"I will drive safely when dropping off and picking up my child from school........."

As the school year is winding down, I would like to remind all of the Soleado Families of the importance of traffic safety at our school. We need your help to keep the school and your children safe. EVERY child’s safety is important to us. It remains our highest priority to ensure that students enter and exit cars in a safe and organized way. We ask everyone take time to review pick-up and drop-off procedures once more. Failure to do so creates chaos, frustration and unsafe conditions.  It is for that reason that I am asking all of our parents and any adult dropping off or picking up a child to adhere to the following guidelines:

Be your child’s best example. 

Please be courteous and follow all safety guidelines at all times.

1.    Never allow your child to exit a vehicle into traffic.  This places them at an unnecessary risk.  If you have a car seat in the passenger side, have your child climb over it to exit the vehicle. 

2.    Never walk your child across the parking lot to a parked car.  This places your child directly in the path of cars that are exiting via the “through traffic” lane of the parking lot.

3.    We have had several incidents over the past years in the Kindergarten playground after school with students who are not being supervised.  I know that many of our parents have been collecting their kindergartener or lower grade child and then allowing them to play in the Kindergarten play yard until the upper grade students are dismissed.  The problem is that other students see children playing and assume that they can play as well but they are not being supervised by anyone.  This has led to several incidents in which children have been hurt.  Please wait with your child either in front of the school (fully supervised and waiting with you) or in your car.

 

4.    We have had reports over the years that several of our students, some as young as second grade, walk to their home in the Ridgecrest area after school.  While I believe that it is important that we encourage our students to walk and ride bikes to school, I do not want any of our students crossing Silver Spur and walking great distances alone.  We all know that the world can be a dangerous place and young children walking alone along busy streets presents a potential risk that can and should be avoided.  If you are in need of transportation for your child, please first seek neighbors with whom your child might carpool.  If you are unable to find anyone, let me know and I will do my best to find a family that comes from your area.  

5.    There are several families who wait in the Kid’s Corner parking lot to pick up their children.  The Kid’s Corner parking lot is for Kid’s Corner participants only.  There are no sidewalks or walkways designed for students to walk independently.  Please wait for your child in the traffic line in front of the school.

6.    Please do not park your car on Longhill and call for your child to come and meet you.  If you would like, you may park on Longhill and walk down to get your child and escort them back to your car.  In this way, all of our students are crossing traffic with an adult escort.

7.    Please watch your speed in the parking lot.  Remember that this is a school and there are children present.  Traffic conditions can change in an instant. PASSING IS NOT PERMITTED!

8.    Please refrain from using your cell phone (if you can actually get reception) in the parking lot.  It is imperative that your full attention is on the road.

9.    Please be mindful of the color of the curb on which you are parking.  Red curbs indicate areas where parking is not allowed.  This has been an issue with parents who are parking on the red curb at the base of the ramp next to the Kindergarten yard.  It is difficult for cars to make the turn up the ramp when a parked vehicle is in the way.  This is why our morning drop-off is often times backed up.

10. Proceed with caution when driving on Silver Arrow as we do have a lot of students and parents walking to/from school. 

I know that most of this seems a bit obvious to most of our parents.  Please know that I make these requests for the safety of our students.  As your principal, the thought of anything happening to any one of my students is by far in a way my worst nightmare. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and for your continued support of our place in the sun.

Sincerely,

Gina Stutzel

Principal