Envision Science Academy has strict carpool guidelines to ensure the safety of our students, staff and volunteers, and the efficiency of our arrival and dismissal process. Expand the menu below for more information.
Carpool Procedures and Information
General Guidelines
- Drivers should not enter the carpool line from any other direction for safety reasons and as a courtesy to other drivers.
- For the safety of students and staff, please do not use cell phones while the carpool line or during carpool.
- Students are encouraged to buckle, unbuckle, and open and close the car door unassisted. Drivers should stay in the vehicle at all times during carpool. Staff or volunteers will assist students who need help getting in or out of vehicles.
- Students should be ready to disembark as soon as the vehicle comes to a halt. Please allow students to walk inside independently.
- If you need to accompany the student inside, please park in the parking lot and cross at the crosswalk following the direction of the staff on duty. Parents will be required to sign in at the main office and display a visitor’s badge while in the building.
- Students arriving after the start of instruction time will be considered tardy and must be accompanied to the main office by parents/guardians who should sign them in.
- If a driver prefers to park and walk in to retrieve a student, he/she will need to wait until the end of the carpool period.
- To ensure the safety of all, students are not allowed to load items into the back of a car while in the carpool line or to cross between cars. If trunk space is necessary for storing school materials, students should hold their items until the driver leaves the carpool line and is able to park and safely repack.
- Carpool tags must be displayed from the rear view mirror for the duration of the carpool period and until students are in their vehicles. Once all of your students are in the vehicle the carpool tag should be removed to indicate that you are ready to depart.
- If multiple families decide on ride sharing, all carpool tags should be displayed from the rear view mirror.
- Drivers not displaying an official ESA carpool tag will be required to park and enter the building at the end of the carpool period to show proper identification before students will be released into their custody. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy, even when the driver is familiar to students and/or staff.
- Written authorization must be on file in the office for any adult to pick up any student other than his or her own child(ren).
- Any exception to this rule would require parents/guardians to provide written notice to the student’s teacher on the day of the change.
- Courtesy to other drivers, staff, and volunteers is greatly appreciated during our carpool process at all times.
- If pets are brought to school, they must remain in the vehicle.
- Please explain these guidelines to other people who may occasionally do carpool on your behalf.
After School Care
Walkers
As our neighborhood grows, so does our number of walkers and bike riders. For safety reasons, we strongly encourage all students who walk to and from school be accompanied by an adult. The adult must be listed on the student information form in the main office. Approval for walkers and bike riders will require proof of residence within 1 mile of the school. All walkers must enter the building through the door located next to the K-2 playground, where they will be checked against the approved walker list. Additionally, off-campus drop-offs and pick-ups have become an increasing safety concern with the heavy traffic. Afternoon walkers will be released at the end of the carpool period.
Morning Carpool
Procedures for Drivers
Morning carpool will begin for the Lower School (grades K-4) and for vehicles with both Lower School and Upper School students in the same vehicle, at 7:30 am. Lower School students will be marked tardy if not in their homeroom class by 7:55 am. Vehicles that are dropping off only Upper School students (grades 5-8) should not enter the Envision campus prior to 7:55 am. Morning carpool for the Upper School will begin at 7:55 am and will end at approximately 8:10 am. Upper School students will be marked tardy if not in their homeroom class by 8:15 am.
The entrance to carpool will be the school driveway located on Traditions Grande Blvd. Vehicles should immediately turn right at the entrance to enter the s-curves and separate into two lines (there is a white dividing line), unless directed otherwise by a staff member. Once a vehicle is in a lane there should be absolutely no lane changes made. Vehicles should maintain a 5 mph speed limit. Remember this is a school carpool line, not a roadway. Safety must be our main priority, not getting in and out quickly.
In the morning, vehicles will remain staged in the s-curves until 7:30 a.m. at which time a staff member will give the go-ahead to move up toward the drop off area. Cars should remain in two lanes until they reach the staff member stationed at the corner of the 3-5 playground. We will begin the year using a single-file drop-off. The staff member will release vehicles by alternating lanes (approximately 15 to 18 vehicles at a time) for morning. All vehicles will drop off using the lane closest to the school building (curbside). Again, at no time should vehicles change lanes unless directed to do so by a staff member. Vehicles in the drop off area in front of the school can leave as soon as the vehicle in front of you moves. No vehicle may go around another vehicle unless specifically instructed to do so by a staff member. Doing so is extremely dangerous to the safety of our students. Violators are subject to the revocation of carpool privileges. Students should use the sidewalk and enter the school using the main entrance. When exiting campus during carpool, all vehicles must turn RIGHT on to Oak Grove Church Road.
