Morning Walkers & Bike Riders

• Use this link to access the one mile "Walk Zone" for Virginia-Highland Elementary. Walk Zone Map On the map, the red dots indicate the homes that are within the school walking zone.  These families will not have access to bus transportation with one exception; if you live on the west side of Monroe Drive, your family will be eligible to receive bus transportation.  The blue dots indicate families that are not within the one-mile walking zone and will receive bus transportation. Use this information to help determine how your child will arrive to school in the morning and how they will return home in the afternoon. 
• For families who are walking or biking with their children to school in the morning, please adhere to the following rules. 
  • Families may arrive at any time between 7:15 a.m. and 7:45 a.m.
  • Please use the crosswalks where there is an APS Crossing Guard so you and your children can safely cross over Virginia Avenue.
  • Families can walk their children to the main entrance of the building or to the Clemont Dr. entrance.
  • Families are NOT permitted to drop their child off in a car on the Clemont Dr. entrance.  This poses a safety risk for all students and teachers. 
  • Bike riders should park their bike at one of the bike rack locations.  We recommend locking your child's bike to the bike rack. Bike racks will be located at the main entrance and the Clemont Dr. entrance. 
  • Families will not be allowed to enter the building and walk their children to class. 
• Independent Walkers/Bikers are students who walk/bike to school without an adult, parent or guardian.  We recommend that only 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students be independent walkers/bikers with parent/guardian permission.  If you want your child to be an independent walker or biker, please email your child's teacher to let him/her know. At VHE, it is our recommendation that younger siblings walk/bike to or from school with an adult; however, this is a family decision. Please inform your child's teacher via email.
• Independent Walker/Bikers walking/biking with younger siblings.  At VHE, it is our recommendation that younger siblings walk/bike to or from school with an adult; however, this is a family decision.  Please inform your child's teacher via email.  If we have any questions or concerns, we may call the parent/guardian to discuss them. 
• Please consider purchasing the following items to help ensure that your child is safe as they walk/bike to and from school. 
  • Bike Flags (click link)
  • Kid Safety Vest (click link)
  • Flashing Light (click link)
  • Kid Bike Helmet (click link)
• For other bike safety tips, click the link. Bike Safety Tips

Morning Bus Rider Information

• Virginia-Highland Elementary will always encourage parents with school bus access to place their children on the bus.  Riding a bus will reduce traffic, reduce pollution, ensure that your child will always arrive on time and give students a sense of responsibility.
• Be reminded that traffic in the Virginia-Highland Elementary zone is heavy at times, but we assure you that bus drivers will do their best to arrive on time in the morning and afternoon each day.
• All families that live "west" of Monroe Drive will have access to bus transportation, regardless, of living within the one mile walk zone.  Atlanta Public Schools recognizes that Monroe Dr. is a busy street and in the interest of safety for our students, families that live "west" of Monroe Dr. will have bus transportation. 
• Virginia-Highland Elementary will have a total of 4 buses that will go throughout the community to pick up students. Please note that not all students will have access to a bus.  If your family resides within the one-mile walk zone of Virginia-Highland Elementary, your child(ren) may not be assigned to a bus route.  
  • The bus numbers are:

    Bus # (route 3003, Run ID VES.001 & VES.101)  

    Bus # (route 3006S, Run ID VES.005 & VES.105)

    Bus # (route 3017, Run ID VES.002 & VES.102)  

    Bus # (route 3001, Run ID VES.003 & VES.103)    

    Bus # (route 3025, Run ID VES.004 & VES.104) 

• To determine what bus your child will ride, please use the Bus STOP Locator. The bus stop locator will show you the bus number your child will ride as well as the time the bus will arrive in the morning and drop-off in the afternoon. Parents are encouraged to show up at the bus stop 5-10 minutes or more prior to the bus arriving to pick up or drop off students.
• Bus arrival times in the morning and afternoon vary depending on the route. To review the entire bus route for your bus, click here. Virginia-Highland Bus Routes
• Please be sure to let your child’s teacher know if you plan on having them ride the bus. Teachers will need to know the bus number that the child rides so we can plan for afternoon dismissal.
• Once students arrive at school, they will be supported by our teachers and staff to ensure they make it to their teacher’s classroom. We will continue to practice this with our kids as we build their confidence during our morning routines.
• All buses will drop students off at Virginia-Highland Elementary on Clemont Drive. Students will enter the building through the Clemont Dr. entrance and will proceed to their classroom or to the cafeteria for breakfast.
• Families are NOT permitted to drop their child off in a car on the Clemont Dr. entrance.  This poses a safety risk for all students and teachers. 
• We encourage all parents to get to know their child's bus driver.  Be sure to introduce yourself and let the driver know who will be at the bus stop each morning and afternoon to pick up your kids.
• For Transportation Safety Tips, please click the link. Transportation Safety Tips

