With three days under our belts, we have crucial updates and reminders about the Pick-up/Drop-off routine (known as PUDO). Please read about these changes and consult the map linked below!
As expected, our first days at our Harewood home gave us a lot of insight about the arrival and dismissal routines. We outline below ways to make sure that our arrival and dismissal procedures meet our priorities for this process:
- Safety for all, especially our students and faculty as students get in and out of cars!
- Efficiency for our families and for the area (in terms of traffic) – we want to move swiftly while still being safe.
- Consideration for our neighbors, both in terms of traffic and also parking and noise.
We have a number of important reminders outlined below. These procedures are not about our convenience, but rather about the safety of your children. Please read the following carefully!
When to line up?
Arrival
The period for arrival in the morning is 7:40-8:00 am.
We will be outside until 8:10, but remember that your child is to be in advisory by 8:00 am and will be considered tardy if they arrive to advisory after 8:00 am.
If your child arrives after 8:10, you will no longer be able to drive into the campus gates. You will need to drop your child off at the pedestrian gate so they can enter the Middle School building and check in with Ms. M at the reception desk to get a tardy pass to advisory/class.
Dismissal
The best time to arrive for pick up is at the dismissal time. We find that the pick-up process goes quickly, once everyone is used to the procedures. Overall, it lasts between 10-15 minutes. If you arrive early to line up, it only adds to the backup on Fort Drive/Harewood Road. We ask that you NOT line up earlier than the times shown below!
Dismissal times are as follows:
- Mondays – 3:05
- Tuesdays – 3:15
- Wednesdays – 2:00
- Thursdays – 3:15
- Fridays – 3:15
Entering the car line
It is absolutely forbidden to cut across from the eastbound side of Fort Drive/Harewood to enter the car line. That is, you may not make a hard left turn across the line when approaching from North Capitol Street and thus driving on the opposite side of the street from our campus. More specifically, this means:
- No U-turns on Fort Drive – We have seen drivers try to attempt this rather than going around the block. U-turns are not permitted and more importantly, NOT SAFE. Please do not do this!
- NO stopping at the median that separates Harewood’s eastbound and westbound lanes, either to let out your child or to wait for another driver to let you into the car line.
Instead, you MUST go to the end of the car line by going around the block.
In the car line
- KEEP MOVING until your car is the first one and you are at the drop-off spot, which is just before the exit to Half Street.
- EXIT at the X – Please do not allow your child to exit your car before this point in the loop, indicated by the red X on the map. This is on the far side of the Middle School building, just before the exit gate.
- DRIVER-SIDE EXIT – The best side to exit is on the driver’s side (back seat), just in case a car passes yours on the right to exit.
Morning Arrival Routine
All students – grades 5-9 – will enter school through the Middle School (new) building, coming into the main gate that is on the west side of campus on Half Street near North Capitol Street (furthest away from Washington Yu Ying’s building.)
- Walkers will enter through the gate and go through the main door through the reception area, where they will turn in their phones and then proceed to the MPR to wait for advisory.
- Bike riders will WALK their bikes around the opposite side of the building on Half Place to enter through the gate and WALK their bikes around to store them in our indoors bike room. They will then walk upstairs to the reception, then on to the MPR.
Drop-off by car
Drivers will enter the campus loop through the main gate, turning right from Harewood from the north/westbound side (the same side as our campus).
- Please do NOT make a U-turn in front of the Upper School building or try to enter the car line from the opposite direction.
- Please let your child out when you arrive at the door just before the exit gate. Students should not exit vehicles prior to approaching the main arrival and dismissal door on the north side of the building (facing Varnum St.)
- We ask that students exit quickly (though safely) so that we can keep the car line moving.
- After dropping your child, you must turn right onto Half Street (a one-way street).
- If you are trying to return to Harewood Road/Taylor Street, we strongly encourage you to go past Varnum to Victor Street, then continue past 1st to 2nd Street. This will keep you out of heavy Yu Ying PCS drop-off traffic!
- Please see the handy map with a visual of these instructions.
Late Drop-offs
The driveway gate will close after regular drop-off (by 8:10). Students arriving late must enter through the pedestrian gate and check in/turn in their devices at the front desk in the Middle School building (even if they are headed to a classroom in the Upper School).
Afternoon Dismissal Routine
Middle School students will be released at dismissal (3:00 pm first week and most days) or after tutorial to be picked up as follows:
- Car pick up will happen at the same door as the drop-off point in the mornings (Middle School building, door facing Varnum).
- The main gate will open for dismissal car pick up as early as 3:00 pm. Families should not form a line that causes a back-up along Harewood.
- Middle School bike riders will retrieve their bikes and leave through the exit gate onto Half Place.
- After September 2, students in MAGIS will be picked from the MPR; parents/guardians will enter through the main entrance of the Middle School building. We will share more information about this process in the coming days!
Upper School students will retrieve their devices at the front of the Upper School building and exit through the front door onto Harewood. Drivers picking up their Upper School students should follow the procedure for the Cooper driveway outlined above OR establish an off-campus meet-up location with their child and avoid the loop entirely.
