Transportation & Parking Lot Procedures

St. Joseph School families provide transportation to and from school. The school's system for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up ensures the safest procedures for our students. 

PARKING LOT PROCEDURES
The safety of our school community is of primary importance. Please drive slowly and follow the teachers' instructions and directions in these guidelines. Safety Patrol members are responsible for helping provide a safe parking lot. Please cooperate with them at all times.

We ask that all drivers maintain a minimal speed (no more than 5 MPH) when driving on the parish property. Students feel this is a “safe space” and do not watch out for moving vehicles as they should. 

Animals of any type are not permitted outside of cars.

ARRIVAL:

Students should arrive at school between 7:35 a.m. and 8:04 a.m. and report directly to their homerooms. Arriving at 8:05 a.m. or after is considered late.

Dropping off students before 7:35 a.m. is strongly discouraged, as no supervision is available then. 

Morning Drop-Off General Procedures

  • All kindergarten through eighth-grade students are REQUIRED to be dropped off in the snake line at the school's main entrance. 
  • No student is permitted to be dropped off early. The car line will start at 7:35 a.m., and the school doors will open.
  • The congregating of students outside the main entrance will not be permitted for the safety of all students.
  • Once students enter the building, they will go directly to their homerooms.
  • Students will enter and exit through their designated areas, with a non-homeroom staff member monitoring them. Signs with grade levels will be posted outside. Please look for your grade and enter via that door.
    • Pre-K and siblings enter through the Gym. ONLY parents with PreK students are allowed to park in the lot in front of the gym to help the PreK students exit their cars.
    • Kindergarten and Grade 1 enter via the main entrance.
    • Grades 2 and 3 enter via the stairs behind the statue of Mary.
    • Grades 4 and 5 enter by Gym but still need to use the “snake line” for dropoff.
    • Middle School will enter via the Parish Center.

Pre-K Designated Drop-Off

  • We will continue to follow the MSDE Office of Childcare Guidelines.
  • PreK students and their siblings will be dropped off at the main gym entrance closest to the prayer labyrinth.
  • Pre-K students will be picked up in the same location.
  • All Pre-K Parents must enter campus by the Labyrinth/Playground entrance and park in front of the Gym.
  • All Parents for Pre-K must exit the parking lot at the traffic light to ensure safe, one-way traffic flow.

Please check the map for morning traffic patterns that protect the safety of our students. If you need to park, you must park behind the Church. Our one-way traffic patterns are for everyone's protection. Click to download a PDF of the map.

DISMISSAL:

Our dismissal pattern works and creates a streamlined process for exiting the school lot. Your patience is key to the safety of our students during every dismissal. Do not block fire lanes or the north driveway (extending to Belair Road near the Church). 

Students will exit the building via the same door they enter in the morning, except for 6th grade, as they will exit via the Main Entrance.

Dismissal Times by Grade:
■ PreK: 2:35 pm
■ Kindergarten: 2:45 pm
■ Grades 1-8: 3:02 pm

The only parking allowed at dismissal is in the main lot, or the PreK lot for PreK-only students! Drivers are not to park anywhere on campus during dismissal as it blocks the traffic pattern. If a problem persists, the principal will be notified.

Again, check the map for dismissal traffic patterns. All lanes exit at the traffic signal. Please park bumper to bumper in the main parking lot. No parking lanes should extend back to the driveways, cones, or fences so that other cars may enter the main lot. This responsibility lies solely with you, our parents, and drivers, as teachers cannot assume parking lot duties until after the 3:02 p.m. bell.

Your help is most important at this time of each day. As they travel to after-school care, students cross the lots on all sides of the building, including the south side. All students think of two things at dismissal time: 'Where is my driver?' 'Where am I going?' They are not watching for cars. Only you can help us keep our lots safe. Please follow the teachers' directions and safety measures. We greatly appreciate your help!

Students whose rides are not in the main lot stay in an area near the school exits. Students may NOT leave that area until the initial traffic has moved out and traffic comes to a complete stop. We ask drivers not to take students from this area once traffic has started moving. They will NOT be permitted to leave. Again, safety for our children is the primary concern. On inclement weather days, students will stay inside the school building if their driver is not in the main lot area. Students can view the parking lot from inside. We ask that you pull up in the lot and give them a moment to come out. 

Students not picked up by 3:15 p.m. will be charged a fee of $10 for the first 15 minutes and $5 for every 5 minutes after that.


Dismissal Reminders:

  • Dogs should not be outside your car. If you are arriving early to walk in the cemetery area, the dog should be put back into the car before students exit the building.  
  • No playing, running, or roughhousing. Due to the staggered exit, we know some children have a few extra minutes to wait. However, this is not a safe place to play. We ask that no one be by the windows as the older students still receive instruction during this time. No one should be running, kicking, or throwing balls, especially near the St. Joseph Statue and Blessed Mother Statue. We also ask that no one is on the hill by the drive or in the tree as those are both dangerous. If your child is waiting for older siblings, they need to calmly remain with an adult at all times. 
  • Once your child is dismissed, please head to your car so we can exit campus safely and quickly. All students should be in their cars when dismissal lines begin moving.