Lupine Community Montessori Charter provides bus service at no cost to families as a convenience. This service greatly contributes to the smooth functioning of our school. Without it many would have extra driving time and gas expenses. Extra cars on the road lead to unnecessary pollution. Additionally, our school parking lot and wider community would have additional traffic problems without the buses. It’s a privilege to ride the bus. We want to continue offering bus privileges for all of our students. Students who ride the bus must follow the simple rules that keep it safe and comfortable for themselves and others. Students who ride the bus have the responsibility of acting in ways on the bus that work for the entire group of bus riders. Usually, the only adult on the bus is the driver, though sometimes there is a bus monitor to help maintain a safe and comfortable ride. Since the bus driver must give their full attention to safely driving the bus, it’s important to know the positive behaviors expected during this 15 to 20- minute ride, and to follow them. Below we have listed the kinds of behavior that are expected of students who ride the bus. Please take a moment and review some of the basics of bus riding so that you, as a student, can maintain these behaviors from the time you board the bus, to the time you exit the bus: On The Bus LCMCS Students are expected to: --Comply with the requests of the LCMCS staff person supporting students onto the bus --Sit with their bottoms on the bus seat, facing forward while the bus is moving. All arms, legs, heads, fingers, toes and other body parts and belongings stay inside the bus. --Engage in quiet activity with the student next to them – reading, talking, playing finger or word games, singing softly, looking out the window, etc. --Treat the bus driver and bus monitor with respect, complying with their requests and directions. --Treat other students with respect especially in your choice of words and the volume with which you speak. Do not use offensive language or profanity. --Do not throw things on the bus or out the windows. --Maintain body space and keep your hands and body to yourself. --Care for the property of the bus. --Manage your own belongings --No eating --Electronic devices of any sort are not to be out during the bus ride so keep them stored and out of sight. --Report any problems to the bus driver and to your teacher or the Dean of Students (Lora Modlin). Failure to comply with these expectations will result in the following: 1) If there is an infraction or a breaking of one of these rules, the student(s) are first issued a bus warning. Problem solving will also occur, so that if support is needed it can be identified and provided. 2) If there is a second infraction, then the next step is a suspension of the bus riding privilege for two days. 3) If there is a third infraction, the suspension is longer with a minimum of a week suspension and the possibility of losing bus riding privileges for the remainder of the year. Please review these guidelines and have an open discussion with your parents about what it means to ride on a school bus each day. It might be a good idea to practice riding on a bus with your family to help reinforce the pleasant things about the ride, and to communicate with others what you know about bus riding etiquette. We appreciate both parent and student signing this agreement and returning it to the school office.
While riding the bus is a privilege to students, it is also a privilege (and necessity) for many adults. Below are expectations of behavior by adults who utilize the bus service as well. Adults are expected to: • Drive slowly and carefully in, around and out of the bus stop location • Arrive on-time for morning drop off and afternoon pick up • Use Grace and Courtesy when speaking with other adults and/or children • Follow guidelines established for the bus stop location (i.e. where to enter/park/walk/etc.) • Encourage your child(ren) to obey the bus driver and follow designated rules when riding on the bus • Failure to follow these rules will result in: 1) If there is an infraction or a breaking of one of these rules, the student(s) are first issued a bus warning. Problem solving will also occur, so that if support is needed it can be identified and provided. 2) If there is a second infraction, then the next step is a suspension of the bus riding privilege for two days. 3) If there is a third infraction, the suspension is longer with a minimum of a week suspension and the possibility of losing bus riding privileges for the remainder of the year.