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Dear Upper School Families,
We are on the home stretch of construction as our new athletics center is online and the performing arts center will be complete in early 2018. Reflecting this, the morning traffic pattern at the Saratoga campus has been altered again. To prepare you for the start of school, we remind you of some important guidelines that we need all parents to understand and follow.

Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the new traffic pattern explained below so that your drop-offs, pickups and other visits to campus are safe and smooth for both drivers and pedestrians. If you have any questions about the traffic patterns or visiting/parking on campus, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

We are highly appreciative of the spirit and good will that were demonstrated last year while we initiated the first set of changes, and we are confident that the parents will join together with our faculty and staff to make this new transition as seamless as possible while we await our beautiful new buildings – and the beautiful new parking lot that will go with them!

Sincerely,
Greg Lawson
Assistant Head of School for Student Affairs
408.345.9600 | greg.lawson@harker.org
Watch the Video

 

How-To Video for New Drop-Off and Pickup Procedures
Please watch this video for a demonstration of the traffic patterns.
Morning Drop-Off Details
When you enter campus you will be directed to the right, and you will drive all the way around the construction site and directly through the center of campus.

 

Morning Drop-Off Pattern
Download the Drop-off Map
There is a 7 mph limit in the drop-off and pickup zones. Driving slowly is crucial, as you will be passing through pedestrian walkways. Once you exit the construction zone, pull forward until you find a stopped car in front of you – within the indicated dotted line area – and your student can exit your car at that time (as is illustrated in the video). There will be no room to pass cars ahead of you. As a courtesy to all other parents in line, please have your student ready to exit your car with books and backpack in hand (not in the trunk) as soon as you reach the drop-off area. This will help keep the process moving smoothly and safely for all.

Every numbered parking space on campus is designated for staff and faculty, so you may not park during the drop-off period except in parking spaces labeled “Visitor.” This is really important; if you pull into a numbered space, you’re preventing a teacher or staff member from getting to their classroom or office on time, and potentially affecting the start of your student’s academic day.
Download the Pickup Map

 

Afternoon Pickup Details
We no longer have room for parents to line up their cars while waiting for their children. Confirming your child’s readiness by text or phone before arrival will make the process much smoother and more efficient, and much less stressful for everyone. Watch the video to see our “cell phone waiting area” suggestion.
In the afternoons, you will enter campus and go to the left; you will be directed all the way down the back parking lot to the area next to the main academic building where the parking lot widens. That’s where your student will enter your car, and you’ll turn around there to exit campus. If your child isn’t ready, you’ll need to leave campus and return when they are.

Please see this map for a guide on how to exit the campus safely and without breaking any laws.
Visiting Campus at Other Times: Shuttles and Parking Tips
Most of the visitor spaces are parallel parking spaces located along the left driveway behind Shah Hall, the art building and the dance room. If there are no spaces available when you arrive, you will need to drive to the Blackford campus and take our van shuttle, which we will be operating continuously from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. between Blackford and Saratoga. (Schedule subject to change.) If you have a meeting with a teacher or staff member and hope to park on campus, it’s best to schedule it for a time other than drop-off and pickup, as there are limited visitor spaces.
IMPORTANT NOTES
bullet The bus and employee lot located at the front of the campus is for teacher, staff and bus use only. Any unauthorized use will disrupt the vehicle pathways already established for parents and, potentially, impede the safe movement of our buses.
bullet Do not drop off or pick up your child on Saratoga Avenue. This is extremely dangerous, and we want you and your child(ren) to come and go from campus safely every day.
bullet Do not use the La Terraza apartment grounds or the Marriott’s parking lot to drop off your children. We do not want to jeopardize the good relationship we’ve worked hard to establish with these neighbors.
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