. If there are half-siblings who split households with different parents, we might assign the siblings separate car numbers for each parent. Only known car riders are put on the spreadsheet. Even though every child has a car rider number, I do not put every car rider number on the sheet. I put only the known car riders. When that one parent comes to pick the child up who is normally a bus rider, I will type that car rider number in red and highlight it like the others. I might also call it out over the PA. Order of Our School's Dismissal:
Cost: Free How hard was it to create? It was easy for me to make because I am quick in Microsoft Excel, and Google Sheets is similar. I use copy and paste keyboard shortcuts extensively. We work our original document on a Mac, but the teachers all have PC's in their classrooms. It matters not one bit. I just have to know two operating systems. Can I get help making this for my school? that is why I created this page. My time is stretched pretty thin. But, I am keen to help people who really need the help. I might be available to do a PD (Skype or in person, depending on all sorts of things.) Probably in the summer or when my school district is on a holiday or break. You'll have to contact me through my school's email address. If you can't track me down I figure you probably can't figure out silent dismissal. Consider it a pre-test. :-) Who created it? Heather Michelle Miller, a teacher in Dekalb County School District's Oakcliff Traditional Theme School. I created this to help kids get to their after school destinations safely and efficiently. Our old system for dismissal was chaotic, loud, dirty, and gave lots of people headaches. It was also harder to keep track of where kids were supposed to be going. I also created it to squeeze in a little bit of additional enrichment, instructional, or planning time in the school day. Name change? We originally called this system "Silent Dismissal." But that was just not accurate. We still use the PA, and the kids and teachers still make noise moving about the hallways and classrooms. This system is more appropriately named "Quiet Dismissal." This is because compared to our old way, this is much quieter. |
This video is the screen cast time lapse video of the classroom view.
Oakcliff Traditional Theme School's (Elementary) 2020-2021 Quiet DismissalOur District has been Virtual learning and teaching since March 2020. We are now face to face learning.We also needed to put together a social distanced way of dismissing students. This is what we came up with.
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Files and Documents
The Classroom View is sized to the smallest projection screen in our building. Some teachers can see some of my work area on their regular screen. They just ignore the area outside of the car rider block. This is a shared Google sheet, so anyone can scroll over to the sides and see my work area, but they don't because it doesn't do them any good.
This is the tutorial video...it's 9 minutes. Tech teachers, feel free to show your principals or copy the idea for your school. I tried to zoom in on these files so you could get the idea for your own school.
This is an exported Microsoft Excel file that might have formatting issues. But, for looking at the file, it might be helpful. In our school, we could not share this file like we could the Google Sheet.
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The Google Sheet can be viewed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1naZZTP7cHKdO_Rv0bjGgwkAvUKYlI8dQBVvnlvfN2FQ/edit?usp=sharing
This is a screen shot of the Classroom View.
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Quiet Dismissal Work Station. This has many things that I copy and paste repeatedly to enter data live, but also to reset the screen for the next day.
Stoneview Elementary School's 2019-2020 Quiet Dismissal
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Over the summer of 2019, Stoneview Elementary leadership team asked me to help them set up a custom spreadsheet Google Doc for their silent dismissal.
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Hembrick Elementary School's 2020-2021 Quiet Dismissal
Our District has been Virtual learning and teaching since March 2020. We are now face to face learning. Hembrick ES called and wanted to put together a social distanced way of dismissing students. This is what we came up with.
Oakcliff Traditional Theme School's (Elementary) 2020-2021 Quiet Dismissal
Our District has been Virtual learning and teaching since March 2020. We are now face to face learning.We also needed to put together a social distanced way of dismissing students. This is what we came up with.