Child Safety

Parking Lot Rules

Ox Ridge has a current enrollment of approximately 470 students which has lead to increased congestion in our parking lot both in the morning and the afternoon. The Administration and the PTO have worked very hard to establish some rules as to pick up and drop off in order to ensure the safety of everyone in our school.

Please take a moment to review these very important points and share with anyone who drives your children.

• At NO time can any car block the bus loop (entering and exiting). If you can’t fit completely AROUND the curb then you must park and walk to the school.
Refer to the map as to parking options. When you don’t pull around, cars behind you cannot get into the parking lot.
• The pick up/drop off area begins at the stop sign by the TLC door.
• Only the first 5 cars can load/unload in the area in front of the school. DO NOT pick up/drop off before this designated area! Children will not be allowed to walk up the bus sidewalk.
• Please be courteous and pull all the way up in the loop and attempt to pick up/drop off as quickly as you can.
• As only the first 5 cars can pick up/drop off, please consider moving out of the loop and park if your child is not waiting.
• Children can be picked up on the sidewalk ONLY. They CANNOT walk unescorted through the parking lot or between cars. Always use the crosswalk!
• If your children are unable to get in or out of the car unassisted, then you must park and escort them. Please do not leave your car while waiting in the pick up/drop off loop.
• If you have your children and the line is not advancing, you may pull out CAREFULLY.
• Please drive slowly and ALWAYS stop for pedestrians!

When cars start backing up, buses and cars cannot get in or out of the school. Due to our enrollment, the bus routes have become longer, therefore anything we can do to ensure a quick loading and departure is greatly appreciated by both the students traveling on the buses and the parents waiting for them.

These rules and procedures are designed to ensure safety and efficiency in the parking lot. It only takes one car to block the entrance and compromise everyone else. DON’T LET THIS BE YOU! Please respect the rules and our Ox Ridge community and do the right thing for everyone’s safety and convenience. YOUR CHOICES AFFECT ALL OF US!

Emergency Dismissal Procedures

Please note there are two options for emergency dismissal:

11:30 AM for all Ox Ridge students for Morning Emergency Dismissal 1:30 PM for all Ox Ridge students for Afternoon Emergency Dismissal

The Emergency Phone Chain will be activated in the event of an EMERGENCY DISMISSAL.

Please remember:

• Lunch will NOT be served if we have a Morning Emergency Dismissal.

• Lunch WILL be served if we have an Afternoon Emergency Dismissal.

How it Works:

• Room Mothers contact parents when an Emergency Dismissal is called.

• Room Mothers call the Emergency Chain contacts if they cannot reach the parents.

• If Room Mothers do not make personal contact with anyone, the school secretary will be notified. Please note that those children will still be sent home, regardless if contact is made or not.

• Each family should have a contingency plan so that children know what to do if delivered home, at any time, and an adult is not at home.

The Finer Points

• Ox Ridge School assumes that each child will follow the bus departure plan they brought to school that day. If your child was scheduled to take a bus home with another child, those plans will stay in effect.

• If you planned to pick up your child at the end of the regular school day, he/she will be sent home on the bus instead. You MUST notify the school no later than 10 minutes prior to dismissal if you wish to pick him/her up at school at the appropriate Emergency Dismissal time.

• Likewise, if your child was scheduled to be picked up by another child’s parent on an Emergency Dismissal day, they will be sent home on that child’s bus, unless the school is notified.

• There is no bus for the YMCA during Emergency Dismissals, so all children who usually ride the Y bus will be sent home on their regular bus. Please remember -- if the forecast predicts snow or extreme weather, stay close to the phone, monitor school closings over the TV and radio and carry your cell phone with you.