Traffic Builds Up Daily on Maple Hill Road

NAUGATUCK, CT - The staff at Maple Hill Elementary School report that morning arrival is going much more smoothly each day since the first week of school, but traffic on Maple Hill Road can get very tricky during both arrival and dismissal time. The amount of parents that are dropping off and picking up their K-4 students for in-person learning at the school instead of having them ride the school bus has clearly increased the traffic near the school.

Staying away from the area between 8:30am and 9:00am and 12:10pm and 12:40pm will help motorists avoid the traffic snarls.

Faculty and staff at Maple Hill appreciate the patience and understanding of parents and guardians as they continue to improve. They ask that those who are driving students to school please adhere to the curb as you wait to drop your child off. Drivers must be cognizant of traffic laws and must leave an open path for emergency vehicles, the roadway, and the crosswalk at all times.

The school does not begin unloading cars until 8:45 AM, so parents/guardians are reminded that there is no need to arrive earlier than that time. On Wednesday morning before 8:30am, there was already a long line of cars in both directions. Most were pulled over to the right side of the road, some with their left turn signal blinking; this allowed for one car at a time to pull through the middle of the road to get past the school.

However, last week when the attached photos were taken just past 8:30am, this was not the case. Cars in the line on both sides of Maple Hill Road were simply stopped in their lane, making it very difficult for through traffic to do anything but sit in the line. A few drivers made three point turns and went back the way they came. When school buses began to arrive, the bus drivers skillfully attempted to get through the middle with the help of music teacher Robert Trosan, wearing a yellow safety vest and giving new meaning to the term "bus duty."

PICK UP INFORMATION for Maple Hill

Maple Hill staff also reminds drivers that if they are picking up at the close of school, the same rules apply. Please have your ID ready for verification and arrive at your designated time.

Maple Hill students are dismissed according to grade level:

12:10 - 12:20 PM - Kindergarten
12:20 - 12:30 PM - Grades 1 & 2
12:30 - 12:40 PM - Grades 3 & 4

Students are called as their designated pick up vehicle pulls into the pick up area, while maintaining social distancing guidelines. Students with siblings are asked to pick up all family members at the earliest assigned time for your students grades. For example, grade 1 and grade 4 siblings will both be picked up during grade 1 pick up time.

Pick up vehicles must not block Maple Hill. No parking is allowed in any Maple Hill lot at this time. Families should wait on the side of Maple Hill Road for the pick up area to clear before pulling up and entering to pick up the child.

Please be aware that buses and vans are entering the pick up circle throughout dismissal, so please be cautious when turning into the pick up area.

Pick up area:

• We will have 3 designated pick up spots.

• Parents should pull up to the furthest forward designated pick up spot.
  • Pick up will be completed 3 vehicles at a time. Please wait until all three previous vehicles have cleared the pick up area before pulling forward.
• Parents should not arrive before their designated pick up time each afternoon.
• Parents are not permitted to park vehicles in any campus parking spot during pick up.
• Parents are not to leave their vehicles during pick up unless there is a specific need.
  • Must call the office at 203-720-5236 first
• All vehicle boardings should be made on the right (passenger) side of the vehicle
  • Parents should move car seats/boosters to Right side of the vehicle to ensure students do not need to walk in the pick up lot (Enter directly from the marked area into the vehicle).
• Students must be wearing their mask until they enter their assigned vehicle each afternoon.
• If there is inclement weather (eg: rain), please dress students accordingly and/or have them bring appropriate weather related items such as an umbrella.
  • Students will be walking a short way to the pick up area and much of this is exposed to the elements.
• Siblings in different grades should be picked up at the earliest assigned time for the youngest sibling (EG: 1st and 4th grade siblings. Pick up should be done during 1st grade pick up)

Under no circumstances should any vehicles stop in the four way intersection
We will have buses and vans dropping off in the circle during this time. It is imperative that we work together to ensure ALL students are able to dismiss safely from school each day.

Failure to comply with any of these guidelines puts the safety of our students, staff, and families at risk. We ask that you adhere to all posted guidelines to ensure the safety of all members of our school community.