Safe Routes to School

Getting to School Safely

ABC: Always Be Careful

We understand the busy nature of arrival and dismissal times at Wellington Elementary School. Please take a moment in your hectic travels to follow these and other general traffic precautions to ensure everyone’s safety.

Walking to School

Students in Grades 2, 3, and 4 who have parent permission may walk home by themselves. Parents/guardians must submit a written note giving permission to the school to release a student to walk home at dismissal. All notes will be kept on file with classroom teachers, and cover only one school year. Because we do not provide after school supervision once the school day ends at 2:50 PM, walking students are expected to go directly home. Walking students may not stay at school on the playground to play without a parent/guardian present. 

Carpools and Walking Buses

Carpools and walking buses could dramatically reduce traffic in this area, and we encourage families to consider exploring these solutions with their neighbors. A walking bus is when a group of neighbors collaborate to walk as a group, to/from school.

Driving and Traffic

The Town’s Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) has met with the Wellington Building Committee, School Department, neighbors and other community members to establish the following procedures. Additionally, an engineering study was done by the consulting firm of Vanasse Hangen and Brustlin, Inc. In general, the plan is to control access to the school while keeping traffic moving away from the school site during drop-off and pick-up hours.

School Visit Procedure

In order to ensure the safety of all of our students, during the school day, all visitors will have to ring the bell at one of the main entrances, and be “buzzed” into the building. It will be imperative that all visitors come to the main office to sign in and to obtain a “Volunteer” badge. Wellington staff members will not only assist all visitors but will also confirm that visitors have legitimate business at the school. When you leave the building, we ask that you sign out again and return the badge.

School Arrival

Instruction begins promptly at 8:40AM daily. There is a very short, ten minute window for our arrival process: Students should arrive no later than 8:40 AM but NEVER before 8:30 AM. There is no supervision for students before 8:30 AM unless they are enrolled in the morning Student Care Program.

Walking

Students may walk to school. For safety, it is recommended that adults escort walking students.

  • Once on campus, students must enter the school through either main entrance.

  • Students and parents/guardians “Hug and Go” at the school’s door. Because our student population is so large, we cannot accommodate non-staff adults in the school during arrival. If you have a special circumstance, please see the school principal or assistant principal.

  • Students walk into the school as adults hold open the main doors. Exterior doors remain locked at all times.

  • Students walk to the waiting area as directed by staff.

Busing

Students already registered to ride the bus, may ride the bus to school.

  • Wait at the bus stop.

  • Ride the bus to school, following all expectations for riders.

  • Exit the bus and enter the school.

  • Walk to the waiting area as directed by staff.

Dropping Students Off Without Staff Assistance

Beginning at 8:25AM each day, students may be dropped-off in the student drop-off zones located on right-hand side of Orchard Street between the entrances to the two school parking lots.

  • Drive up Orchard Street toward Common Street.

  • As you approach the school, you will begin to see signs indicating that it is okay to drop-off students.

  • Pull as far forward in the Student drop-off zone as possible toward Common Street and leave the flow of traffic.

  • Activate vehicle’s emergency flashers, stop vehicle and have students exit the vehicle.

  • Students will enter the school using the closest main door; staying on a sidewalk.

  • Once inside the building, students walk to the waiting area as directed by staff.

Notes: There are no staff members available to assist with this process along Orchard Street. Young students or those needing assistance exiting his/her vehicle should NOT be dropped-off using this method. Please do not pull into the small lot to park and/or drop off students without prior authorization from the school. This lot must remain clear and available for students arriving by bus.

Staff Assisted Drop-Off

Beginning at 8:25AM and ending at 8:35AM each day, students may be dropped-off WITH staff supervision by vehicles entering the large parking lot on the turf/flagpole side of the school (see map).

  • Drive up Orchard Street toward Common Street.

  • Stay in the flow of traffic (toward the left-hand side of the street and not the right-hand side of the street).

  • Enter the second parking lot on the artificial turf/flagpole side of the school.

  • Pull vehicle all the way through the parking lot, to the NO PARKING ZONE in the LOOP that begins 20 feet past the flagpole.

  • Do not park your vehicle in the parking lot, even if there is a space, because these spaces are reserved for staff. This policy does not apply to motorists needing a disabled parking space. Do not stop your vehicle to let your child out BEFORE you get to the loop, and please do not cut through the parking lot to access School Street. If you are unable to wait, please plan to drop your child off in the student drop-off zone on Orchard Street as described above.

  • Watch for staff directions and remain in the vehicle. Please wait in the line if cars ahead are still unloading. Going around another car when children are unloading is unsafe.

  • Staff will approach completely stopped vehicles and will open the car door. Please have your child exit the vehicle on the sidewalk-side of your vehicle.

  • Once your child has exited the vehicle, proceed by turning right onto School Street.

  • Students will enter the school using the main door near the turf/flagpole side of the school, staying on a sidewalk. As our exterior doors are locked at all times, there will be adults to hold open the main doors for students to enter into the school.

Notes: This drop-off line gets incredibly long especially when there is poor weather. We encourage motorists to plan ahead! Traffic enforcement will ticket drivers attempting to turn left onto School Street, as it is not legal to do so.

