Carline Safety – August 9, 2023

Dear Parents and Families,

What a wonderful start to the school year! As you know, the children’s safety is our first priority. It is typical at this time of year, with all of the excitement of starting a new season, that we need to ask you for your cooperation with a few things.

At morning drop off, students may not exit the vehicle until a staff member opens the car door. This is to ensure that your child exits the vehicle and enters campus safely. Any student who exits their car without a staff chaperone will be redirected to go back into the car and exit safely.  There are absolutely no exceptions to this safety measure. If it would be easier to park and walk your child to the gate, you are welcome to do so. You must stand and wait with your child until our staff opens the gate. Parking is in the front of the school either on Fortune Avenue or in the parking lot across the street from the school. Please ensure to not block traffic at any intersection on 10th street.

Please be advised that 10th St is a two way road. Vehicles must wait until the car ahead of you pulls ahead and exits the carline safely. For your safety and the safety of others, do not pull around the car in front of you for any reason. Children may not exit the vehicle anyplace other than the sidewalk for the safety of the children and our staff.

Failure to adhere to this safety measure may result in having to walk your student to the carline entrance daily for drop off and pickup. As a reminder, this safety measures are outlined on page 23 of our parent/student handbook:

The K-8th grade car line (south side of campus) will be along 10th Street. Enter the car line from either direction of Friendship Avenue. There will be staff members available to receive children. Please wait for a staff member to open the car door for your student(s). Do not pull out and drive around stopped vehicles. Please wait your turn to move forward as 10th street is a narrow two way street. In order to facilitate a timely drop off/pick up, please not use car line time to chat with teachers. Those dropping off or picking up students in a car line are expected to be patient and respectful of other drivers, students, teachers, and safety patrol members.

Note from Sister Grace:  My Dear Families ~ I would like to take a moment and assure you that our first priority will always be the safety and security of our campus policies on behalf of your children.  I pray this brings you comfort in our troubled times. Personally, I am particularly oriented to safety having served as an acute care chaplain in a Children’s Trauma Emergency Department. I have 7 years of experience sharing the unthinkable with parents and therefore I am very intentional regarding safety measures (ask any staff member :)).  As we partner on behalf of your child’s safety, it is my prayer that we can agree to cooperate with all safety procedures, especially when they are inconvenient for us personally.  Our children are worth the extra time.  Our common language of virtue allows us to model patience, responsibility and orderliness for them.  Carline is a great time to talk about how we demonstrate these virtues by cooperating with safety measures at all times.  Thank you for choosing St John Catholic Academy and thank you for your willing cooperation.  

A few other helpful suggestions:  

• Please have your child ready to exit the vehicle when you arrive at a staff member’s location for drop off.  Backpacks should be all together and we will be happy to assist the little ones get them on. 
• Please refrain from more than a friendly hello as an exchange with staff at that time as the parents behind you will appreciate your brevity very much.  Staff emails are listed on our website and they are all willing to discuss any concerns you may have in another setting. 
• You may pull up and around the corner after pick up if you need extra time after your child has entered the vehicle (again those behind you will be grateful). 
• If you have not already done so, DISCARD last year’s concierge tags and only use the tags distributed for 23.24. Please have them on your front right dashboard and clearly visible, Mrs. Mahoney appreciates that very much. 
• Please demonstrate courtesy by only entering carline from the back of the line (Friendship not Fortune Ave) 

Carline always takes a bit longer the first few weeks of school.  As we work together we will eventually arrive at 10 minute drop off and pick up times.  My heartfelt gratitude to our faculty and staff who brave the heat and elements all year to provide your children with safe and supervised arrival and dismissal procedures.  We are all in this together!!

Extreme Heat Advisory:  Due to the current Extreme Heat Advisories, we have moved PE and recess indoors until it is safe for outdoor activities.  While this is not ideal, it is simply not safe for the children to run and play outdoors at this time.  PE will occur in the Media Center or Parish Hall for the time being. We look forward to cooler weather.    

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our school office: office@sjseagles.org or call 850-763-1775.

In Solidarity ~ The SJCA Adminstrative Team