Student Procedures
At 7:30am drop off begins for lower school and combination (vehicles dropping off both lower and upper school students) riders. Please be sure that students are ready to exit their vehicle when it stops. Students should have all necessary items in their possession (lunchboxes, book bags, etc.) prior to entering the drop off area in front of the school. For safety purposes, it is strongly recommended that students exit their vehicle on the sidewalk side of the vehicle. If it is necessary for students to exit on the side of the vehicle away from the sidewalk they must immediately cross, in front of their own vehicle, to the sidewalk. Students should remain on the sidewalk and enter the building using the main entrance to the school.
Upon entering the building;
- Lower school students must report directly to their homeroom class
- Upper school students must report to the gym
- Students will check in with supervising teacher who will check off their name
- Students should have a seat in the bleachers
- Students may talk quietly or may use the time as a study hall
- The supervising teacher will dismiss students to report to homeroom at 7:55am.
- Upon dismissal from the gym, students must report directly to their homeroom class
- At 7:55am- lower school students are marked as tardy if not in their homeroom class
- Lower school homeroom teachers will record tardies for students who report to class after 7:55am
- Upper school students arriving at 7:55 am and after must report directly to their homeroom class.
- Upper school carpool will end at approximately 8:10 am. After the sign and cones are placed in the carpool lanes vehicles must park and parents/guardians must walk their student(s) into the building and sign them in at the main office.
- Upper school students that are not present in their homeroom class by 8:15 am will be marked tardy.
- Instruction in upper school classes will begin promptly at 8:15 am.
Afternoon Carpool
Procedures for Drivers
In the afternoon, vehicles should again divide into two lanes. Everyone should use the same carpool tag that is currently issued to you, and it must be displayed from the mirror in your vehicle’s windshield. Vehicles without the school issued carpool tag displayed will be required to exit the line and will have to wait in the visitor’s parking area until carpool is over. Once carpool has ended parents/guardians would then report to the main office to check out your child. As a reminder, you must show proper photo I.D. in order to check out a student from the office. The main office will close at 2:30 pm on regular school days. All office staff will be engaged in the carpool process during the designated carpool time frame. We will not allow parents/guardians to enter the office after 2:30 pm through the duration of afternoon carpool. If you wish to check a student(s) out of school you must present to the office prior to this time. If you need a carpool tag please contact the main office.
Vehicles in the carpool lanes will proceed to the stopping point at the corner of the 3-5 playground adjacent to the gym wing of the school where a staff member will be stationed. Lower school afternoon carpool will begin at 2:45 pm. The staff member will release vehicles one line at a time, but the dual lines will remain intact. The flagpole side will enter the area in front of the school first followed by the curbside lane. Students will load in both lanes simultaneously. There will be a staff member stationed at the front of the two lines who will determine when all loading is complete. No vehicles may move until instructed to do so. The flagpole side line will depart first followed by the curbside line. When exiting campus during carpool, all vehicles must turn RIGHT on to Oak Grove Church Road. Remember that traffic on the roadway has the right of way. Please look both ways before entering the roadway. This process will continue until there are no further vehicles waiting to load. Vehicles that are in the appropriate pick up time for their riders that are missing a student when the lines begin moving will be instructed to pull around to the visitor’s parking lot and park. A staff member will assist in making sure your student is brought across to you when the next group of students is loading. Vehicles needing to pick up combination riders or Upper School only riders will be required to go to the right when entering the campus and get in line and wait until upper/combo carpool begins.
Student Procedures
- At 2:30 pm the Main Office will close for carpool. Parents/guardians wishing to check out students early from school must be in the Main Office by this time in order to do so.
- At 2:45 pm Lower School afternoon carpool will begin.
- Vehicles needing to pick up combination riders or Upper School only riders should not enter the Envision campus prior to 3:05 pm. Vehicles picking up combination riders or Upper School only riders that present in the pick-up area prior to their designated time will be required to exit the campus and re-enter the carpool from the Traditions Grande Blvd. entrance. These vehicles will not be allowed to park in the visitor’s lot to wait. Remember that these students are still in an instructional setting until 3:05 pm and will not be dismissed to carpool early.
- At 3:02 pm Upper School combination riders will be dismissed to the gym
- At 3:02 pm Lower School combination riders will be escorted to the gym by a grade level teacher.
- At 3:02 pm Upper School teachers will cast carpool numbers in preparation for dismissal at 3:10 pm
- At 3:05 pm Upper School and Combination rider carpool will begin.
- At 3:05 pm YMCA and other van services may begin picking up students
- Afternoon carpool will end at 3:30 pm or when there are no further vehicles in line