Inman Parents – Our Kids Need You!!! Inman Middle School Principal Dr Bockman, the IMS Staff, PTO, APD and assorted volunteers have all been working hard to improve safety around the school with added signage, new safety barriers and procedures and a full-time APD Resource Officer. Things are improving to make the morning commute safer and faster for our kids along the very busy Virginia/Park Drive commuting corridors.

CROSSWALK DADS

A few years ago a few resourceful parents put together a group of “Crosswalk Dads” who patrolled the crosswalks leading to Inman wearing high-visibility shirts and vests to help escort kids safely across the very busy Virginia Ave/Ponce Place-Park Drive corridor. They have done a wonderful job so far!

In cooperation with APS and their Crossing Guards training program we have put in place a very successful crossing guard training program and we now have about 22 trained volunteers. We will be setting up a new training programs as needed to get our new volunteers trained to help our kids safely navigate the busy corners and crosswalks around IMS. It’s a short 3 to 4 hour session and will be run by the APS Crossing Guard Trainer. New sessions will be set up as needed, but we need to get a list to APS for their crosswalk trainers to consider.

WE NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS!

We have a dedicated core of volunteers who have been trained, but we need more volunteers so that every slot every day is filled, so we are asking that you, our wonderful IMS parents, step up and help us by volunteering to be a Crosswalk Parent. Crosswalk Dads has become Crosswalk Parents. We want Moms, Dads, Grandparents and whoever has an interest in the safety of our children; all are welcome to volunteer.

Being a Crosswalk Parent is about as easy a volunteer opportunity as there is for an IMS parent. We have 15, one-half-hour time-slots to cover each week from 8:30AM to 9:05AM. Most volunteers will work one-half-hour, one morning each week. For some volunteers they will only be able to work one morning every other week, so we need enough parents trained to cover the crosswalks at those times and enough parents to cover when there’s an absence.

We have an easy-to-use online signup sheet and we post regular updates via email to our volunteers.

BE SAFE OUT THERE

Drivers and pedestrians, please remember that crosswalk safety is a shared responsibility. Drivers are required by law to stop for a pedestrian in a designated crosswalk and pedestrians are required to use the crosswalks, both on school grounds and off. Students should not be stepping into the street before making sure that vehicles are actually stopping for the crosswalk. This is where our volunteers become very visible guardians for our kids against inattentive and distracted drivers, and extra eyes and a guide for our excited and impulsive kids. Neither drivers nor pedestrians should be using their mobile phones as they approach a crosswalk.

HOW TO VOLUNTEER

Anyone interested in participating as an Inman Middle School Crosswalk Guard should contact our Transportation and Safety volunteers with any questions you have about the program or training.

The more volunteers we have the easier it will be to fill all 1/2-hour time slots. Our volunteers tell us it is fun, rewarding work. You will get 100 “good mornings” and “thank you’s” from students and parents walking to school each day. It is a great way to get the day started! Please help us make the routes to school safer. This is an opportunity to do something positive for your community and your child’s school! The more the merrier and safer!