Q: What happens if I don't have SDM on my phone (or haven't set myself up) when I arrive for carpool?
A: Please
contact us if you are not able to download the mobile app to use for carpool check-in.
Q: What if I don't own a smartphone?
A: Please
contact us if you are not able to download the mobile app to use for carpool check-in.
Q: I don't get great cell reception on campus. How do I check in?
A: Each mobile provider and device are different, so each parent will need to figure out where cell reception is best for them and plan to push the Check In button when in a "sweet spot".
Q: If my student is arriving late and I have specified this in the SDM app, do I have to walk my student inside?
A: We DO require a guardian to walk inside with a student and sign them in on the clipboard if arriving late.
Q: If my student is leaving early and I have specified this in the SDM app, do I have to come inside to pick up my student?
A: We DO require a guardian to come inside to pick up a student who is leaving early and sign them out on the clipboard. If we do not have your drivers license on file, please bring your drivers license into the building for verification. Your student will not be sent outside to your vehicle alone.
Q: What if my phone battery dies as I arrive for carpool?
A: If you cannot use the SDM app to check in, you will be directed to drive all the way through the carpool line, park in the parking lot, and walk inside with a driver's license to sign the student out. We recommend keeping a charging cord in your car at all times in case you do run low on battery by the time you get to afternoon carpool.
Q: Can I check in before 3:25 pm?
A: No. The Check In button will not be visible in the mobile app until 3:25 pm.
Q: What if I'm a PTO VIP? Do I need to check in for pick-up?
A: VIP parents need to check in using the SDM Check In button just like everyone else, although you'll need to wait until the Check In button appears at 3:25 pm each day.
Q: Can I check in after 3:25 pm if I'm not at school yet?
A: This is physically possible but strongly discouraged. Pushing the Check In button before arriving on campus (e.g., while at home or at the store before carpool starts) doesn't mean the student will get to you faster. In fact, it's just the opposite! It means more students will be waiting outside long before their parents arrive, creating a more chaotic and distracting release environment for students which ultimately slows down the carpool line for everyone -- including the parents who push the Check In button early.
Q: I typically arrive to pick up around 4:05 after All Call has been called. Do I have to check in with the SDM app?
A: Yes! The Check In button's primary function is to let the school know THAT you have arrived, WHO you are, and WHO is being picked up. It's a dismissal manager, NOT just a button to send kids downstairs. SDM talks to our teachers and our front office and our operations team all at once, and the outcome is both increased efficiency and increased student security. If you arrive after All Call has been called, we still need to know who you are and who you're picking up!
Q: What if I pick up after normal dismissal time (Homework Club/Crash Club, athletics, or other ECAs)?
A: Parents will NOT use SDM to notify of arrival for after-school activities. The pick-up process for after-school activities will be communicated to you by school staff.
Q: Why can't I make changes to my student's daily exception at the end of the school day?
A: When creating an exception for the current day in SDM, the cut-off time is 2:40 pm.The deadline allows our staff to begin preparing for end-of -school release. After 2:40 pm, parents/guardians must call the front office to notify the school of any dismissal changes for the current day. Please DO NOT email teachers with dismissal instructions! Teachers are not able to make changes in SDM for your child(ren).
Q: Can I set up SDM so that I can pick one student up right after school and the other later on?
A: Yes, you can! One of the benefits to SDM is that parents can make changes to individual students within your family. Once you log in to SDM, each student will be listed individually in the calendar so that you can select that student and create a dismissal for each of them separately.
Q: How can I have a non-legal guardian (grandparents, older sibling, caretaker, non-AA family friend, etc.) pick up in carpool?
A: Non-legal guardians should install the SDM app on their smartphone and then log into the app using the parent’s login credentials. Only parents and legal guardians that are on-file in Infinite Campus (and associated with official student records) may be given their own unique login access to SDM.
Click here for more detailed instructions.
Q: I usually do the afternoon carpool pick-up for my family so why does my spouse need to get set up in SDM?
A: It's up to you. We recommend that all parents/legal guardians get set up NOW for the simple reason that it's easier to do now than in rush in case of a sudden need. If that parent or legal guardian chooses not get set-up in SDM, they may still pick up students. They can login to the SDM mobile app using their spouse's credentials. If they do not have the SDM mobile app, they will not be able to pick up the student in the carpool line. Instead, they will be directed to drive all the way through the carpool line, park in the parking lot, and walk inside with a driver's license to sign the student out.
Q: We want to carpool with another American Academy family. Can I set this up in SDM?
A: Yes, you can! But you may only set this as a status for your OWN students (see
instructions). The parents of the other family will need to set up the recurring dismissal exception for THEIR own students in SDM.
Q: How do I arrange to pick up another American Academy student?
A: You can't. That student's parent must make the arrangement for their own student within School Dismissal Manager
using the instructions here.
Q: I have children and step-children to pick up. How do I check in at carpool to pick up my step-children?
If you have a SDM login, your spouse will need to authorize you as an AA family to pick up the step-children (see
instructions).
Q: My spouse and I share an email address in our student's Infinite Campus account, but I didn't receive the original set-up email.
A: SDM dismissal is set up with student safety and accountability in mind first and foremost. So that all check-ins and changes can be tracked and traced to specific people, the system requires that every parent and legal guardian have their own
unique email address. Because we have to assign a single email address to ONE parent, the system only sent an email to ONE parent to the email on file in Infinite Campus. Please
contact us for help with resolving this issue.