Getting children up and ready in the morning can be difficult.  Personally, my wife and I have survived the struggles of getting teenagers out of bed when they just want “ten more minutes.”  Dakar traffic can make the task of getting to school on time even more difficult.  However, it is important for students to arrive on campus early enough so they can be in the classroom for the start of lessons.

ISD Students should arrive on campus by 8:20am so they have enough time to order lunch if they want and get to their classroom on time. Secondary school students who arrive late to campus are considered tardy and excessive tardies will result in disciplinary consequences.  The administration will contact parents of elementary students who are consistently late as well.

This will unfortunately be more difficult after the Tabaski holiday for families coming from Almadies.  By then, the Ecole Actuelle Bilangue (EAB) will have started. Since EAB is on the route from Almadies to ISD, there will be traffic jams starting around 7:30am.  Families coming from Almadies should add 15 to 20 minutes to their driving time if you usually pass EAB between 8:00am and 8:15am. Last year, we asked the EAB administration to enlist the help of a gendarme to help with traffic, which they did, and it reduced travel time.  To help families calibrate their morning schedules, students are allowed to arrive on ISD’s campus starting at 7:30am. Elementary students will be supervised by our teaching assistants and are welcome to go to the library or play on the playground or fields. Older students are welcome to study in the library or the outside tables. 

We want the ISD campus to be welcoming both before and after school, especially since a smooth start to the day is important for everyone in the family.  Please help make sure our students are leaving early enough to arrive at school on time, even factoring in the increased traffic.