• Carpool signs are required to enter campus and must remain visible at all times while on school grounds. Carpool signs are are distributed at orientation in August.

• Please observe the campus speed limit on campus of 15 MPH.

• To visit campus outside of regular drop-off or pick-up times, enter via the main front gate on Desert Inn Road.

View the Drop-Off & Pick-Up Map.

Watch the Morning Drop-Off Directions video.

Morning Drop-Off

• Before-Care starts at 7 a.m. in the Library for K-8 students and in EC Room 1 for EC students. 

• K-8 morning drop-off starts at 7:50 a.m. and school starts at 8:15 a.m.
  • K-8 students who arrive at 8:20 a.m. or later must sign in at their divisional office.
• EC morning drop-off starts at 8 a.m. and school starts at 8:45 a.m.
• EC-4 Drop-Off: Cars should enter campus through the back gate off of Garden Park Drive.
• 5-8 Drop-Off: Cars should enter campus through the main gate off of West Desert Inn Road.
• For families with students in multiple divisions: Children can be dropped off together at the youngest child's division.

Afternoon Pick-Up

• School is dismissed at 3:15 p.m. and afternoon carpool begins at 3:20 p.m.
• For families with students in multiple divisions: Children can be picked up together at the youngest child's division.
• If your child is not picked up by 3:40 p.m., they will be safely escorted to extended care. 

Extended Care

On regularly scheduled school days, before-care is offered each morning and after-care is offered each afternoon. Pre-registration is required.

• Before-Care features a relaxing and supportive early start to the day beginning at 7 a.m.
• After-Care features structured recreation, social time and quiet time. After-care begins at 3:30 p.m. for Early Childhood students and 3:45 p.m. for K-8 students. After-care services end at 6 p.m.

BASE: Bears After-School Engagement

Dawson's BASE Program is a child-centered environment focused on the development of social responsibility, intellectual curiosity, self-esteem, and the discovery of new passions. We offer a variety of activities, including leading-edge experiential learning programs, athletics, art experiences, and technology explorations. 

BASE classes are offered each quarter and registration is required.

We know healthy minds and healthy bodies work in tandem, so providing high-quality and delicious food choices is a priority. Research shows that improved nutrition in schools leads to increased focus and attention, improved test scores, and better classroom behavior. Nutritious food options encourage lifelong healthy eating habits. 

We use SAGE Dining Services to provide healthy snacks and meals for our students and employees. 

Explore our lunch menus

• New Dawson Uniforms: New uniform vendor information coming soon. 
   

• Middle School Health & Fitness Dress Code:

  • Students are not allowed to wear non-Dawson athletics shorts and t-shirts
  • Students are not allowed to wear non-athletics shoes such as Crocs, high-platform sneakers, Uggs, or boots
  • Wearing these items will result in a deduction of class participation points

  • All Middle School students must have Dawson-approved health & fitness clothes by Monday, August 26. Health & fitness clothing can be purchased online via Gear Up By Design or the Dawson Merch store.
     

• Bear Wear: Every Friday is Bear Wear Day, an opportunity for students to show school pride and an essential way to support the Dawson Parent Association. On Bear Wear Fridays, students may wear a Bear Wear top with either Bear Wear bottoms or Dawson uniform-approved bottoms.
   

• Spirit Days: The School has several Spirit Days throughout the year when students may wear a Bear Wear top with either Bear Wear bottoms, jeans, or uniform-approved bottoms.
   

• How to Purchase Bear Wear: Bear Wear is available via the Gear Up By Design website and is not available for purchase on campus. Most items come in multiple colors and can be personalized with different logos, glitter, rhinestones, names, and numbers. Bear Wear orders from Gear Up By Design take two to three weeks and can be shipped directly to your house (for an additional fee) or sent to the school for pick up (at no charge).
   

• How to Purchase Dawson Athletics Merch: The Dawson Merch store provides apparel in support of our Bears Athletics teams. Dawson Merch tops can be worn on Bear Wear Fridays or Spirit Days, and is encouraged at Bears Athletics games.

Due to Dawson’s childcare licensure, all students entering the School’s Early Childhood program must be completely toilet-trained by the first day of school:

• Students must wear underwear all day and stay dry through rest time/naps (no pull-ups or diapers)

• Students must know when to use the restroom without being prompted

• Students must be able to handle all toileting needs independently

Dawson parents/caregivers are critical to the life and community of the School. The relationship is one of reciprocity: Dawson provides services and communications; in turn, the School often relies on enthusiastic parents/caregivers to volunteer their time and talents. 

Throughout the school year, parents/caregivers organize and host several community-building events that rely solely on community volunteers. The proceeds of these events are used to fund important educational and appreciation initiatives at the School. 

Volunteer opportunities include the annual Gingerbread Event, the Family Dance, and more. Details will be shared during the school year. 

At the heart of The Alexander Dawson School is the wonderfully warm and caring relationship formed between teachers and parents as powerful educational partners. Together, we help children express their own ideas, by giving them the tools to build skills and navigate new learning possibilities.

The School provides many parent/caregiver engagement and education opportunities throughout the school year.

• Community Forums: We gather for these mini state-of-the-school addresses to discuss ideas, ask questions, share wonders, and listen for understanding. For more information, click here.
• Education Coffee Chats: The goal of the Parent Education series is to provide a glimpse into the intentional instructional practices we use and the research behind our curriculum selections. For more information about the Parent Education Piece, click here. 
• Parent University: The Alexander Dawson School hosts and facilitates Parent University workshops to provide current research in parenting and child development. For more information about Parent University, click here.