Dear Heath Families,

Our most important concern is safety of our students and community. Vehicles illegally parked in our school parking lot pose a serious safety risk for students who walk through the parking lot to get to school.

Parents and/or Caregivers must park their vehicles in a designated parking spot before allowing their children to enter. Exiting and entering an unsecured vehicle is not allowed.

Parents and/or Caregivers are not to exit vehicles in the pick-up and to drop off lane.  Parents are to remain in their cars and keep the flow of traffic moving, stopping only to have their child safely and independently enter or exit the vehicle.  There is NO PARKING in the pick-up or drop-off lane at any time. If your child is not ready in the pick-up zone, you must make another loop around the circle until your child is readily available.  If your child requires assistance (buckling or unbuckling seatbelts, gathering backpack/lunch kit and/or opening and closing vehicle doors), parents are to park their vehicle in a designated parking spot and assist their child without holding up traffic in the parking lot.

Pull all the way up to the top of the pick-up/drop-off zone.  Please do not stop to drop off or pick up your child at the at the beginning of this area, as it limits the number of students that can be picked up at one time and creates a bigger bottle neck that backs up into the street.

Alternate like a zipper.   It is important to keep the flow of traffic moving.  In order to do that, it is important to alternate between traffic entering the parking lot/pick-up & drop-off circle from the street and/or exiting the parking lot with those drivers in the circle.  If drivers in the pick-up & drop-off circle allow several cars into the parking lot from the street without moving themselves, this creates a backup or standstill.

The parking lot is ONE WAY.  – Please follow the painted arrows.  Upon entering the parking lot, the traffic flows in one direction.  Please do not go against the flow of traffic to exit the lot.

Do not pass on the inside of the pick-up and drop-off circle. This is a single lane area only.  Passing is both dangerous and creates more congestion, as it blocks parked drivers from exiting the school grounds once they have cleared the pick-up and drop off.

At NO TIME, should drivers without a handicap placard park in a designated handicapped space.  We have had occasions wherein drivers needing these designated spots did not have them available, due to parents who parked in them needing “only a quick minute” to drop items off or pick students up.  We have handicapped spaces available and they need to remain available only to those drivers with a posted placard.

Please consider walking or riding your bike whenever possible. This too will help to alleviate the volume and strain of this congested area. Bike helmets are required for all WHEELS (bike and skateboards). Locks for bikes are also required.

Hopefully every parent will take a moment to reflect on the drop off and pick up patterns that you have with your children, and make a few small changes, that together, will create a safe traffic pattern around our school site.