Carpool Procedures

Important Morning Drop-Off Safety Reminder:

Parents entering the school office from 8:00-8:30 a.m. are asked to park on the Parish Hall side of the office and enter via the sidewalk from the hall lot. Please take care to not cross through the carpool line.

Arrival and Dismissal Carpool Policy:

• Parents are responsible to arrange carpool.
• Only students participating in approved after school activities are permitted to remain at school. Siblings and other carpool members must go directly home at dismissal.
• Carpool drivers are responsible for the safety of their passengers at all times! At any time a student is riding in a different car pool, the school must be notified in writing - name of the driver and description of car.
• For the safety of all, the speed limit in the parking lot is 5 M.P.H.
• Cell phone usage while driving is prohibited.
• Pets must remain in cars

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Morning Carpool Drop Off Guidelines and Procedure: 

Carpool Guidelines:

• Backpacks should be packed and ready to go
• Parents should remain in the car
• Students with crutches/casts should contact the school office to receive special permission to park in Hall Lot A and enter the school building through the main doors
• Transportation/Parking Morning Carpool drop-off begins at 7:40a.m.
• Have your passengers ready to exit the vehicle from the right side of the car only, when you have pulled to the sidewalk.              
• Students may exit a vehicle once it is at a complete stop.  A staff member is available to open passenger doors for younger students or those students that are unable to open themselves.  All students must exit from the right passenger side of the vehicle. Drivers need to remain in their cars. All students will walk on the sidewalk and proceed to the Student Only Entrance.                                
• Please refrain from using your vehicle’s trunk to transport book bags.

   
Carpool Procedures:

• Carpool drivers enter the SJS property from Peachtree Street. Turn right at the cones.
• Proceed to the next set of orange cones and make a left between island and curb.
• Proceed to the sidewalk and make a left to drive across the front building entrances.
• **Proceed to the corner of the building, and turn right to drive down the long side of the School building, past the Student Entrance toward the Gym, following the yellow line and moving up as far as possible along the building before stopping.                                          

 
**Early arriving cars, that is, cars arriving prior to 7:40am, are directed to drive past the front of the school, past the gym doors, loop around, and stop at the lane-marking cone, facing the parking lot, and in position to make the right hand turn to exit towards Ferndale. Engines are off, and students remain in the cars. Cars will continue to fill in that area until 7:40am, at which time, notification will be given for students to exit their cars. During this process, only students in this area are exiting cars. Once this process is complete, notification will be given to cars that are curbside that students may exit the car.

Later arriving cars are held in the curbside area along the front of the school adjacent to the sidewalk. Students who are old enough to open and close a car door without assistance, may do so, and exit their cars, unassisted, and walk to the school door. Younger children should wait for an adult to come by to assist.

Cars may start to move once students are safely on the sidewalk, and the adult directing traffic has waved cars on. At this point, the carpool continues in the same manner as it always has, with cars pulling up along the curb, filling in the curb area from the gym to the 2 ^nd grade door. Students can exit cars at any point along this walkway.

Once your car has come to a complete stop, students who are old enough to open and close a car door without assistance, may do so. Younger children should wait for an adult to come by. This has proven to speed up the drop off process without compromising student safety, however,  at no time should a small child exit the car alone, nor should a parent feel compelled to have a child leave the car alone, if you feel support is needed.

Whether your child needs assistance is generally a "parent call," reflecting a parent's opinion that the child is big enough to exit the car without support. No one is required to exit a car without the assistance of an adult.
 

• Students exit their vehicles, walk on the sidewalk and enter through the Student Only Entrance.
• Vehicles turn left at the end of the parking lot. 
• Proceed to the “Franciscan Way” sign, and make a final right to exit the school property between the Herndon Community Center and the Priests’ Residence onto Ferndale Ave with a left or a right. This is the only a.m. carpool exit.    

 

 ​Afternoon Carpool Procedures:

 

• Enter St. Joseph Catholic School property at Peachtree Street. 
• Proceed to CAR or VAN lane.
• The first three lanes are for cars.
• The fourth lane is a pedestrian lane.
• The fifth and beyond are for vans and SUV’s.  
• TURN OFF ENGINE. Please remain in your vehicle.  
• Students exit building and proceed to their vehicles.
• Vehicles are stopped in the second carpool lanes once the students begin to exit the building. Once the students are all in their vehicles, the signal is given to TURN ENGINE ON.
• As directed by a faculty member, first carpool proceeds out of the parking lot via “Franciscan Way” Road.
• Second carpool is directed into vacated CAR lanes.
• Please turn off your engines; students will proceed to their cars when directed.
• Once first carpool has exited the parking lot, second carpool exits. Students are not permitted in the second carpool area.                                                                                                  
• Students remaining after the third round of cars will be directed to Extended Day and parents will be charged accordingly.

Bicycles/Walkers Policy:

• Written permission is needed by the office for both bikers and walkers.
• Students are allowed to ride bicycles to school and are expected to observe all safety rules. Bicycles should be locked at the designated bicycle racks.
• As a safety precaution, students are not allowed to ride bicycles within the parking lot.
• Students should remain away from the bicycle area during lunch and recess.
• Bicycle riders must wear a helmet.
• Walkers are assembled in a specified area at dismissal time.
• They are dismissed as a group by the designated faculty member(s) at a time deemed safe. This policy is in effect for all walkers regardless of parental accompaniment.
• A Permission Form must be signed and on file with the school administration. St. Joseph Catholic School will follow the safety directive of Fairfax County’s Transportation Department which permits a student who lives within a radius of one (1) mile of the school to walk/bike to or from school.
• The following regulations must be strictly adhered to:

* Students must use extreme caution entering and exiting the school parking lot.
* Students must arrive at school by 8 AM.  
* Students must exit immediately following afternoon announcements. (Out the 2nd grade       doors, under the supervision of the walkers moderator).  
* Students must follow each directive of teacher(s) on duty.      
* Students must submit written parental permission 
* Students must at all times represent the St. Joseph’s Code of Conduct. 
* Students riding a bicycle must wear a helmet and possess a lock for the bicycle.
* Students must walk on sidewalks (where present) and bikers must follow all safety rules.   * Students must go directly to destination and not return to St. Joseph School property.
* Students must know home and emergency phone numbers.