Safety Issues and Traffic Flow
Valet Safety Final from Vintage Magnet on Vimeo.
Safety Issues
The safety of children is of primary concern to all of us. Please discuss the following items thoroughly with your child so that home and school will reinforce each other in this important area:
1) Plan with your child a safe way to and from the school or bus stop. Remind your child to cross streets only at intersections, walk with the street signals, and stay in crosswalks.
2) If you drive your child to school, please drop off and pick up at the playground entrances on Septo Street. DO NOT DOUBLE PARK or park and leave the car. Use the crosswalks. We need to keep traffic moving to avoid congestion and to provide safe conditions for all the children. For the safety of our students, PLEASE COOPERATE!
3) Drivers will also need to observe street signs before parking. Some areas are designated "No Parking" and vehicles may be ticketed or towed. The front of the school on Stare Street is reserved for buses only. It is unsafe to walk between the parked buses.
Please be aware that the following are ILLEGAL and could lead to a traffic citation:
1. Double parking
2. Parking in crosswalks
3. Jaywalking - crossing street out of the crosswalk
4. Stopping and unloading children into the street
Caution your child to walk directly to the bus stop or to school and go directly home at dismissal. Discuss the importance of not speaking to or accepting rides from strangers. Your child should be instructed to report immediately to you or to the office if bothered in any way going to and from school.
Please also follow our "Good Neighbor Policy" by not parking in or blocking driveways of neighboring homes or honking your car horns.
Stress the importance of respect for the property of others. All your neighbors appreciate children who do not trespass on the way to and from school or their bus stops. Please discuss these safety rules with your child.
1) Plan with your child a safe way to and from the school or bus stop. Remind your child to cross streets only at intersections, walk with the street signals, and stay in crosswalks.
2) If you drive your child to school, please drop off and pick up at the playground entrances on Septo Street. DO NOT DOUBLE PARK or park and leave the car. Use the crosswalks. We need to keep traffic moving to avoid congestion and to provide safe conditions for all the children. For the safety of our students, PLEASE COOPERATE!
3) Drivers will also need to observe street signs before parking. Some areas are designated "No Parking" and vehicles may be ticketed or towed. The front of the school on Stare Street is reserved for buses only. It is unsafe to walk between the parked buses.
Please be aware that the following are ILLEGAL and could lead to a traffic citation:
1. Double parking
2. Parking in crosswalks
3. Jaywalking - crossing street out of the crosswalk
4. Stopping and unloading children into the street
Caution your child to walk directly to the bus stop or to school and go directly home at dismissal. Discuss the importance of not speaking to or accepting rides from strangers. Your child should be instructed to report immediately to you or to the office if bothered in any way going to and from school.
Please also follow our "Good Neighbor Policy" by not parking in or blocking driveways of neighboring homes or honking your car horns.
Stress the importance of respect for the property of others. All your neighbors appreciate children who do not trespass on the way to and from school or their bus stops. Please discuss these safety rules with your child.
Transportation - Private Vehicle Traffic Flow
f you drive your child to school, it is important that you read over the following information carefully. All parents who drive their children to school are asked to follow our established traffic pattern described below.
The purpose of this pattern is to make drop off and pick-up safer for students and at the same time hopefully improve the efficiency of the whole process. The pattern is designed to create a single lane of cars along the sidewalk closest to the school for loading and unloading.
The most dangerous conditions arise when drivers double-park inviting students to walk through a lane of traffic to reach their car. Secondly, we have tried to design the pattern to keep the flow of cars moving so more cars can load and unload in a shorter period of time. When you review the procedures, you will see that this will require drivers to approach and leave the school in certain directions and on certain streets. This aspect of the pattern may cause some drivers to take an extra trip around the block. I think most parents would agree that this is a small price to pay to keep children safe.
The purpose of this pattern is to make drop off and pick-up safer for students and at the same time hopefully improve the efficiency of the whole process. The pattern is designed to create a single lane of cars along the sidewalk closest to the school for loading and unloading.
The most dangerous conditions arise when drivers double-park inviting students to walk through a lane of traffic to reach their car. Secondly, we have tried to design the pattern to keep the flow of cars moving so more cars can load and unload in a shorter period of time. When you review the procedures, you will see that this will require drivers to approach and leave the school in certain directions and on certain streets. This aspect of the pattern may cause some drivers to take an extra trip around the block. I think most parents would agree that this is a small price to pay to keep children safe.
