St. John Catholic School is guided by our Mission Statement and Schoolwide Learning Expectations (SLEs), one of which is We are Empowered Disciples Who embody Gospel Values, Catholic social teachings and the mission of the Church and act as stewards of our natural environment.
We strive to teach our students that being Empowered Disciples applies everywhere. It does not stop once you step off campus. This is true for every member of our community.
A reminder to parents and guardians who drive children to and from school: practice traffic safety and driver etiquette. The Parish and School continue to receive messages from our neighbors regarding issues such as the blocking of driveways, illegal parking, and speeding. This is a letter school administration received from a neighbor this week:
I am a resident of the neighborhood and live on 78th and 1st. I have lived here for several years, and obviously, I am aware that there is a school next to my home. I also know that in the past the school has asked parents to not park on a single block to wait for their kids. Unfortunately, my block is again becoming that place for idling cars.
I came home to find 6-7 cars on the one block in front of my home. One car was also blocking my and my neighbor’s driveway. Two parents were incredibly rude, and I am shocked at how disrespectful they were. One woman got out of her car and told me to “get over it.” Another man rolled down his window, asked me condescendingly if I knew that I lived next to a school, refused to give his name when asked, and continued to berate me until he drove away when his kids finally came to the car.
I understand the constraints of parking but having every parking spot on the one block filled with idling cars is frustrating. I would appreciate it if you can remind parents about considerate parking, being respectful to the neighbors, the neighborhood, and the significance of kind language.
We all represent St. John. Let’s do better. Please follow traffic guidelines:
- Be mindful of neighborhood needs
- Do not block driveways. Parking too close to driveways limits neighbors’ access to their homes. It is also illegal to park within 5 feet of a driveway.
- Be mindful of keeping the air clean. Turn off engines; do not idle.
- Obey traffic laws
- Leave sufficient space between the corners/crosswalks/stop signs and your car. Parking too close to corners, crosswalks, and stop signs blocks the vision of drivers limiting their ability to see clearly the students crossing. It is also illegal to park within 30 feet of a stop sign.
- Observe the speed limit.
- Make sure that you are parked legally.
- Review the traffic map and follow the guidelines, especially during drop-off and pick-up.
Thank you to the parents/guardians who model our Mission Statement and SLEs and practice traffic safety.
