Parking Protocols

The traffic congestion at the beginning and end of each school day is a challenge for almost every school. COHR is lucky that we are able to offer both the drive through and the parking options. At all times the most important thing is the safety of our students. A few reminders of our protocols and procedures.

• The Drive Through gate remains open until 3:45pm or until there are no more children for Drive Through. So if you are going to be a bit later than the bell, your child needs to wait at Drive Through, not the Office.
• No students are allowed to walk down the front steps at the end of the day unaccompanied by an adult. So please do not ask your children to come and wait in the office and come down to you in the carpark, use Drive Through.
• No students are allowed to wait in the Office area after school. The Drive Through always has two staff on duty and children who do not have someone waiting for them in the Courtyard, or are not walking home, need to wait at Drive Through. The Office is a busy place at the end of the day, so children are not being supervised, and they are disturbing the Office staff trying to deal with phone calls and serving parents at the window. Children at Drive Through are supervised and if they are not collected we will place them in the Office area when Drive Through is finished, where they will be supervised, until they are collected.
• No students can play after school unless they have an adult present in the Courtyard. Children need to be at the Drive Through Gate. Children at Drive Through are supervised and if they are not collected we will place them in the Office area where they will be supervised, until they are collected.
• When joining the queue either before or after school, please pull over to the right of the entrance lane, to allow cars to pass and park.

The following is taken from our Parent Handbook, outlining how our Carpark works.

The following guidelines have been documented to help ensure the safety of our children.  Many are common sense but it is essential as a parent group they are followed to ensure the safety of our children.  

It is also important that parents model positive behaviours to the children of our school. Please also ensure any family members or friends who also collect your children are aware of these guidelines.

It is expected that these ‘Parking protocols’ be adhered to ensure safety and ease of traffic through the school. 

1. Parents/carers are expected to show and model courtesy and patience to the children and to all members of our community.
2. The Gate (opposite Hall entry) is the ONLY drop off zone for the morning. This is a strictly a ‘kiss & go’ zone, children need to quickly and carefully get in and out of the car. There should be no reason for parents to get out of the car.
3. The No Standing Zone beneath the Principal’s Office is designated as such to allow safe passage for cars exiting the school grounds and for children walking from the school building or arriving and leaving the school on bicycle.  Please note: this is NOT A DROP-OFF ZONE. Please do not park in non-marked areas/ keep clear zones.
4. Parking along the driveway near the Tennis Courts prevents cars from entering and exiting designated parking spaces.  It also blocks the marked walkway for children participating in activities on the oval or tennis courts.  If all spaces are full, park in nearby streets.
5. Gate pick up is designed to enable parents to arrive at school at 3.20 and drive through to collect their children after school has finished. Please do not arrive early only to wait in your cars for the bell to go and then form a queue for gate pick up. This only prevents parents who wish to go into the school from being able to park and creates an instant grid-lock, making the car park much more frustrating for all users. If your child is not at the gate, then you will be advised to drive on and re-enter the school. This is a strictly a ‘kiss & go’ zone, children need to quickly and carefully get in and out of the car. There should be no reason for parents to get out of the car. If parents need to assist their children by getting out of the car, parents will need to park and escort their child into school. 
6. It is the child’s responsibility to be ready and waiting at the gate at ‘pick up’ – if the child isn’t ready then you may be asked to move on.
7. Have you considered parking in a nearby street and walking to or from school even one or two days per week? Simple measures like this would ease car park congestion significantly.  Could walking this distance together be preparation for your children to meet you themselves when old enough to do so or be preparation for making their way independently to secondary school?  
8. The bus zone on Huntingdale Road is NOT a pick up or drop off zone.  Stopping in this area places children at great risk, especially during peak traffic times.  Please refrain from stopping at all in this zone.  
9. Parking on Ferntree Gully Road, between Huntingdale Road and Leroux Street stops cars from exiting the school safely and easily.  Parking in this area blocks view of oncoming traffic and prohibits cars from pulling into the left lane thereby slowing down traffic flow through the school. 
10. Children need to be carefully supervised by their parents as they make their way to their car.
11. For pedestrian traffic exiting onto Ferntree Gully Road, please exit via the footpath along the building and not via the driveway.
12. As our school is situated on the corner of two busy roads, parents and children are expected to cross with the lights.