Rolling Dropoff allows parents who drive or use a cargo or 'tag-along' bike to safely drop off their kids at the curb right outside the schoolyard gates. It saves time and reduces traffic congestion — and it couldn't happen without parent volunteers!

Please remember:

  • Be patient! Wait until you're near the front to let your student exit your car

  • Stay in line! Don't pull away between the cones. It's dangerous. There may be cyclists, busses, or other cars coming through.

  • No U-Turns! It's illegal on Ellis and King (and dangerous).

Following these procedures is critical to ensuring we keep everyone safe and start the day on time.

VOLUNTEERs Needed!

Adult volunteers set up and manage the drop-off zone, and help provide a safe and efficient start to the school day. Volunteers, along with Malcolm X staff, will be stationed near the school gates on Ellis and King streets, assisting and monitoring students who were dropped off, and directing traffic. Helping with rolling drop off is shared across classes. Please check the Rolling Drop Off Schedule to find out when your child’s class is on duty!

Coordinators will help schedule volunteers ahead of their scheduled week. If you’re interested in volunteering, please sign up today!

 

HOW DOES ROLLING DROP OFF WORK?

There are two Rolling Dropoff zones — outside the King Street and Ellis Street gates. Drop off for all students is between 8:00–8:10 every day.

When you arrive, pull inside the line of cones. Don’t let your students out until you are one of the first three cars in line, nearest the gate. Be sure your students are ready to hop out when it is their turn so the line can keep moving — backpacks zipped, shoes tied, ready to say goodbye! After your child has exited pull forward until you are past the last cone and carefully pull back into the traffic lane.

Please obey all traffic laws — no u-turns or double parking are permitted.

 

CLICK TO ENLARGE: Map showing rolling drop-off zones and traffic flow around Malcolm X Elementary School.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COORDINATORS

  1. Send the class a heads-up about two weeks ahead of your scheduled week. Include a link to this web page (malcolmxelementary.org/dropoff) for instructions.

  2. Have volunteers sign up online with Signup Genius, Doodle, WeJoinIn, or a similar site. (see sample)

  3. Aim to have at least four adults per day (two on Ellis St, two on King St).

  4. Email a reminder the weekend before or, even better, the night before.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS

Before your scheduled shift, download and read the Set Up and Safety Instructions.

Plan to arrive at 7:55 on the day of your shift to retrieve the shopping carts with cones and vests. The Ellis Street cart is in the lower level hallway, near rooms 3 and 6. The King Street cart is in the Kindergarten wing hallway near the doors to the yard (see photos for help locating the carts).

Ellis Street Cart Location (outside view)

Ellis Street cart location (inside view)

King Street cart location (outside view)

King Street cart location (inside view)

  1. Put on a vest and place the cones along the white painted line in the drop off zone.
    Note: On the King Street side, please make sure that cones are set up such that the curb cut remains open for bicycles without cars blocking. 

  2. If you are assisting cars, encourage drivers to pull forward before letting kids out and help each car in turn — students should be out with the door shut before you proceed to the next car. Kids can help, but only one per adult.

    On the King Street side, if you are assisting biking families, help with traffic control as bikes as they turn into school by using the stop sign in the middle of the street to pause car traffic periodically so that bikes can safely turn left into the curb cut.

  3. Pay attention to cars and, as needed, politely remind drivers of the rules for rolling drop off:

    • pull forward before letting children out,

    • remain in their vehicle and a volunteer will assist their child out of the car,

    • stay in line and do not exit between the cones, and

    • obey all traffic laws (no U-turns).

QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS?

Contact Mausmi Mehta at mx.rollingdropoff@gmail.com.