MOOSE JAW — Excitement and perhaps a little nervous energy was in the air as soon-to-be kindergarteners and Pre K students gathered at Lindale Elementary School on the afternoon of Aug. 15 to learn about school bus safety and ride aboard a school bus for the very first time.
The program took place in the afternoon and was also repeated at 6 p.m. and, one day earlier, two similar programs took place at St. Margaret Elementary School.
“The purpose of this event is for your children to understand what it’s like getting on the bus,” explained Ward Strueby, Holy Trinity’s director of education.
“We want that first day of school to be about the magic of the first day of school, and not about the anxiety of getting on the bus,” he said.
In a nod to the shared topic of safety, Mayor Clive Tolley added a few remarks on the topic during his opening address.
“I remember when we were kids in and around this environment,” he said. “We were always told: ‘Look both ways before going anywhere or crossing the street.’ I think in today’s world (you’ve got to) look 360 (degrees) basically.”
Mayor Tolley spoke about the need to teach young students not only about bus safety, but also addressed safety concerns around the use of cellphones, headphones, or any other gadgets on the way to and from school.
“I really like the fact that it’s a fun learning experience, and bus safety is number one,” he added.
Following the address, students boarded three separate school buses with their caregivers and were given an approximately 10 minute trip with stops at St. Michael Elementary School and Ecole Palliser Heights School before returning to Lindale.
Most students seemed to enjoy the trip and one girl from outside of Moose Jaw described her first ride as “exciting.”
Ryan Boughen, the director of education for PSSD, picked up on the spirit of these young soon-to-be students as preparations were being made for the introductory remarks.
“(As) I was walking along the side of the school and by the parents, a little person who was walking along was really excited,” Boughen said. “I thought, ‘This is fantastic.’ It’s a great way to start the school year…”
Parents who attended the First Rider program were given a pamphlet with updated information on bus routes and rules that pertain to school bus etiquette.
One new policy introduced this school year is a rule where busses will be cancelled if the temperature — including the windchill factor — reaches minus 40 Celsius or colder.
To determine this, the school’s transportation department will keep an eye on the temperature throughout the winter from four information sources: the Weather Network, Environment Canada, the Weather Channel, and AccuWeather. Temperatures will be recorded at 5:30 a.m. and bus drivers, social media channels, and BusPlanner Web administrators will be notified at 5:55 a.m.
To register for transportation or to make changes to your currently established service, you are asked to contact your child’s school to complete the associated application form. Parents are asked to contact their school if their child will be changing schools, moving to a new address, or changing daycare providers well in advance to avoid interruptions.
The parent portal is available online at BusPlanner.PrairieSouth.ca or at Bus.HTCSD.ca.
For more information, Prairie South School Division can be reached by phone at 306-694-8750 or by email at [email protected]. The division’s online form can be found at PrairieSouth.ca.
The Holy Trinity Catholic School Division can be reached by phone at 306-694-5333, Ext. 7, or by email at [email protected]. The division’s online form can be found at HTCSD.ca.
Editor's note: Ryan Boughen's name was changed from "Bower" as was previously stated to the correct spelling of "Boughen."
