Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Sylvan STEAM Safety Message from the Sylvan Union School District

At Sylvan Union School District, safety has, and will remain, our highest priority.  This communication outlines additional measures taken at our school sites before and after school and to remind students and parents/guardians of additional safety precautions and best practices to utilize while traveling to and from school.  

School staff monitor all entrances to the school site and all visitors must enter through the school office to be cleared through our safety check-in system.  Visitors will be screened, properly identified and issued a badge as proof of clearance prior to entering campus.  

School staff is on campus, supervising students, 30 minutes before start time for school.  No students should be left at school sites more than 30 minutes prior to the start of school as there is no supervision at that time.  

Staff monitors the gates at the beginning and end of the school day as students arrive and leave.  School staff are there to ensure the safe arrival and exit of students on the campus and to prevent any unauthorized entry to the campus.  Students should exit campus at the end of the day, travel home, ride the bus or be picked up in a timely manner as there is no supervision for students left for extended periods of time after school. If a family may need before or after school care, our district offers programs through SUSD Child Care and the Boys & Girls Club (as space is available).

Families and guardians are asked to follow all established traffic flow patterns that have been established at the school sites. Please do not park in red zones, bus zones or “coned off” areas, do not block traffic and ensure that all vehicles are entering and exiting the parking lots and adjacent areas, in the correct directions. Please drive slowly and with caution in areas on/near our school sites where children are arriving and leaving campus. Show kindness and patience with each other and staff as we support our students’ arrival and dismissal each day. 

The District does not have student safety patrols or crossing guards to monitor crosswalks; families must ensure that their children have a safe route to school and cross safely, if walking to school. Bus transportation is currently offered to any family who lives more than one mile from the elementary school they attend and two miles from the middle school they attend. The District works closely with the city and law enforcement to respond to safety needs of areas that include our school campuses. Currently a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) will be installed by the City of Modesto at the Rumble Road and Bay Lane, located near Sylvan STEAM Academy. The project was slated to be completed in summer 2022 but was delayed due to supply chain issues and is now expected to be completed no later than at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. 

In order to ensure a safe arrival and dismissal for students, to and from home, school sites, and bus stops, parents/guardians should consider and review the following precautions with students:

Parents/Guardians should establish a route for their children to follow when walking to and from school.  Parents/Guardians should decide which streets are the safest for their children to use as their daily route.

Parents/Guardians should walk the chosen route with their child(ren) at least once so they are familiar with the path to school.

When parents/guardians are unable to walk the route with their child(ren), parents/guardians should consider arranging for students to walk in pairs or groups of children rather than alone. 

Students should not approach or talk to strangers.

Parents/guardians should rehearse with students what to do if approached by someone (in-person or in a vehicle) they do not recognize. 

Parents/guardians should call the school if their child encounters a problem walking to or from school.

Students should obey all traffic laws, cross only at intersections, use crosswalks and be alert to traffic congestion.

Students should not walk in alleys or bike lanes.

Parents/guardians driving their child to school should let their child out of the vehicle on the same side of the street as the school.  If letting the child off in another place, the student should be instructed to cross only at intersections, use crosswalks, obey traffic laws, and be alert to traffic congestion.

Parents/Guardians should try to plan a route to school that avoids intersections without crosswalks. Any parent/guardian interested in establishing new crosswalks or other safety measures should direct their concerns to the City of Modesto.

Please review these precautions and safety measures with your child(ren). School campus and student safety is our priority and we expect our parents/guardians to understand their shared role and responsibility to keep students safe. We will continue to review our processes and monitor our school sites, sharing with our families information and updates to keep you informed.