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Safe Travel

At St Carthage's, we strive to ensure that children, staff and members of our wider community are safe at all times. Additionally, it is our goal to make sure that our community is impacted as minimally as possible by school traffic. Our Traffic Management Plan has been devised to help us to keep all of our community safe. Parents are expected to follow this plan and to cooperate with the directions of staff fully. 

The information below provides you with an understanding of the Traffic Management Plan that has been implemented by St Carthage's. Please share this information with anyone who will be picking up and dropping off your children from school.

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Pick-Up and Drop-Off Arrangements

Before and After School

The following areas have been designated as safe areas for the children to be dropped off before school and to be picked up after school:

  • School grounds: Parents may collect children from the school grounds. Children will wait on the Library steps for collection. Parents, please note that the playground area is 'out of bounds' until all bus bays have moved off.

  • Cathedral grounds (preferred option): Children being picked up from the Cathedral in the afternoon line up with their hats on and near the Bus Bay 17-20 line. Teachers will escort them via the underpass to the Cathedral. All children are asked to walk in an orderly way.

A 'Drive-Through' operates as outlined below.

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DO NOT PARK: Parents are asked to avoid blocking bus zones or private driveways and are not to park in the Police Youth Club Car Park, the Service Station or the Staff Car Park, including the driveway access (located off Dawson Street).

Cathedral Pick-up and Drive-Through Guidelines

  • All children must sit on the grassed area and wait for their parents to collect them. (No children are to run off to meet their parents).
  • There is no parking in the middle grassed area of the Cathedral grounds.
  • ONE-WAY TRAFFIC only.
  • The drive-through lane is only for parents of children who do not need assistance getting into cars. (speedy operation) Parents, please do not leave your car. Teachers will direct your child/ren to your car when it is time and safe.
  • NO CHILD is to enter a car from the right-hand side of the vehicle when using the drive-through.
  • If your child needs assistance, parents must park in the "Pick-up Parking" area on the far side of the grounds and walk over to pick up their child.
  • All pedestrian access via Cathedral steps and paths. Please do not cross in front of queuing "drive-through" traffic.
  • Vehicles exit the 'Pick-up Parking' area on the inside lane of the Drive-Through queue (see diagram below).
  • Parents in Drive-Through-Lane have the right of way.
  • Please do not block driveway access to the Presbytery, Parish Office or Priest's residences.
  • Parents who need to park and collect children may wish to stagger their pick-up time until after the initial rush.
  • At 3:40 pm, any children still waiting to be picked up will walk back to school with the supervising teachers.
  • During funerals at the Cathedral, wet weather or storms, children are to be collected from the Library steps. A message will be placed on ClassDojo.  

We would appreciate it if all parents could read and share guidelines with other people who might pick up your child and support us in this endeavour to keep your child safe.

Buses

If your child is catching a bus, they will need to have filled out paperwork for the bus company they will be travelling with. Apply for a bus pass online at transportnsw.info/school-students. You can find out more in the 'Rural and Regional School Travel' document from Transport NSW.

If your child is new to catching the bus and does not know anyone else catching the bus, please let the school know, and we can arrange a bus buddy for them. All children are walked to the bus bays each afternoon by a teacher who remains on duty until the last bus leaves the bays.

School Bus Procedures:

1. When school finishes, children are to leave their classrooms and assemble in designated Bus Bay waiting areas on the school grounds as follows:

  • Bus Bays 1-3, 4-6 & 7-9 under the Library;
  • Bus Bays 10-12, 13-16 & 17-20 in the quadrangle (undercover area near canteen if raining).

2. Bus children will be supervised by the teacher on duty until they get on their bus. Under teacher supervision, students will walk in an orderly manner down the ramp to the crossing on Leycester St.

3. The children are to wait at the white line until told to cross by the Crossing Supervisor. Children are to walk across the pedestrian crossing, keeping on the crossing marks and inside the small islands. Children are to go immediately to where they line up:

  • Some assemble at the barrier fences, ready for their buses
  • Some assemble near their bus bay
  • Children in Brewster St are not to go beyond the Trinity fence
  • In wet weather, children should be in the bus shelters.
  • Children are not allowed to go to the service station, McDonald's or Trinity Canteen before or after school.

Code of Conduct for School Students on Buses:

It is every student's responsibility to behave in a manner that ensures the safety and comfort of passengers and drivers. This includes:

Behaving appropriately

  • Respect the needs and comfort of other passengers (e.g. no use of offensive or racist language, fighting, spitting, placing feet on seats, throwing things in or from the bus, eating or drinking- except water- unless the bus operator gives written permission)
  • Obey reasonable directions from the driver (e.g. where to sit or to remain on the bus)
  • Keep arms, legs and head inside the bus
  • Refrain from attracting the attention of the driver except in the case of an emergency

Respecting Property

  • Protect bus property
  • Ensure that buses are not vandalised
  • Report any vandalism, e.g. graffiti and window etching

Holding Passes

  • Show travel passes or tickets to the driver on boarding and when requested
  • Use the travel pass only for its intended purpose
  • Keep your pass for your own use - you should not lend your pass to other students or borrow one from them.

Disobeying these rules may lead to the withdrawal of school bus travel passes. Remember, your Bus Pass is a privilege, not a right. Respect it.

School Speed Zones

The 40km/h school speed zones operate across NSW at all school sites on gazetted school days (including school development days). Motorists should drive no faster than 40 km/h through school zones. Most school zones operate from 8 to 9.30 am and from 2.30 to 4 pm on gazetted school days. Visit Transport NSW for more information.

See the Traffic Management Plan for the 40km speed zones around the school.

A copy of the Transport NSW Keeping Our Kids Safe Around Schools document can be downloaded here.

Walking

Children who are walking home, walking to Trinity or having other arrangements line up with Bus Bays 17-20. They will walk out the gate accompanied by the teacher on duty and walk to where they are going.

Visitor Parking

The School Visitor/Disabled parking area (outside the Administration building) is for short-term parking between the hours of 9:15 am – 2:45 pm. It is not a pick-up or drop-off area for parent's use before or after school.

Refer to 'Pick up and Drop off' for appropriate parking areas for the regular collection of children.

Parents are asked to avoid blocking bus zones or private driveways and are not to park in the Police Youth Club Car Park, the Service Station or the Staff Car Park, including the driveway access in front of garbage bins (located off Dawson Street).