Police officers assisting with our traffic flow recommended that the areas on either side of the entrance/exit be blocked off to improve their ability to safely guide cars in/out of the lot and along Olive St.
Why is the gate to the drop-off area closed at 9 am?
The drop-off area is used as an instructional space for our physical education classes beginning at 9:10 am. We close the gate at 9 am to allow our physical education teacher some time to get equipment set up for the first class. If you arrive after 9 am, please park in the church parking lot or in a legal spot along Olive Street. When it starts to get colder outside, our physical education classes will move inside. This will allow us to keep the gates open a few minutes longer to accommodate more families driving, especially on inclement weather days.
When will the construction vehicles begin to show up?
We anticipate the first thing to show up will be the construction trailer, followed closely by construction equipment. We anticipate this may happen sometime during the week of 10/5. As soon as we have a firm date, we will email all families.
When will parts of the sidewalk on Olive and Douglas Streets be closed to accommodate construction traffic?
The School Board approved bids for our project on Thursday, 10/1, so our project will likely begin in the next week or two, which means that the sidewalks near the construction entrances will be closed to pedestrian traffic. We will email families with an exact date as soon as the district shares this information with us.
We have two construction entrances. One is on Olive Street, just east of the intersection of Arlington Heights Road and Olive Street. The second construction entrance is located at the southeast corner of Greens Park. As vehicles will be coming in and out of these entrances throughout the day, the sidewalks in front of them will be closed during arrival and dismissal times. Signs that indicate "no crossing" will be placed at both of these locations.
We have two construction entrances. One is on Olive Street, just east of the intersection of Arlington Heights Road and Olive Street. The second construction entrance is located at the southeast corner of Greens Park. As vehicles will be coming in and out of these entrances throughout the day, the sidewalks in front of them will be closed during arrival and dismissal times. Signs that indicate "no crossing" will be placed at both of these locations.
Olive Street - Students and families crossing Arlington Heights Road to get to Olive will need to cross to the north sidewalk on Olive Street with the Arlington Heights Road crossing guard. In the afternoon, these students and families will need to cross to the north sidewalk on Olive Street with the crossing guard located just outside the school.
Douglas Street – Students and families traveling north on Douglas to get to Olive will need to use the sidewalk on the east side of the street. The same will be true when they walk home. We have asked the district to provide us with a crossing guard at the intersection of Douglas and Olive Streets. There was a shortage of crossing guards in the district at the beginning of the year, so they are still working to approve and fill this position.
Why are the 4th and 5th grade students usually the first ones out of the building each afternoon?
To assist with the flow of students through our front doors in the afternoon, we are dismissing our 4th & 5th grade students two minutes early. In general, they are then exiting the school just before the final bell rings at 3:35 pm. This makes it possible for our older students to be outside ahead of any younger siblings that are meeting them to walk home. Classroom teachers are walking classes to the front doors at the end of the day and staff members have been assigned to exit the building with these students to assist with supervision.
How can I help ensure our students and families are safe during arrival and dismissal times?
Do not use your cell phone while you are near the school. Continue to walk to and from school as much as possible. We have some families that are enjoying a few extra minutes together in the morning while getting in great shape. Be patient and kind – Please respect that all families have places to be and things to do. If we all give ourselves a few extra minutes in the mornings and afternoons and remain calm, we can all work together to make this a great year.
Why do I still have to pull all the way forward in the drop-off/pick-up lane, even when it looks like there is no one behind me?
There is always the possibility that someone will pull in behind you, especially once we have more cars arriving due to inclement weather. If just one car stops early, it starts to back cars up onto Olive Street. We realize that students may have to walk an extra few steps to get to get the building, but it preserves a safe and efficient process for all of our students and families.
Why can students only exit/enter cars along the straightaways and not on the curve near the building?
This is a very narrow area of our drop-off/pick-up line. We need to keep cars moving in this area as much as possible. Also, the sidewalk area next to the curve is a very active pedestrian spot for our students and families. If car doors open and students are entering and exiting cars in this area, it makes it very difficult for our kindergarten families to get to their line up area and for students and families walking on the south drop-off lane sidewalk to get to the front doors of the school.
How are things working with students lining up inside the building instead of outside on the blacktop?
This appears to be working very well. Students are now familiar with the routines and easily finding their classrooms.
Why do we ask students and families to stand behind the pillars in front of the school while they are waiting for the doors to open at 8:50 am and 3:35 pm?
If parents stand close to the front doors, there is no room for students to safely enter or exit the building. If you would like to wait with or for your child, please do so closer to the grassy areas in front, otherwise have your child wait behind the pillars while you wait near the grass areas. Please remind your student(s) to carefully enter/exit the front doors in the morning (no pushing or running). With many students entering/exiting the same entrance, we want to make sure that students arrive and leave school safely. When the doors open at 8:50 am they have more than enough time to line up outside their classrooms, so there is no rush.
How will I continue to know what is happening with the construction?
We will continue to post periodic construction updates on the blog and will email families if information needs to be distributed more quickly. For those families that are not able to come to the school on a regular basis, we will also be posting pictures on the blog to highlight and celebrate the construction progress. The renovations will positively impact students for decades to come. We can now move forward to a better future at OMS…Exciting Changes Are Coming Our Way – Brick by Brick!
Thank you again for all that you are doing to accommodate our construction changes!
