Dear All,
I hope, as always, that you all enjoyed a nice and relaxing half-term holiday and are looking forward to the (hopefully) sunny and warmer weather. As before, we have had a number of issues with bus delays and re-routed routes. Whenever possible, we will advise you of these delays and keep you informed. In some instances, some road closure reports have led to confusion, both for us and the bus company. If you are aware of a problem leading to an unforeseen road closure, please do send us as detailed information as possible so that the information can be passed on to the bus company and a resolution sought more quickly. As we do not all live in the same area, it is difficult to transmit often partial information that proves unhelpful to the bus company. I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who paid their winter term invoices in full and on time.
Please be aware of the following important points:
- Re-registration for Part-Time Users for the spring term is now open. Register before the until the 17th March.
Please use this form to register: https://forms.gle/kAAdj32K9tirzEGH8 - Invoices for the spring term will be sent out during the last week of March, please be sure to keep an eye out for the email, either in your inbox or junk mailbox; and
EMAIL REQUESTS AND QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE
As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, please note that when sending us an email, it may take us up to one week to reply to individual emails.
REQUESTS FOR AD-HOC SEATS
Please be aware that all the buses are full, therefore we are unable to accommodate ad-hoc requests.
S5 AND S7 STUDENTS
We would like to remind parents whose children are in S5 and S7 MUST register and pay for the whole term, or cancel your seats before the 17th of March, when places will be finalised and invoices will be calculated. Unfortunately, it is not possible to pay for one month of bus use. Users who fail to cancel before the 17th will be liable to pay the invoice for the summer term, as per the terms and conditions of BLOC.
TRACKER
I understand that most users rely on the trackers that accompany each of the buses when getting their kids ready for school. Technology is not infallible, so whilst it is a useful tool there are black spots in mobile and GPS coverage which stop the location being updated. Therefore, we urge all parents to:
- arrive at your stop at least five minutes prior to the bus’s scheduled arrival to avoid delaying the onward journey
- share updates on the buses progress in the WhatsApp groups
GENERAL BEHAVIOUR
We are still having issues with children refusing to use their seatbelts and some have been caught running around the bus while it is moving. I repeat that this is unacceptable (for obvious reasons) and will not be tolerated.
We have had a number of reports about a situation involving a child relieving themselves on the bus and then throwing the matter at other children. I don’t have to explain why this is not acceptable, but please remind your children to use the washroom prior to boarding the bus. We will also speak with the school and urge them to let pupils use the washroom before they leave in the afternoon.
Please also remember that eating and drinking on the bus is also not allowed.
It pains me to also have to tell you that abusive behaviour towards members of the committee will not be tolerated. We are all parents of children using the bus service and it is in all of our best interest to get the kids to school and back home as safely as possible. We fully understand that it is frustrating when the bus is late, but it serves no useful purpose whatsoever to send rude WhatsApp messages and make abusive phone calls.
UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES
In light of the school’s recent closure due to a water pipe problem and the confusion that ensued, we will follow the school’s procedures. Students who cannot be collected by their parents will remain at school until the scheduled buses collect them at the end of the school day.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
This is just a reminder of who is on the committee:
Chair: Jeevan Vasagar
Registrar: Mathilde Akar
Treasurer: Rita Barrow
Communications Officer: Marianne Bergeron
Secretary: Jamie Downing
I wish you all a good school term as we head into the spring season.
Marianne