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Here are your Brown School traffic rules and maps to keep everyone safe during arrival and dimissal times. Please reach out if you have any questions. We thank you for helping us keep our kids and families safe.

Arrival and dismissal in a neighborhood school with narrow streets can be challenging. Parking spaces are limited, especially at dismissal time. It does, however, work quite smoothly when we all work together and follow the “rules”. Here are our top 5.

1. Rule #1 will always be: Be kind, courteous and patient. We understand it can be challenging. Please work together to keep all 458 children safe.

2. Please, please, please respect our neighbors driveways, lawns and properties. We understand parking is at a premium, but please refrain from blocking driveways or using adjacent properties for your parking area.

3. Families sometimes opt to stay and play on the playground after school. This is great! We would ask if you are planning on staying for any length of time after dismissal to leave the front row and side parking spaces free for parents coming and going to allow for the greatest number of parents/ caregivers spaces for pickup. Spaces are typically available in the middle and rear of the main lot if you plan on staying.

4. Sometimes you need to take a lap. If you're arriving for carline between 2:25 and 2:30, you'll probably find that the line extends out onto Baldwin Road. If you cannot find a parking spot that completely fits your car while you wait for your turn, please circle the block and try again. Blocking Baldwin while you wait to enter the carline causes traffic backups throughout the neighborhood and makes the whole process take longer for everyone. Pro tip: if you arrive at 2:35, you'll typically zip right through carline without waiting. 🙂

5. Consider other options. If you live close enough, please consider walking or riding bikes with your kiddos. Not only does it cut down on traffic, it provides some really nice time with your kids to talk about the day. Parking on other nearby streets beyond Baldwin and Jane Roads also affords a nice walk.

*When in doubt, reach out and always start with Rule #1. 😊

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*The doors open for entering at 8:05 and school begins at 8:10.

*Ms. Herendeen’s, Ms. Zisson’s, and Ms. Duffy’s classes will arrive and dismiss at the Pre-K playground doors.

*Students in Ms. Connelly(PK), Ms. Bassett (PK), Mrs. Ross (K) and Mrs. Hecht's(K) classes will enter and dismiss at the classroom’s exterior doors along the valet area in front of the school (in purple below)

*Ms Kleemola's students arrive at the Pre-K playground and dismiss at the classroom door.

*Please do not use the area in front of the PK Playground for parking or valet. This can make things very dangerous for our kids who are moving toward the parking lot.

*The most challenging part of the car line can be getting into the parking lot. Please be sure not to block the traffic on Baldwin. Blocking Baldwin while you wait to enter the carline causes traffic backups throughout the neighborhood and makes the whole process take longer for everyone. (See Rule #4 above)

*Please do not use the area in front of the PK Playground for parking or valet. This can make things very dangerous for our kids who are moving toward the parking lot.

*If you are parking and picking up your child at the PK playground or Main Doors:

• Parking in the first row of the main lot and the side row that runs parallel to Baldwin is reserved for our PK and K students to help keep them as safe as possible.
• Please do not use the area in front of the PK Playground for parking or valet. This can make things very dangerous for our kids who are moving toward the parking lot.
• Parking on Baldwin is available provide we do not block neighbors driveways and avoid parking too close to the rear entrance of the parking lot. This can create quite a jam for cars entering the carline.
• The circular driveway in front of the school is for busses only during arrival and dismissal time.
• There are parking spots available in our parking lot beyond the first row. In addition to early birds arriving for pick up, we have support staff members who are exiting at 2:30 freeing up spaces.
• Many adjacent streets afford parking spots especially if you don't mind walking a couple of blocks. Check out map above for streets close to Baldwin.
• Be sure not to park on the corner of corner of Jane and Carol Roads. If cars park too close to the corner, the busses cannot make this turn.
• Please be kind and patient.

We know this is a lot of information to digest. The Marblehead Traffic Magic is definitely in the details. We appreciate your feedback and we'll do whatever it takes to make things move as smoothly as possible. We'll be sure to link this document in future newsletters and update as needed.

Thank you all for everything you do during arrival and dismissal to keep us all safe.