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Drop-off at Ambrose Elementary School is a short, but intense window of time. Cars line up, doors quickly open and slam shut as students hurry to class before the 8:25 a.m. bell rings.
This school year, the Ambrose Parent Teacher Organization found a way to ease that morning rush.
Decked out in orange and reflective silver-bands, Ambrose PTO board members showed up to 8 a.m. drop-off on Sept. 21 dressed in traffic cone costumes, aiming to bring joy to an otherwise stressful routine.
Between handing out ticket-like citations and ensuring students safely made their way to class, board members carried out the organization’s mission to advocate for students, teachers, and families and foster a sense of community, this time with traffic safety as a focus.
Morning drop-off at Ambrose has its challenges, Ambrose PTO President Ashley Kelly said, particularly with traffic congestion along High Street and in the live drop-off lane.
“Student safety is always our top priority,” said Kelly, who came across the idea on social media after seeing an elementary school in California do something similar. “I thought it was hilarious and a fun way to bring attention to an important message.”
Ambrose is partnered with Massachusetts’ Safe Routes to School program, which was founded by MassDOT in 2005 and offers schools support for organizing events, such as lessons and evaluations about walking and biking safety. The program now partners with more than 1,300 publicly funded schools across the state, including all the ones in Winchester.
The traffic cone campaign joins a growing list of safety efforts in town. Muraco Elementary earned a state Safe Routes to School silver level award this year for its Walk to School program. The program encourages families to walk or bike to school on the second Friday of each month, with parent volunteers handing out stickers to students at distinct spots around the neighborhood.
Drop-off safety is a concern at all schools across Winchester, said Stefanie Mnayarji, an Ambrose parent and Winchester School Committee member.
When asked whether a specific incident prompted the campaign, she said that thankfully, none had.
“We don’t want people to make change after something traumatic happens,” Mnayarji said. “We want to prevent these things from happening in the first place.”
Mnayarji, whose daughter Eva is a third grader at Ambrose, knows how tough the morning rush can be for parents, especially having to run off to work afterwards.
“But when you see someone dressed as a traffic cone smiling and waving at you, it makes you pause and just be a part of that moment, a part of your community, and just reminds us all that we’re here for each other,” she said. “I think it’s beautiful.”
Beyond their getups, the event also included PTO board members handing out “Husky Whoops” to parent drivers who broke drop-off rules established by the school’s Safety Committee.
Each of those orange cards, styled as citations, listed those rules:
1. Pull all the way forward
2. Parents stay in the vehicle
3. Do not park or linger in the lane
4. No double-parking
5. Kids must exit on the right (or passenger) side only
The penalty for breaking one? A QR code at the bottom of the “Husky Whoops” card for a $5 donation to the Ambrose PTO.
“It’s optional,” Myanarji said, with a chuckle, “but also reinforces the rules in a fun-loving way.”
What is not optional? “Following live drop-off lane rules,” according to the fine print on the citation. That “IS required for use of the lane,” the card reads.
“Our goal was simply to help reinforce those guidelines in a fun, positive, and memorable way,” Kelly said.
Families seemed to appreciate the humor.
“There were lots of laughs, smiles, honks, waves, and a few double takes,” Kelly said. “If we could brighten someone’s morning while reinforcing an important safety message, I’d call that a win.”
As for what’s next for the campaign, Kelly said the plan is to continue to work on the Safe Routes to School Program and Walk to School efforts. She’s also not retiring her giant traffic cone costume just yet.
“We’re happy to dust off those costumes as many times as necessary to keep the safety message front and center,” she said. “If dressing up helps keep our kids safe, we’ll happily do it again.”
Sophia Kikis is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Winchester News and the Boston University Department of Journalism’s Newsroom program.
