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​​Welcome back ULE Families!  And an extra warm welcome to our new families and this year's Kindergarteners!  Last week was a whirlwind of activity as families got (back) into the routine of early morning wake ups and the rush of getting kids to school on time.

 With so many new families joining our ULE Community, now feels like a great time to talk about traffic safety in and around the school during peak drop off and pick up times. 

Our kids are incredibly lucky to go to a school that sits in the middle of a residential neighbourhood and mostly surrounded by green space.  While this makes an amazing space to learn and play, it doesn't leave a lot of room for dropping kids off at the school front door.

We know mornings are stressful.  It's hard to get kids to school on-time at the best of times, and it just gets harder as the days start to shorten and weather gets worse.  So please take a few minutes to read the following “best practice" tips and familiarize yourself with the District of North Vancouver parking signage and restrictions around the school.

The Do List:

• Drive to 5. This is the practice of arriving a few minutes early and parking about 5 minutes away from the school. This helps reduce the number of cars in front of the school and allows your kids to start their day off right, with some fresh air and a chance to “catch up" with other friends walking to school.
  
  
• Use crosswalks at all times.  Always use a marked crosswalk.  It's habit forming.  If our kids are using crosswalks when with us, they will continue to use them as they grow up and start to walk to school solo.
  
  
• Plan your route. If you are uncomfortable with your child crossing the street solo, please plan your route to eliminate the need to cross Coleman Street. Plan your approach from Hoskins Road and you can rest easy with a drop off on the North Side of Coleman Street.
  
  
• Use drop-off zones for kids that are able to exit the vehicle (curb side) safely and independently.  Drivers must not exit the vehicle in these zones.  These zones are designed to minimize congestion by allowing vehicles to exit the area quickly and safely.  If you wish to walk your kids to the door, please park your vehicle safely in a designated parking zone.
  
  
• Be mindful of our residential neighbours and staff.  Do not park in front of driveways or the staff lot entrance.  Sometimes a quick drop off takes longer than planned and our neighbours and staff have to get to work too.
  
  
• Leave home a few minutes earlier. There is simply no safe way for everyone to drop off at exactly 8:51am.  Traffic increases drastically the closer you arrive to start time.  But there is no shortage of drop off/parking spots 15-20 minutes before that first bell. Take advantage of this stress free drop off time, and use the time saved at drop off to go enjoy a hot coffee/tea!
  
  
• Please be considerate. We're all just trying to get our kids to school safely. Take a breath and make sure you slow down, stop for kids in the crosswalk and leave yourself enough time for a stress free drop off.
  
  

The Don't List:

• No Jaywalking. Teach your kids to use the crosswalks and lead by example. Kids running across the street from between parked cars is a dangerous habit.  Remember, drop off and pick up times are busiest time at the school, remind your kids to always use a crosswalk and look both ways before stepping on the road.
  
  
• Please don't park your car in a drop off only zone.  These zones are for kids that can exit the car (with all their belongings) independently only. If your child needs assistance, please park your car in a designated parking spot.
  
  
• Do NOT stop in any no-stopping area. These areas are critical in maintaining clear sight lines of the crosswalks!  There is no stopping in these areas.
  
  

We know this is a lot to remember, and we all forget to read street signs sometimes. So for added clarity, the Traffic and Safety Committee have created a street view image with colour coded curbs to better show you these tricky areas.  Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the information in the image below and feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. 

Thank you again to all the parents that take the time to help keep our peak drop off and pick up times safe for our kids.

More information about traffic safety at ULE is available at https://upperlynnpac.weebly.com/traffic-safety.html and remember we're always looking for more volunteers. 

 
ULE Traffic and Safety Committee - Fall 2023 Welcome Letter.pdf