Morning Carpool Information

• Families may pull up in our carpool lane, at the main entrance only, any time before 7:15 a.m., but please do NOT let your child out of the car until it is 7:15 a.m. We want to make sure that your child is safe at all times. Teachers are assigned morning duty at 7:15 a.m. precisely.  If you let your child out before 7:15 a.m., we will not have appropriate supervision in place. 
• Families are NOT permitted to drop their child off in a car on the Clemont Dr. entrance.  This poses a safety risk for all students and teachers.  Carpool drop off will only occur at the main entrance. 
• Parents/Guardians will only be allowed to make a right turn into the carpool lane from Virginia Avenue.  Left turns into the parking lot from Virginia Avenue are not allowed. 
• As parents/guardians pull into the carpool lanes, our teachers and staff will open car doors for students as a courtesy.  At 7:45 a.m., teachers and staff will need to report to their classes, so please arrive before 7:45 a.m. with your children.
• Please say goodbye and have the children ready to exit the car as quickly as possible. This is not the time to review homework, have children eat breakfast, sign permission slips, fix hair or open the trunk or back hatch, etc. Carpool is not a parent/teacher conference time. If you need to speak to a teacher, please schedule an appointment.
• We ask that all students sit on the passenger side of their vehicle or that they can easily slide over to the passenger side of their vehicle to exit.  This allows us to easily open car doors and support students as needed while also keeping our teachers/staff safe. Please make appropriate accommodations if you have car seats.  
• Parents must stay inside their car in the carpool lane. If you need to get out of your vehicle, please park your car in a parking spot. Under no circumstances should parents park in the carpool lane.  Parking in the carpool lane is considered a fire safety hazard and it also delays the carpool flow.
• Please be alert and follow the instructions of the carpool assistants. If someone asks you to move to improve the flow, please oblige. Opening and closing the doors is a courtesy and may not always be available. Again, please remember to have your doors unlocked.
• No cell phone use in the carpool lane during arrival or departure from carpool. We need you to be alert and prepared to stop/go quickly. Please abide by this rule as a common courtesy and safety protocol for all students, teachers and staff.
• Be a follower: Follow the car ahead of you as we are moving cars forward in the carpool lane. When one car breaks the routine, others follow, chaos ensues, and you get out later, not sooner.
• We love our furry family members, but please keep pets in vehicles. Pets are not allowed on the school property. Please do not let any pets out of the car or hang out the vehicle windows. There are children, staff and parents who are uncomfortable around animals and who have allergies. This also poses a safety risk. You are liable for any accidents or injuries.
• Once a student exits their car in the morning, the student will enter the building through the main entrance.  Students will proceed to class or to the cafeteria for breakfast.
• Parents should remain in their car at all times. Once your student exits the car, please pull forward to allow the flow of traffic to continue.
• For Transportation Safety Tips, please click the link. Transportation Safety Tips

Late Arrival  

• If a student is not in their homeroom class by 7:45 a.m. they are considered tardy.   Our front desk staff will mark students tardy in Infinite Campus. 
• For students who arrive at school after 7:45 a.m., parents/guardians will need to park and walk their children into the school to sign them in.  Under no circumstances should parents drop their students off in the parking lot or at the front door.  Parents will need to walk inside of the building with their child. This ensures that all students make it into the building in a safe and secure way. Students who arrive late will still be able to have breakfast. 

Please understand that we take the safety and security of our students very seriously at Virginia-Highland Elementary.  It is important that you understand that when no one is on duty, your child’s safety is at stake.  Also, be reminded that instructional time is VERY important.  Please do all you can to ensure that your child makes it to school on time each and every day.