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    April 25, 2019

    Dear Tenafly Parents, Caregivers and Students,

    Spring has certainly sprung in the Tenafly Public Schools!  Trees are blossoming, flowers are blooming and state assessments are in full swing.

    In support of students who are now soaking in the morning sun when they enter school, then bursting with energy after school to enjoy sports, outdoor activities, or afternoon fun with friends, we ask that everyone take a moment to read then follow, these reminders that support the safety of our school communities.

    If you are a driver, remember to:

    1. SLOW DOWN.  Rushing only enhances the risk of an accident.
    2. OBEY all traffic laws when driving, including parking rules, idling laws and speed limits.
    3. NEVER cross (or allow your child to cross) a road UNLESS at a crosswalk.
    4. NEVER use the doors on the driver’s side when exiting the car on a road.
    5. RESPECT the crossing guards.
    6. RESPECT pedestrians approaching/in crosswalks.
    7. RESPECT cyclists.
    8. STOP (Fully!) at all stop signs and red lights.
    9. BE COGNIZANT of the power of your vehicle; maintain control by going slowly and steadily.
    10. BRING YOUR PATIENCE when dropping off/picking up from school.

    If you walk to/from our schools, be sure to:

    1. REMOVE HEADPHONES/EAR BUDS when crossing the street.
    2. PUT DOWN THE PHONE when crossing the street.
    3. TAKE OFF HOODIES when crossing the street to enhance your peripheral vision.

    Parents/Caregivers, it is especially important that we MODEL the rules set forward for pedestrian and driver safety:  

    1. NEVER ENCOURAGE your child to go between cars or cut across the road to enter/exit your vehicle.  
    2. WAIT until you have pulled into a safe space so that your child can travel on the sidewalk, cross at the crosswalk, and/or enter/exit your car on the passenger side.

    Collectively we must commit to understanding that NOTHING we need to do is so urgent or so important that it should jeopardize any person’s safety.

    Finally, please note that the Tenafly Police Department joins us in our efforts to keep our students and schools safe.  They have shared that they will be actively enforcing driving and parking laws on and off school hours, including ticketing cars who are parked in fire lanes or in restricted areas.

    We’re all in this together, Tenafly! The Tenafly Board of Education, the Mayor and Council, and the Tenafly Police Department are working cooperatively to raise the social conscience of safety in Tenafly, and we thank you for your cooperation.

     

    Very Truly Yours,

    Shauna C. DeMarco

    Superintendent of Schools