Frequently Asked Questions

Classes begin promptly at 8:00 AM. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, school ends at 3:00 PM. Every Wednesday, school closes at 1PM to allow for collaborative staff planning and development.

All City Neighbors Hamilton students are entitled to participate in the universal school breakfast program, which provides breakfast free of charge; there is no sign-up necessary. If your child would like to eat breakfast at school, they should arrive at school between 7:30 and 7:45 AM. There will be no adult supervision before 7:30 AM; do not drop off students before 7:30 AM.

If your child is not eating breakfast at school, they should arrive at 7:45 AM and go directly to their classroom. No students will be admitted into their classrooms before 7:45 AM. Classes begin promptly at 8 AM.

It is imperative that students are in their classrooms and ready to learn by 8:00 AM and we prefer they are settled in by 7:50. A student’s tardiness not only negatively impacts that student’s learning for the day, it affects the learning of the entire class. It also undermines the ideals of responsibility and schooling that we expect at City Neighbors Hamilton.

Tardiness disrupts the classroom, does not allow students the necessary time to begin their day calmly, and can set a rushed tone for the rest of their day. Students who arrive late miss important activities, making the transition into their school day tense and stressful—not conducive to learning.

Because of our strong commitment to responsible schooling, which includes students arriving on time, we have implemented the following procedure for students who are tardy:

Any student arriving after 8:00 is considered late and must be escorted to their classroom by a parent, guardian, or any other adult responsible for dropping off the child at school and their tardiness will be noted by the homeroom teacher as an unexcused tardy, unless they provide the teacher with a note of excuse. Please note that “running late” or “oversleeping” or “heavy traffic” are not valid excuses for tardiness per Baltimore City Public Schools’ attendance policy and all such tardiness will be considered unexcused.

In order to ensure your child is not marked absent, you should inform your child’s teacher in writing and in advance if your child will arrive late to school due to a scheduled appointment (an email is acceptable). Students who arrive after 8:00 AM due to a planned appointment, must be escorted to their classroom by a parent, guardian, or any other adult responsible for dropping off the child at school and their tardiness will be noted by the homeroom teacher as an excused tardy, as long as they have provided the teacher with a valid note of excuse explaining the child’s tardiness.

Prompt pick-up of all students is expected. Unless there is driving rain, snow, or extreme cold, all classes will be dismissed from the front of the building. In case of driving rain, snow, or extreme cold, students will be dismissed from indoors, usually from the cafe.

Vehicles will enter the campus off of Bayonne Avenue and drive through the school parking lot to form a car pick-up line along the school driveway. Once you have entered the pick-up line, please do not leave your vehicle, as this will obstruct others who are collecting their child/ren. Please observe all traffic/parking signs and exercise extreme caution when coming and going to ensure the safety of our students.

You may also park safely and legally in the neighborhood to retrieve your child. When you park in the neighborhood, please be mindful and respectful of our neighbors by not blocking driveways, fire hydrants, or crosswalks.

Parking on campus is extremely limited and much of it is reserved for school employees. If you choose to park on the school lot, do not block other parked vehicles or obstruct traffic with your vehicle. Extra care should be taken when traveling through the school parking lot to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

If you need to pick up your child early from school, please give written notice in advance to your child’s teacher (an email is sufficient). When you arrive to collect your child, please stop by the school office and to sign them out and to have someone send your child to the office. If the early pickup was unanticipated, a note must be provided to the school office at the time the student is collected from their classroom. All students leaving early must be signed out at the school office.

Unless a parent has been called to pick up a sick or injured child or in the case of a family emergency, no student will be dismissed during the last 30 minutes of the school day: between 2:30 and 3:00 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and between 12:30 and 1 PM on Wednesdays and all other “half days.” Teaching and learning is still happening at the end of the school day and important information is shared during that time. This policy was designed to ensure students feel prepared for the day and week ahead by not disrupting end-of-day classroom routines.

If possible, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher if your child will be absent (an email is acceptable) so the teacher knows not to expect the child late that day, as attendance is entered daily. When your child returns to school, a note of excuse must be provided to the child’s homeroom teacher for the absence to be recorded as excused. If there is no note provided or the information provided on the note is not a valid reason per Baltimore City Public School attendance policy, the absence will be recorded as unexcused. A handwritten note is sufficient but, for your convenience, you can download and print a blank Absence Excuse Form that you may use.

If your child was absent due to a contagious condition, i.e., conjunctivitis (pink eye), strep throat, chicken pox, a physician’s note must be submitted to the Health Suite upon their return to school that states they have been treated and are no longer contagious. Any questions regarding contagious conditions should be directed to the School Nurse/Health Aide.

If your child was absent for any reason, you should expect an automated phone call from Baltimore City Public Schools informing you of the absence. These calls are outside the control of City Neighbors Hamilton. If your child was present and you received an auto-call, please contact your child’s teacher.

City Neighbors Hamilton follows the Baltimore City Public Schools inclement weather policy. For information about school closings, delays, and early dismissals, please consult baltimorecityschools.org, your local television, or radio stations.

If Baltimore City Public Schools close, delay opening, or close early due to inclement weather, City Neighbors Hamilton will close, delay opening, or close early for the corresponding amount of time.

In the event school opening is delayed, dismissal will be at the usual time: 3:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and at 1:00 on Wednesdays. For example:

If Baltimore City Public Schools open 2 hours late, then CNH will open at 10:00, including Wednesdays and any other “half-days.” In the case of a delayed opening on a Wednesday, dismissal will remain the same: 1PM.

If Baltimore City Public Schools close 2 hours early on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays, CNH will close at 1:00. If Baltimore City Public Schools close 2 hours early on a Wednesday or any other “half-days”, CNH will dismiss at the usual time: 1 PM.

There will be no aftercare or after-school activities on days when schools are closed or close early due to inclement weather.

All events scheduled for the morning when schools are closed or the opening is delayed, i.e. before-school care or open houses, will be canceled. Breakfasts are not served at school on days when BCPSS delays opening. If BCPSS cancels its afterschool programs and events due to inclement weather, there will be no afterschool events at CNH, including aftercare.