All Students - Drop Off at Densmore St. Gate
All students are to enter school through the Densmore gate in the morning. Cars should approach Vintage heading south on Haskell in the far right lane. Cars should form a single line as they turn onto Septo Street, which will continue west until they turn right onto Densmore. Cars should then pull as far forward as possible or until the lane of traffic stops. Only students in the first three to five cars should disembark. The cars following in the lane should wait until they move into the front positions. Students need to be ready to leave their cars immediately when they reach the gate and drivers should remain in the car so they can pull away quickly and allow the lane to move up. If your child needs to finish homework or breakfast, please do so before entering the drop-off pattern. CARS THAT NEED EXTRA TIME TO UNLOAD (multiple children, projects, etc) SHOULD WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE IN THE FIRST POSITION.
Cars should proceed to Stare Street and turn left, exiting the neighborhood heading west on Stare. This way they avoid the buses dropping off in the front of the school and do not create a bottleneck of cars turning onto Haskell Ave.
Cars should proceed to Stare Street and turn left, exiting the neighborhood heading west on Stare. This way they avoid the buses dropping off in the front of the school and do not create a bottleneck of cars turning onto Haskell Ave.
3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Students - Pick up at Septo St. Gate
Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 and any students carpooling with them will exit the school through the Septo gate. Students should wait inside the fence and watch for their car to arrive.
Cars picking-up these students should approach the school heading south on Haskell in the far right lane. Similar to the morning procedure, cars should form a single line as they turn west onto Septo Street. Cars should then pull as far forward as possible. Drivers under no circumstances should leave their car.
If a parent needs to go on campus to find their child, they should park across the street and not block the flow of the carpool lane. Children should only begin loading into a car after it has stopped in the right lane next to the sidewalk. After the vehicle is loaded, the driver should continue west on Septo past Densmore and exit the neighborhood on the next convenient street.
Drivers should not turn right on Densmore to avoid the traffic pattern at the K, 1st and 2nd grade pick-up area.
Cars picking-up these students should approach the school heading south on Haskell in the far right lane. Similar to the morning procedure, cars should form a single line as they turn west onto Septo Street. Cars should then pull as far forward as possible. Drivers under no circumstances should leave their car.
If a parent needs to go on campus to find their child, they should park across the street and not block the flow of the carpool lane. Children should only begin loading into a car after it has stopped in the right lane next to the sidewalk. After the vehicle is loaded, the driver should continue west on Septo past Densmore and exit the neighborhood on the next convenient street.
Drivers should not turn right on Densmore to avoid the traffic pattern at the K, 1st and 2nd grade pick-up area.
Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd Grade Students - Pick up at Densmore Gate
Students in grades K, 1 and 2 will exit the school at the Densmore gate, unless they are being picked up with an older student. Students should wait inside the fence and watch for their car to arrive.
Cars picking up these students should approach the school heading east on Septo. Septo can be accessed from Lassen west of the school using Gloria. Cars should then make left onto Densmore and proceed in a single line in the far right lane. Cars should pull as far forward as possible. Drivers under no circumstances should leave their car. If a parent needs to go on campus to find their child, they should park across the street and not block the flow of the carpool lane.
After children have loaded the car, the car should proceed north on Densmore, make a left turn on Stare Street and exit the neighborhood similar to morning drop off.
Some drivers may say, "What’s the big deal." Or "I don't have time to follow the pattern. I'll drive wherever I want. The school has no right to tell me how to drive on a public street." Tragically, as you may know, a first grade student was a few years ago at another valley elementary school in traffic related incident. Traffic safety around a school is a very serious matter. We as a school community want to do everything we can to avoid such a tragedy before it happens at Vintage. I hope you will do all you can to help.
Cars picking up these students should approach the school heading east on Septo. Septo can be accessed from Lassen west of the school using Gloria. Cars should then make left onto Densmore and proceed in a single line in the far right lane. Cars should pull as far forward as possible. Drivers under no circumstances should leave their car. If a parent needs to go on campus to find their child, they should park across the street and not block the flow of the carpool lane.
After children have loaded the car, the car should proceed north on Densmore, make a left turn on Stare Street and exit the neighborhood similar to morning drop off.
Some drivers may say, "What’s the big deal." Or "I don't have time to follow the pattern. I'll drive wherever I want. The school has no right to tell me how to drive on a public street." Tragically, as you may know, a first grade student was a few years ago at another valley elementary school in traffic related incident. Traffic safety around a school is a very serious matter. We as a school community want to do everything we can to avoid such a tragedy before it happens at Vintage. I hope you will do all you can to help.