Chieftain Elementary
Submitted by: Mr. Rice

This letter is to inform you that Chieftain Elementary will be changing its pick-up and drop-off traffic route. This change will take place on Monday, September 16th. Since the beginning of the school year, Deputy Cowgill and I have been working on a solution to the “Drop-off/Pick-up”. Ultimately, our goal is to make the process safer for students and their families.

Attached to this paper is a map that will show the new traffic pattern. We know this is a major change from the current process. Please understand it will take some time to work out problems that will arise. We ask for your patience as we work toward trying to improve this process for our families and students. Information about the process:

● The number system will remain the same.
● Drop-offs and pick-ups will follow the new route.
● You will still enter the main entrance, and follow the signs.
● Buses will now drop-off and pick-up students in front of the building.
● If you are walking your students to the building in the morning. You can still do this in front of the building. The front doors open at 9:15 am. Again, be cautious that buses will be dropping off in the front of the building. Preschool only can be escorted to class in the morning if needed.
● 3:30 pm is still the cut off time to make changes to your child’s dismissal
procedures. (Dismissing 400 students is a process, at 3:30 we send the students information to the classrooms for their student's dismissal, at 3:40 teachers notify students of changes, at 3:45 we line up for dismissal and at 3:50 we begin the dismissal process. This is a complex process, thus why we have the 3:30 deadline for changes).

Lastly, Deputy Cowgill would like to remind families of Ohio’s child passenger laws. As of October 7, 2009, Ohio’s children are required to use belt-positioning booster seats once they outgrow their child safety seats until they are 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches (57 inches) tall. Ohio’s child passenger safety law requires the following: Children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat meeting federal motor vehicle safety
standards. Children less than 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat. Children ages 8-15 years must use a child safety seat or safety belt.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that all children under the age of 13 years old remain in the back seat if possible.

If you have any questions feel free to contact Deputy Cowgill, or Mr. Rice, at 385-1171
Sincerely,
Andy Rice, Principal
Ross Cowgill, SRO