Parking and Escorting Students

Some students may need to be driven to school and escorted to the doors to the school by adults. This is very challenging at drop-off because parking is so limited. We are sorry for this inconvenience.

  • Between 8:25AM and 8:35AM, find street parking as described in the “parking” section of this document. Disabled parking is available in both school parking lots. Students and parents/guardians “Hug and Go” at the school’s door.

  • This is necessary because our student population is so large that we cannot accommodate non-staff adults in the school during arrival. If you have a special circumstance, please see the school principal or assistant principal.

  • Student walks into the school.

  • Students walk to the waiting area as directed by staff.

School Dismissal

  • Students are dismissed Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 2:50PM.

  • On most Wednesdays students are dismissed at 1:40PM.

  • All students in Kindergarten and first grade must be collected by an escort (unless they stay for Student Care or they ride the bus).

  • Grades 2-4 students may also be collected from school by an escort, but being escorted is not required.

Afternoon Pick-up

Adults choosing to wait for student dismissal need to wait outside for all students to be dismissed, and not inside the building. This policy is for everyone’s safety. While it would be ideal to be able to welcome parents/guardians inside, we do not have the staffing required to supervise the various comings and goings of all of the adults who wish to enter the school to wait. Adults needing to enter the school for a meeting, to sign-out a student early, or for other business should ring the bell and request entry into the building.

Walking Home Unescorted (grades 2nd-4th only)

NOTE: All students walking or biking unescorted must have a signed note from parent(s) on file with the classroom teacher.

  • Exit building.

  • Walk or ride bicycle directly home or to care provider’s home.

Busing

Students already registered to ride the bus, may ride the bus home from school (Students may not bring guests onto the bus).

  • Wait for bus in designated area inside the school.

  • Ride bus home following all expectations for riders.

  • Exit bus and immediately go to home or care provider’s home.

Car Pickup

There is no designated area for students to wait to be collected from school via a moving or temporarily parked vehicle with or without staff assistance at the end of the school day. Students being collected from school by a person driving a vehicle must be collected by the adult parking and coming onto school grounds to wait as outlined below.

K-1 Students:

  • Park, exit vehicle and wait on the blacktop on the grass field/blue playground side of the school, near the first parking lot off of Orchard Street. Please do not park in this small lot without prior authorization from the school; this lot must remain clear for students who are transported via bus.

  • If you are early, wait for your child outside. Do not enter the school to wait.

  • Greet your child’s teacher at the location where the teacher has instructed you to wait, and collect your student. Any students not picked up ten minutes after dismissal will be brought into the school to call home.

Note: Older students may join families on this playground for dismissal. Older students must have written permission from a parent to escort younger students from this area without an adult.

Grade 2-4 Students:

  • Park, exit vehicle, and wait on the artificial turf/flagpole side of the school.

  • If you are early, wait for your child outside. Do not enter the school to wait.

  • Collect student at designated meeting spot (G2) or on the walkway (G3-4).

  • Any G2-4 students for whom written unescorted leave permission has not been given will be brought into the school to call home 10 minutes after dismissal.

Parking

To say that we have a parking challenge at Wellington Elementary School is an understatement! Please abide by the following parking restrictions and refer to the enclosed map for more detail.

  • No vehicles are permitted to park, stop, or wait in either FIRE ZONE or NO PARKING ZONE (loops) on either side of the school, unless it is under the supervision of staff during AM drop-off.

  • The large parking lot will be coned-off to non-emergency vehicles from 9:00AM-3:00PM, daily.

  • The smaller parking lot is for staff parking and is only available to families on a case-by-case basis for visitors between 9:00AM and 3:00PM, daily.

  • Disabled parking spaces are accessible at all times in the smaller parking lot.

Street Parking is permitted:

  • On the right hand side of Cottage Street & Myrtle Street (one way streets)

  • On the Wellington-side of School Street past the “Stop Ahead” sign (Sign is on your right opposite Myrtle Street as you drive away from Common St.)

  • On the right hand side of Orchard Street in the student drop-off zone, after 9:00AM, for remainder of day In school parking spaces once the cones have been removed at 3:05PM daily

  • On the right hand side of Orchard Street before the entrance into the first Wellington Elementary School parking lot any time of day

  • On the right hand side of Orchard Street after the entrance into the second Wellington Elementary parking lot any time of day

Parking is NOT permitted:

  • In ANY of the numbered spaces in the large Wellington Elementary School parking lot between 8:00AM and 3:05PM (These spaces are reserved for staff even, if they are empty.) Disabled spaces are NOT reserved and are open to any motorists or passengers needing these spaces.

  • In ANY of the spaces in the small Wellington Elementary School parking lot. Disabled spaces are NOT reserved and are open to any motorists or passengers needing these spaces.

  • On the right hand side of Orchard Street in the student drop-off zone (between the two Wellington parking lot entrances) from 8:00AM-9:00AM

  • At St. Joseph’s Church

  • On the LEFT-HAND side of Orchard Street, from Goden Street all the way to Common Street, at any time of day

  • On either side of School Street from Common Street until the “Stop Ahead” sign (Sign is on your right opposite Myrtle Street as you drive away from Common Street.)

  • In cross walks, in front of fire hydrants, or neighbors’ driveways