Safety Valet is a parent-run volunteer service to Ivanhoe that coordinates student drop-off Monday through Friday, in front of the school.  Each school day from 7:45AM - 8:15AM, 4 to 5 parents, wearing our bright “safety” vests, line up along Herkimer Avenue and help students exit their cars safely.  We use orange cones to create a lane each morning for cars to exclusively use that are taking advantage of the Safety Valet service.  Cars enter from Rowena  Avenue and drive north up Herkimer Avenue, with Valets signaling to drivers when and where to stop.

When cars are safely stopped, a Valet opens the door(s) to the car and assists the student(s) out of the car and then closes the car door, signaling to the driver that it’s safe to continue driving away from school.  There is no parking on the east side of Herkimer between Rowena and Avenel Terrace (the alley behind school) during the time that Safety Valet is in operation. Additionally, we encourage parents not to drive south on Herkimer Avenue during that time period as well, as it often causes traffic jams and stand-still traffic.

Safety Valets volunteers also ask that parents cross Herkimer Ave at the crosswalk at Rowena Avenue. This is very specifically requested for additional student safety, as crossing through traffic is dangerous and sends the wrong message to our children.  Cutting across the Safety Valet line while cars are moving is dangerous. And finally, Valets strictly enforce a “no dropping off” policy in front of the Lower Yard gates during the drop-off time, as this stops the flow of traffic through the Safety Valet lane and causes additional traffic congestion and student safety issues.

The Safety Valet program is entirely designed around the safety of our students. As always, your assistance is what makes this and every volunteer program at Ivanhoe a success.  We thank you in advance for your patience and support.