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Parking Lot Rules

St Mary's Parish School Drop-off Traffic Pattern:

All Vehicles:

  • Children are not as aware of moving vehicles as we would like them to be. Pedestrians ALWAYS have the right of way.
  • Vehicles on the parking lot should never exceed 5 miles per hour.
  • Vehicles may NEVER back out from parking spaces.
  • When using any drop off lane, children should have their backpacks with them. Do not stop to remove any items from the trunk or hatchback of your vehicle. If you must stop, do so in an appropriately marked parking space and escort your child to the appropriate crosswalk. Children in primary grades should be escorted to the courtyard.
  • When the bell rings at 7:35 students move to their respective lines and enter the building. Class begins promptly at 7:45.
  • Allow yourself enough time so that speed limits can be maintained on all neighboring side streets.

Cars Entering From the West

  • Please do not cross the planters to the east side of the lot. If you need to come into the building or to bring your children to the courtyard, do not enter the west parking lot. Follow the rules for Cars Entering from the East .
  • Enter the church parking lot through the middle driveway on Church Street, proceed south around cars that may be parked in the church lot. Then, drive east in a straight line along the lawns adjacent to the church toward the barriers.
  • Approach the barriers and turn left, facing north
  • Drop off your children (with their backpacks and projects in hand) along the barriers. Teach your children to move toward the gym doors and over to the courtyard using the crosswalk. When they are safely in a pedestrian zone, slowly proceed toward the Church Street exit farthest from the church to avoid crossing incoming traffic.

Cars Entering from the East:

  • All vehicles will enter on Crescent (north driveway) and exit on Crescent (south driveway). Beware of children walking to school. Yield to children crossing either driveway on Crescent at all times.
  • A "no-drive zone" of about 6 feet in width is marked just to the north of the courtyard.
  • The next lane, adjacent to the no-drive zone is the "Safe Not Sorry" drop-off lane.

Using the Safe Not Sorry Drop Off Lane:

  • Enter from the northern-most driveway on Crescent and drive toward the western-most lamppost on the East Side parking lot.
  • Circle 180 degrees around the lamppost toward the Safe Not Sorry drop off lane. DO NOT DRIVE TOWARD THE GYM DOORS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. This area must be kept safe for pedestrians. Parallel to the courtyard chains but on the right side of the no-drive zone; pull your car up as close to the primary wing of the building as you can. If all cars pull up and no one stops to get anything out of their trunk, this Safe Not Sorry lane should keep moving smoothly.
  • Drop off your children (with their backpacks and projects in hand). Teach them to exit from the passenger side, cross the no-drive zone, and move into the courtyard. As the driver, you must come to a complete stop to accommodate any children and parents walking along the pedestrian zone in the middle of the parking lot, from the parking area to the courtyard. Pedestrians always have the right of way.
  • Proceed at 5 miles per hour to the exit. If you need to turn left, use your turn indicator to communicate your intention, and merge into the second lane, the Adults Only lane. Stop before the driveway to accommodate walking children, then turn left cautiously unto Crescent. If you will be turning right, be patient, stop before the driveway to accommodate walking children, then turn right.

Using the Adults Only Lane

  • If you must park your car to retrieve backpacks and projects from the rear of your vehicle, or because you want to accompany your children to the courtyard, you must do so on the East Side of the lot in the appropriate parking spaces. No cars should park west of the western-most light post. Note, there are marked spaces for two rows of cars in each set of parking lines. In each set, do not use the rows closest to the school; use only the white slots, not the blue ones. No backing up will be allowed. (Too many accidents have happened because of blind spots!)
  • Accompany your child to the pedestrian zone that crosses the parking lot, the Adults Only Lane and the Safe Not Sorry drop-off lane. Escort them to the safety of the no-drive zone and into the courtyard.
  • Return to your car, pull forward only, and merge into the Adults Only Lane, the second lane just north of the Safe Not Sorry Lane that leads to the exit driveway. If at all possible, turn left unto Crescent. Please exercise Christian courtesy at all times and yield to Safe Not Sorry lane drivers who might need to merge into the Adults Only Lane.
  • Left turns unto Crescent are preferable to right turns because of the potential tie-ups at Watertown Plank/Juneau/Crescent. When you go a bit out of your way to contribute to the good of the whole community, you are modeling wonderful practices for your children.
  • All merging should occur only when you have reached the primary wing of the building past the courtyard.
  • Never allow children to leave your car from the Adults Only Lane.

St Mary's School Pick-up Traffic Pattern:

  • Please use only the white parking slots to and park your vehicle.
  • If you have primary and/or kindergarten children, leave your car and proceed to the courtyard. Upon the children's dismissal, escort your children to your vehicle.
  • If your children are fourth graders or older, instruct your children to cross in the pedestrian zone and move carefully to your vehicle.
  • No vehicles are to leave the parking lot via the west exits. All vehicles must exit by way of the two lanes leading out to Crescent immediately north of the school (previously referred to as the Adults Only Lane and the Safe Not Sorry Lane).
  • If you are turning left, use the Adults Only Lane, stopping completely before the pedestrian zone.
  • If you are turning right, use the Safe Not Sorry Lane, stopping completely before the pedestrian zone.
  • Never exceed 5 miles per hour when children are present.

Parking:

  • During the school day, please park in designated parking slots to the west of the bus lane.