Walking Students and Bicycle Riders

Only walkers who live south of Braddock Rd. and east of Rolling Rd. will be allowed to ride bicycles to and from school with parental permission. Students should come to the office to request a "Bicycle Contract". Once it is signed by the student and parent, bicycling will be allowed.

For the safety of pupils, the Crossing Guards, the School Patrols, and the Block Mother Program are used. Parents are requested to instruct children to:

• cooperate with the crossing guards and patrols;
  
• go to a PTA Block Parent home or a known "safe" home if there is a serious emergency or suspicious circumstance; and
  
• use the "Buddy System" at all times.

Bus Riders

Bus service is provided for children who live more than one mile from school or where walking is hazardous. Schedules for bus riders are mailed to each student prior to the opening of school. While pick-up and drop-off times remain fairly constant after the first two weeks of operation, there are circumstances which will alter some individual bus schedules. Inclement weather, especially heavy snow, unusual closing schedules, etc., may cause buses to run late. Where possible, we will notify parents in advance of any unusual schedule change.

Children should be at the bus stop about 5 minutes before the bus is due. Parents are requested to help children develop behavior habits which will contribute to safety at the bus stop and a safe ride on the bus. School bus riders in Fairfax County are required to observe rules of SAFETY and good citizenship while riding on a bus and while waiting at a designated bus stop.

It is essential that bus riders cooperate and adhere to the bus regulations. All children will receive a copy of "Standards of Conduct for Pupils Riding School Buses". Please read these standards with your child and help them to understand the importance of appropriate conduct while riding a FCPS bus. Riding the school bus is a privilege. Students reported for misconduct by the bus driver may be suspended from riding the bus for a set time period. Additionally, please note that large band instruments that cannot be held in one's lap should be transported by car.

Kiss and Ride

Parents transporting their children to school during arrival/dismissal times should use the "Kiss and Ride" traffic pattern illustrated below to discharge/pickup their passengers. Please do not discharge/pickup passengers along Clydsdale Rd. or Danbury Forest Drive. This practice is potentially unsafe, especially when illegal U-turns are being made. Remember to have your child leave and enter from the passenger side of your car. A staff member and safety patrol are assigned to the "Kiss and Ride" area and will assist your child getting out of and into your car. Only one car at a time should be loading or unloading. Please pull your car forward as far as possible along side of the curb and do not pass other cars while children are being loaded or discharged.

PTA Block Parent Program

A bright orange sign depicting a roof over a star identifies a house where a child may seek help if confronted by a serious problem, such as being frightened by a stranger or becoming injured. Your child should be able to easily recognize a Block Parent's house by the orange sign in teh window.

Under the leadership of a teacher-sponsor, student patrols assist in the safety of all students. Students are stationed at school crossings to assist children and are also assigned to the various buses and bus stops. All students are expected to obey the patrols' instructions at all times. Patrols report to the Patrol Sponsor any students they observe who are not following school safety procedures, and parents will be notified either through a note sent home by the classroom teacher, phone call, or letter from the principal.

Transportation by car is recommended only for special or emergency situations. Due to traffic congestion at the entrance of the school during opening and closing hours, we request that no cars be in the traffic circle in front of the school before school or after 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon. This one-way lane is reserved for the arrival and departure of our buses. Please remember that parking along the yellow curb in front of the school is prohibited at all times. This lane must be clear for the arrival of emergency vehicles and the arrival/departure of school buses.

Please always watch for children, buses and other cars when driving near the school or discharging/picking-up your child. It is extremely important that you do not discharge/ pickup passengers along Clydesdale Rd. or Danbury Forest Drive. This practice is potentially unsafe, especially when illegal U-turns are being made.

If accompanying your child into the building, please park your car in a designated parking space. Never leave your keys in the ignition nor leave a locked or unlocked car running. A serious accident could result if the car was jarred.

An increase in automobile traffic on rainy days creates an added safety problem for both walkers and car riders. Please try to rely on school transportation when at all possible during poor weather conditions. This will greatly reduce traffic in the school vicinity and provide safer conditions for all of our children.

Change in Transportation Arrangements

Whenever possible, arrangements to visit friends should be scheduled after children arrive safely at home from school. Should an emergency require that a child walk or ride home with a friend, we ask that both children bring notes from their parents to the school office on the morning of the day permission is requested. Because many buses are filled to capacity, permission to ride a friend's bus will be granted only on a "space available" basis. If a student is going home with another student by car, the parent/guardian who is providing this transportation will need to come into the office and sign both students out. This will be a means of providing safety for all students.