Safe Travel

At St Joseph's School South Murwillumbah, we take all precautions to provide a safe traffic flow area at all times to and from our school. We are able to carry this out by implementing the following procedures.

Pedestrians Access arriving and departing

There are several points of entry into St Joseph's Primary School. Our school does not have a visiting car park area, but parking is available along the residential streets. Everyone is expected to alight from the vehicles and walk quickly and directly across Wardrop or Greville Street, holding their child's hand.

Where no pedestrian crossing facilities are available, everyone should Stop, Look, Listen and Think before crossing the road. Parents, with their children, should cross in an area away from parked cars and especially buses. There are pedestrian access gates into the school undercroft on Wardrop Street.

Student arrival and school supervision hours

The school is located in a 40 km school zone where a 40 km speed limit applies for the hours of 8:00 - 9:30 am and 2:30 - 4:00 pm on school days. The speed limit is lowered to 40 km during these hours to increase the safety of the students arriving and departing the school.
Wet weather days are particularly hazardous for children as traffic increases, visibility of children is decreased, and slippery roads make driving conditions more difficult. Reduce speed, park correctly and walk with your child from the school gate to your vehicle. Children under eight years should hold an adult's hand when in a traffic environment.
Arrivals before 8:20 am are to be seated in the school undercroft area. The parents
of these students should have made contact with the Principal in regard to this early arrival.
Teacher on duty from 8:20 am
Children take bags to their classroom port rack area and return to the basement or undercroft for play. On sunny days children can be taken to the playground.
Bus children arrive at 8:15 am. They are dropped off on Greville Street, where they walk along the path and enter the school grounds via the undercroft school gate entrance.
Riders, scooters and skateboarders enter the school grounds through the undercroft gate and walk their bike, scooter or skateboard to the bike rack area, which is located at the rear of the staffroom, near our school vegetable garden.

Morning Drop-off Zone

To assist with efficient drop off of students before school and pick up procedures of students after school. Parents are requested not to stop or leave their vehicles in the Stop, Drop/Collect Zone. This area is for quick drop off and collection of children only.
Parents should drive into Wardrop Street and queue on the playground side of the road and wait until a car/cars move from the loading zone until they make the turn around at the end of the street. (There is absolutely no stopping in the turning bay, the area is signed for this traffic regulation)
Once you have turned at the end of the cul-de-sac, you should move right to the end of the drop-off zone and stop. The children should alight from the safety door side of the vehicle and proceed safely to the school grounds.

Afternoon Pick Up

Students getting picked up in the afternoon are to assemble in the undercroft area under the supervision of at least two teachers. The teacher on support duty calls children's names using a microphone. At least two teachers are positioned to open the car door and supervise the child/children getting into the car.

Afternoon Pick-Up Zone

Parents should drive into Wardrop Street and queue on the playground side of the road and wait until a car/cars move from the loading zone until they make the turn around at the end of the street. (There is absolutely no stopping in the turning bay, the area is signed for this traffic regulation)
Once you have turned, you should move right to the end of the drop-off zone and stop. You should not get out; a teacher will assist your child in entering the car from the safety door side. Parents are to remain in the car, and the teacher will open the door for the child.
Parents wanting to stop and get out of the car to pick up their children from the undercroft are asked to park further up the northern end of Wardrop Street or the Southern end of Wardrop Street and walk in.
Parents who arrive early are asked to refrain from parking in the Pick Up Zone and waiting in the undercroft area as this may cause congestion.
If you do stop in the turning bay, your child will not be permitted to enter the car.
No children are permitted to enter a vehicle unless a teacher is present.

Student afternoon dismissal

All walkers are to assemble at the ramp area in the undercroft and wait for the supervising teacher.
Southern walkers will be walked south along the school footpath and supervised crossing the road at the corner of Wardrop Street and Greville Street.
Town walkers will be walked by the supervising teacher along the footpath and then supervised crossing the road at the corner of Wardrop Street and Stafford Street.

Arrival and Departure by bus

Bus children arrive at 8:15 am. They are dropped off on Greville Street and enter the school grounds via the double doors in the basement. When before 8:20 am, students are to walk to the undercroft area and wait for the supervising teacher. When after 8:20 am and before 8:50 am, students take their bags to their classroom port rack area and return to the basement or undercroft for play.
Each afternoon bus children line up in the basement to wait for buses under the supervision of at least two teachers. The supervising teachers will walk each waiting bus line via the double doors in the basement as their bus arrives and supervise them safely boarding their bus. Buses pull up directly outside these doors.
Note: during times when the Basement is unavailable, students will assemble in the undercroft area and be escorted to the buses.
To apply for a bus pass: Transport NSW.
For route information regarding bus travel, please visit Parsons, Gosels, Murwillumbah Bus Company, Singhs, BVC, J&B and Kinnetic (make sure to select school travel in the refine option).

Arrival and Departure by Bicycle

The RTA and Catholic Education Office recommend that students under the age of 10 do not ride bicycles to or from school unless accompanied by an adult.
Students who do ride a bicycle to and from school must correctly wear an Australian standard-approved helmet. Once at school, students must walk bicycles on site and store them in bicycle racks provided at the rear of the staffroom building.

Departure on Foot or by Bicycle

Students who are part of the walking line of an afternoon at home time will now assemble in the basement area on the allocated seats. The bus support person, after supporting the 3-5 mins of the initial first buses, will then take the walkers out the basement door down to River St and walk them along the path to the crossing at the corner of River St and Stafford St where they will be safely taken across Stafford St.

These procedures are regularly evaluated and communicated to our staff, students and parents in the following way:

Staff

Staff are to be informed of our Traffic Management Procedures at our admin staff meeting at the beginning of each year. Staff will also be given a copy.

Parent/Carers

Our Parents/Carers will be informed of our Traffic Management Procedures at the Kindergarten Orientation meeting held during Term 4 of each year.
Information in regard to our Traffic Management Procedures will also be placed in our school newsletter at the beginning of each year, along with regular reminders placed in the newsletter throughout the year.
A copy of our Traffic Management Procedures will also be placed on our school corporate website in policies.

Students

At our school assemblies, we will ensure that all children understand the Traffic Management Procedures and understand that there are no exceptions and the reason why these procedures are in place.

Traffic Management Procedures