BUS DELAYS
From time to time there will be delays in the bus service due to driving conditions, an accident, mechanical problems, or the need for an alternate driver to drive a route. Westmount utilizes the Bus Communication system provided by Southland to notify the school and its parents of any potential delays with our buses.
In preparation for delayed or cancelled service, it is critical that parents develop a back-up plan that is well understood by their children. Please anticipate that there will be days on which your bus is significantly delayed. The responsibility for the safety of your child is shared both by our carrier and parents. Parents are responsible to the point at which the student boards the bus, our carrier is responsible while the student is being transported. Never leave children at the stop without backup arrangements for an emergency.
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Have the Southland Transportation number (403) 287-1335 close at hand to find out the status of a delay.
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Have a family member, friend or fellow Westmount family prepared to carpool if necessary. Get to know the other parents on your route, and have their phone numbers ready.
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Familiarize yourself with the other bus routes in your area so that you can use an alternate stop if necessary. All routes are posted on Westmount’s website under Transportation.
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If a bus’s departure is delayed from school in the afternoon, the students will collect in the school atrium where they will be able to call home if they so choose and where they will wait for the bus or, if arranged, wait for a parent’s arrival.
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When, and if, Westmount learns of a reported 10-minute delay in scheduling, we will ensure that Southland Transportation has sent out a delay message on the Bus Communication System.
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Please ensure your children are dressed appropriately for weather conditions.
Westmount Charter School subscribes to the Bus Communication system provided by Southland Transportation. By registering as a parent subscriber through the Family Zone on the school website, you can receive messages either to your cell phone and/or email address as delays are encountered by our drivers. Log in to your online family profile and choose the Bus Subscription link to sign up to receive bus delay messages. Each permanent driver assigned to our bus routes is equipped with a blackberry to use on their routes for this purpose. In the case where there is no permanent driver assigned to a route, Southland Transportation will manage the inputting of these messages from their office. This is the quickest way to learn of delays to your bus route. Bus Delays will be communicated as quickly as possible by the drivers and Southland Dispatch. There are many factors which contribute to delays being communicated in a timely manner so the bus delay messages may not always be delivered as quickly as we would like. If your bus is more than 10 minutes late and you have not received a delay message on your email or cell phone please contact Southland Transportation immediately to find out the status of your bus. Our delay threshold is 10 minutes so no delay messages will be sent out until the bus is running at least 10 minutes behind.
In the event of hazardous winter conditions, Westmount’s Principal, or designate, will determine if school will be open or closed and/or if the buses will run. If the weather is questionable, please listen to school closure reports on your local radio, AM 660 News, CHQR 770 and CBC 1010, and TV stations City (8), Global (7) and CFCN (3) for both school and busing updates. If at all possible, an email will be sent and a notice placed on the school website as well. Transportation Services and Southland Transportation will do their best to send out messages via the Bus Communication System in the event of a school closure.
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