By Eric W. Schoen–This too is Yonkers
Preparing for my radio show on the first day of school for most communities, Sept. 5, I thought, what better than to give some advice for those preparing to enter the halls of learning in our various communities for another wonderful school year? Then it dawned on me – kids are not the only ones headed back to school!
Drivers and parents join our students as they head back to school this and every school year. And I thought, who better than me – a former student, as well as a district administrator – to offer some back to school tips to keep everyone safe?
The paradigm shifts from summer, when mainly cars and trucks populate our roadways, to back to school, September to June, when motorists – as well as parents driving their children to and from school and school staff – join the rush on our overcrowded roadways.
One very important thing to keep in mind is that, unlike New York City, Westchester drivers must stop when a school bus has its flashing lights on and stop arms out. That stop is until the lights go out and the flashing arms go down. In NYC, you are allowed to make a full stop and then cautiously pass the bus. That doesn’t cut the mustard in Westchester.
Children are unpredictable and can dart out in the middle of nowhere, so drivers need to be extra careful when they are driving down the streets near schools and crosswalks. NYC has speed cameras around schools to catch motorists speeding, and many districts have cameras attached to the school buses to catch drivers who illegally pass them. You get tickets and fines for these infractions.
Drivers should drive slow around schools. If you need to use your cell phone, pull over and use it safely. Most kids nowadays have cell phones or iPods they are listening to on the way to school. They are often oblivious to traffic. Statistics show that most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related incidents are 4 to 7 years old and on foot. They’re hit by the bus or by a motorist passing a bus that’s stopped to load or unload children – something that’s illegal in all 50 states.
Parents have a big role to play in making sure their children are ready to be picked up for school and can have a fulfilling experience when they get there. If your child, like many in Yonkers and Westchester, takes a school bus to get to school, make sure they are outside on the right side of the street where the bus picks them up. They should be there ready to go 5 to 10 minutes before the bus arrives.
How often have we seen kids running across the street with their parents to catch the bus? Or kids not out at all with the bus waiting for them blocking the flow of traffic? This is dangerous and not fair for the kids who don’t want to be late for school.
Parents dropping their kids off by car must find out where to do so, and follow the rules at drop off and pickup spots. Every school day I see the hardworking safety officer at Spruce Street and Cerrato Lane directing traffic (something that should be done by a police officer), dealing with parents dropping their kids off in the middle of the street. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
At the end of the day, parents must pick up their kids on time. If they are arriving home via school bus, parents should be waiting for their children 5 to 10 minutes before scheduled drop-off. Take it from me, the worst thing in the world is if the child arrives at his or her bus stop and no one is there to greet them. The bus will take the child to a holding area for pickup, which is an area unfamiliar to the child with people the child does not know.
If a parent has a problem at school, don’t run to the superintendent’s office trying to get it resolved. It is best that you try to solve the problem at the school level first. Talk with the child’s teacher, guidance counselor, grade-level administrator or assistant principal, and finally, principal. If you are not satisfied, go to the central office administrator who oversees the school, and then as a last resort request a meeting with the superintendent of schools.
Make sure you are aware of registration times and any time schedule for testing for gifted and talented programs. Parents with children going to school next September should be checking now for what the procedures are for registration and testing. In Yonkers, where you have school choice, if you register at the last minute, don’t complain if your child is not assigned one of his or her top choices. There is a finite number of seats, and it’s not fair to the parents of children who followed the rules that a child who registered two days into the school year gets preferential treatment.
It is critical that the school and district have correct phone numbers – cell, home and work – to contact parents in case of an emergency. It is frustrating for school staff and frightening for children when a child is sick and the adult responsible for the child is not reachable. Ask the secretary in your child’s schools office what the procedure is for updating contact information. If the school district doesn’t have your correct home address, including apartment number, or email address, there is no way they can send you important notices and information by mail to you.
Speaking of secretaries, introduce your child to the school secretary. In case of a crisis he or she will be the point person, “surrogate mother” and your child’s best friend. It doesn’t hurt to bring something in to eat for the office staff to enjoy. Even though the year has started, make sure your child knows everyone he or she may have to interact with at the school. School aides, janitorial staff and cafeteria ladies are just as important as knowing who the principal is.
Remember that old saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease?” This goes back to my days in elementary school at School 13. My mom was co-president of the PTA and would help out whenever and wherever she was needed. Did I get special treatment? It was too many years ago to remember. But if I had any problems, school staff knew I was the son of Mrs. Schoen, the lady from the PTA who volunteers around the school.
Make sure your kids are at school on time and properly dressed. Remember they will be in their clothes for seven to eight hours, so everything must be comfortable. If a school uniform is required, make sure your child wears it. You don’t want your child to stick out in the crowd with other students appropriately dressed.
My mom had a rule: You stayed home from school only if you were sick with a fever something, so as not to expose other children who could possibly catch your illness. When the fever broke, she would wait 24 hours before she sent me back to school. My parents would never take us out of school for a vacation like so many parents do today. I stayed home from school on religious holidays only when I went to Temple.
A child missing school time is not good for him or her and the students in their classes. If your child will be absent, call the school to alert them and bring a doctor’s note explaining the reason why the child was out and giving the child clearance to return.
Remember, a princi‘pal’ is your child’s pal. Ask questions or request help if you need it. And in this day and age, follow the new rule: “If you see something, say something.”
I wish Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Edwin Quezada and his staff a wonderful school year!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show on Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. on WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream, or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
