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A new twist on curbside takeaway
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Posted by sunnica Thu Apr 19, 2007 12:23:27 PDT
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“Good morning, welcome to Discovery!”

 

It is 8 a.m. at Discovery Elementary School, and parents are dropping off their children during the morning rush.  Instead of jockeying for parking spots or allowing students to dodge cars as they scramble from one side of the street to the other, drivers now enjoy the safety and efficiency of the school’s new valet drop-off, a program introduced this year by the Bakersfield Police Department.

 

What used to be a daily crush of traffic that resembled mall parking on the Friday after Thanksgiving has turned into a pleasant, almost leisurely assembly line of slow-moving SUVs and relaxed parents waving as they pull away from Discovery’s curb.

 

To alleviate the danger in leaving running cars unattended or, worse, the double parking of years past, Discovery now offers a curbside valet service to safely direct traffic, and students, in an efficient and timely manner.

 

Adult supervised fifth and sixth graders wearing orange or yellow vests greet cars that drive into the coned area designated for valet use.  The attendents are ready to escort younger students onto campus, or, if no escort is needed, to open and close the car door in a professional manner. 

 

“Before we close the door, we say, ‘Bye!  Have a nice day!’” says Gabby Munoz, a fifth grader, who has been helping with the valet service for several months.

 

Munoz says that while approaching the car, she and the other valets have to be serious.  “As soon as the car comes up, we’re all business,” she says.  “Then, when the car leaves, we chill.”

 

Being “all business” stems from the safety class and test each volunteer must take before they can participate in the program. 

 

“They have to apply and go through training with Officer Will (McNeal),” says Principal Mary Westendorf.  “He stresses safety.”

 

Safety has been an issue at Discovery Elementary School since the burgeoning student population surpassed original projections.

 

 “We have sixty-six parking spots for eight hundred students,” says Westendorf.  “We don’t have adequate parking for this size of campus.”

 

Because the school is landlocked, she said, there is virtually no other means to create a safe environment for the morning rush.  People were parking in every available spot, even in red zones.

 

In December, Westendorf decided to implement the curbside valet program.  Since that time, several students have been eager for the added responsibility of getting to school early and being a dependable member of the valet team.

 

“It’s enjoyable,” says Bethany Geist, a sixth grader.  “I just like helping.  It’s fun for me.”

 

Fun means waking up earlier and getting to school before the campus opens.  Valet attendents arrive at Discovery before 8 a.m. to don their safety vests and stand on the painted yellow line, ready for the first rush of cars.

They miss their morning recess, but they don’t seem to mind.  

 

“Usually, before we started this, my mom didn’t bring me early,” claims Robert King, another fifth grader, who has been working as a valet since the program’s inception.  “I’d be sleeping in more if I didn’t do this.”

 

Losing sleep and missing recess seem a considerable price to pay for elementary age students.  However, according to Geist, the sacrifice is worth it.  She enjoys her job.

 

“It’s not only for myself, it’s for other people, too.  So, it makes me happy,” says Geist.

 

This type of civic-minded mentality is common at Discovery Elementary School.

 

Fifth graders Rylee and Paige Smith see the valet line as an opportunity to fill the coffers for the Gleaner’s food drive.  The two girls, part of Discovery’s student council, used their morning recess one week to hold up signs encouraging people to make donations. 

 

Valet attendents carried canned food donations from cars to the curb.

 

Curbside takeaway is a convenient method for parents to donate to the Gleaner’s food drive.  It is also an effective method to deposit something of a more personal nature: their children.

 

Since the initiation of the valet program, parents no longer have to get out of the car to walk their students onto campus.  Cars are not left unattended, and children no longer dash between traffic. 

 

Instead, a happy and dependable group of vested, trained valet attendents ensures that early mornings at Discovery Elementary flow smoothly.  They love their job and are happy to do it.

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