Strawberry Point

Revised June 2022 

GENERAL INFORMATION  

Morning Traffic Duty:   7:50 ‐ 8:15 am 

Afternoon Traffic Duty:  2:25 ‐ 2:45 pm (M,T,Th,F) or 1:40 ‐ 1:55 pm (Wed) 

All Volunteers: 

• Wear a Reflective Vest : Drivers and pedestrians need visibility of who's in charge. 
• Use the Stop Sign and Hold It High :  Provide good visibility for drivers. You exude more authority with cars when the sign is held high.  When holding pedestrians from crossing, hold it lower as a barrier.   
• Pedestrians Can Wait : We have more cars than ever flowing through the lot. In order to keep the lot and E. Strawberry Drive from gridlock, make pedestrians wait for cars to pass if it means keeping the cars in the lot moving. 
• No Riding in the Crosswalk : Make sure all bikers and scooter riders get off and walk in the crosswalk. 
• Direct Traffic : Volunteers should direct traffic to keep cars moving. Don’t be shy, make eye contact with drivers, and use big, visible gestures to direct drivers.   
• Review Guidelines for Your Position : These procedures were developed from the thousands of times parents have driven through the lot over many years.  
•  No Children Allowed on Duty : If you have small children on the days that you're volunteering, please find someone who can watch them, even on the playground, for the time that you're working. 
• Set Up the Cones Along the Red Area : Do not let drivers discharge or pick up students in the red zone. And say something to them if they do. Same goes for parents who try to drop off at the corner of the driveway.
• Be 100% Present as a Traffic Volunteer : This is a time to focus on the job. Do not talk on your phone, check messages, or chat with friends. 
• Enforce Rules : No driver is to leave their car in the yellow zone during drop‐off or pick‐ up. No one is allowed to drop‐off in the red zone. No cell phone use in the parking lot. When wearing the yellow vest, you are in the position to enforce the rules. Please do so balancing compassion and authority.

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Traffic Volunteer Duties

These traffic positions are listed in order of importance and should be filled in that order.  The first two people to show up fill the crosswalks by the entrance and exit of the parking lot, etc. 

Position 1 ‐ At the crosswalk nearest the school gate, just after cars enter the parking lot Position 2 ‐ At the crosswalk by the exit of the parking lot 

Position 3 ‐ At the crosswalk at the far end of the drop‐off zone 

Position 4 ‐ Along the drop‐off zone (the yellow curb) 

Position 1   

• In the morning, stand on the north side of the crosswalk (in the middle of the lot) with your back to the approaching pedestrians, facing oncoming traffic. This naturally forces pedestrians to be physically behind you so that drivers can trust that you're stopping pedestrians.   
• In the afternoon, stand on the school side of the crosswalk with your back to the school so that pedestrians leaving the school are behind you.   
• Direct incoming cars and hold pedestrians. 
• Keep traffic flowing so that it doesn't back up onto E. Strawberry Drive. Double cars up, sending them down the line to pull over to the right later.   
• Make pedestrians wait if there are cars approaching and there is space for them to move into the lot. 
• The more cars we have in the lot, the fewer cars there will be on E. Strawberry Drive and the faster cars can leave the area. 

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Position 2    

• In the morning, stand on the north side of the crosswalk (farthest from the school) so that pedestrians walking onto campus will approach you from behind.   
• In the afternoon, stand on the school side of the crosswalk (in the middle of the lot) so that pedestrians exiting the school will wait behind you to cross. 
• Look to both the left (cars ready to enter crosswalk) and right (cars ready to exit the lot) and keep the area between the crosswalk and E. Strawberry Drive full as much as possible.  
• This position has the potential to make the lot back up or to run somewhat more swiftly. Please do your part to keep traffic moving. This means holding pedestrians more. Also, because the cars approaching this crosswalk are already moving slowly in the lot, drivers are more aware and less likely to drive dangerously. 
• This position has the most people thanking you for crossing them safely. Enjoy it.   

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Position 3 ‐ Morning drop‐off only 

• Stand on the school side of the crosswalk at the end of the drop‐off zone so that exiting pedestrians will stop behind you, and you will also be visible to cars driving through the lot.   
• Cross pedestrians across the crosswalk ‐ don’t forget to hold your sign high! 
• Wave cars all the way down the drop‐off zone to get cars to pull as far as possible down the yellow curb before stopping. 
• Encourage drivers to merge at the end of the drop‐off zone past the second crosswalk. It's fine to make two lanes of traffic  and have drivers merge at the curve. 
• If no one is crossing, open doors along the drop‐off zone to let kids out.   
• Enforce the rule of parents not getting out of their cars, or especially leaving cars in the drop‐off zone, gently but firmly! 

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Position 4 ‐ Morning drop‐off only 

• Stand on the curb at the drop‐off zone 
• Wave cars all the way down the drop‐off zone to get cars to pull as far as possible down the yellow curb before stopping.   
• Open doors along the drop‐off zone to let kids out.    
• Enforce the rule of parents not getting out of their cars, or especially leaving cars in the drop‐off zone.  

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ENFORCING RULES 

• The most effective way to enforce traffic rules is to do it firmly but compassionately. 
• Many parents don't realize they are breaking rules and simply need to be educated. Telling them of the rule they are breaking in a respectful and calm manner makes all the difference in the world. 
• Other parents know the rules and don't seem to mind "bending" them to suit their needs. It's these parent drivers who can be the most frustrating to traffic volunteers.  
• If you see a parent clearly breaking a rule (talking on a cell phone or texting while driving, parking in the drop‐off zone and leaving, etc), please notify Cathy in the office, and Mrs. Russell will follow up.  The safety of all the children and families in our parking lot is our highest priority.  This applies anytime ‐ not just when you are on traffic duty. 

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RULES FOR DRIVERS   

• Obey traffic volunteers 
• Come early ‐ the lot doesn't back up until after 8:00 am 
• Stay in your vehicle 
• Say goodbyes at home, not on the curb, and have all belongings (backpacks, lunches) in the car ready to go (not in the trunk) 
• Do not open doors on the driver's side. NEVER let children out on the driver's side.
• If you park, wait to leave until the back‐up is over. 
• If walking your child into the school, consider parking off‐site and walking in. 
• Do not leave your car at any time during drop‐off or pick‐up in the yellow zone.

In order to keep our children safe as they enter and leave school, parents from every classroom at Strawberry Point will take a turn during the year doing Traffic Duty in the parking lot.   Without your help, our parking lot would be a dangerous place for our children.