Statement
STSWR’s first priority is the safety of the children. The following procedure illustrates the steps and collective responsibility to ensure the well-being of all kindergarten students.
Procedure
It is recommended that all students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 3 be accompanied to/at the bus stop for safety reasons. Kindergarten students must be accompanied to/at the bus stop.
If your child will not be using transportation in the morning, afternoon or both, please fill out the Do Not Ride form and return it to your school’s office. By filling out the Do Not Ride form, you remove the risk of your child being put on to the bus incorrectly. You can opt back on to the bus by filling the form out again stating you now require busing. The form can be found here; https://www.stswr.ca/wp-content/uploads/Do-Not-Ride-Form1.pdf
The First Riders program will be held on the last Sunday of August each year, and is held at various locations. This program is for all Kindergarten students who will be riding the bus in September. Children and their parents receive safety training to help familiarize children with the bus and make it easier and more comfortable for them to ride the bus to school. This program is very important for new students and parents. Safety protocols will be discussed allowing parents and children to ask questions. STSWR asks that parents make this program a priority for their children.
Morning Bus Trip to School Protocol
Parent Responsibility
- Kindergarten students must be accompanied to the bus stop every day by a parent, caregiver or appropriately aged sibling.
- Please have an alternate plan for transportation should your child miss the bus.
- Parents are responsible for their child while waiting at the bus stop.
School Responsibility
- School staff will be at the school to accept the kindergarten students in the morning.
- It is recommended that a seating plan be provided for kindergarten students in the front rows of the bus.
Driver Responsibility
- It is recommended that kindergarten students be identified to the driver and seated at the front of the bus whenever possible using a student list.
- The driver must ensure that the student boarding the bus is on the passenger list. If students do not appear on the list, take the child in to school. Leave no student behind in the morning, but let the school staff know they need to be on the list to board the bus in the afternoon.
Afternoon trip home from School
Kindergarten students must be met at the bus stop in the afternoon. It is a requirement for the parent, caregiver or appropriately aged sibling to come to the bus door and ask for the child by name in order to promote a safe dismissal.
Parent Responsibility
- All kindergarten students are to be met by a parent, caregiver or appropriately aged sibling at the door of the school bus. An appropriate aged sibling is determined by the parent/guardian. Please note that if your child does not see their designated person for pick up, they should get back on the bus and tell the bus driver.
- Parent, caregiver or appropriately aged sibling who normally meet a child at a bus stop should make alternate arrangements to have another responsible person meet the child if they are unable to be present at the drop-off time.
- Parents or guardians must acknowledge that failure to adhere to these procedures may result in the withdrawal of transportation privileges at the sole discretion of the school.
- Parents will need to go to their school to pick up their child when they are not met at the bus stop.
School Responsibility
- Kindergarten pupils transported home are to be identified by a reusable nametag. Nametags will be distributed to kindergarten students by their school. These nametags are colour coded for the corresponding school bus with the same colour (e.g. Route 001 is the White bus). All Junior and Senior Kindergarten students are put on the bus by school staff according to their colour coded Kindergarten Tag.
- The school is responsible for getting the children onto their correct bus.
- Kindergarten tags should be placed at the top of the backpack so that they are visible to the driver.
- Schools are asked to train their Kindergarten students about best practices for riding the school bus. A list can be found here; https://www.stswr.ca/wp-content/uploads/Kindergarten-Best-Practices33.pdf
- When a child is not met at the bus stop, the bus will return to the school. Should the school be unable to take the child, the driver will deliver the child into the care of the family and children services.
Operator Responsibility
- The Operator is responsible to provide training to the bus driver on the Kindergarten drop off procedure, as well as the other best practices if a school should choose to use them.
- If a parent, guardian or designated person is not present to meet a Kindergarten pupil at the bus stop, the bus operator will try to reach the parent. Dispatch will also inform STSWR
Driver Responsibility
- Kindergarten students should be discharged from the bus last in order to promote a safe dismissal to their parent, guardian or designated person. Those waiting for an appropriately aged sibling should sit in their seat until the sibling is dismissed from the bus.
- If a parent, guardian or designated person is not present to meet a Kindergarten pupil at the bus stop;
- The driver is to contact dispatch who will inform the school staff that the student has not been met and may be returned to the school.
- Should the bus operator, school, or STSWR staff not be able to reach the parent, guardian or designated contact, the driver will return the child to the school.
The above procedures with respect to discharge of kindergarten students will be included in written communication (in the form of a letter) from STSWR to parents or guardians. The letter will be distributed through the mail before school starts. This written communication will include a statement that parents and guardians are responsible for the safety and conduct of their children prior to pick-up and immediately following drop-off from school buses.