Busing Information

Brant Christian Ride- A- Long Form
Brant Christian School Busing Registration Form

Busing Policies

BCSS currently contracts Southland Transportation to provide bus service to the school for
families living in the Foothills area.

Due to the large geographic location which BCS draws students from, centralized bus stops are
utilized to minimize both time and cost to parents. This means that to access bus services
parents may be required to drive their children to a central stop at any given time.

Parents can request access to bussing for their children, but it is provided on a first-come,
first-served basis. If your preferred bus is full, the option of utilizing a less full bus may be an
option or you may be put on a waitlist. Priority will be given to families utilizing the bus service
on a full time basis.

Ridership

Any BCS student accessing the bus during the school year for any reason (aside from field
trips) must have a completed Bus Ridership Form prior to riding the bus. This includes
accessing bus service for sports practices, occasional rides with friends, or other reasons. This
helps us know who is riding the bus and allows Southland Transportation to have your contact
information in case of an emergency.

Parents, children, or siblings not registered at the school cannot ride the bus due to insurance
reasons.

Prior to the beginning of the school year, parents will be informed of the central pick-up and
drop-off times for the stop their children have been assigned to. To minimize confusion for the
driver, it is expected that your student will mostly use their assigned stop unless otherwise approved by
the school office or Board Transportation Representative. To request a permanent change to
your child’s assigned stop please contact the transportation department at
transportation@brantchristian.org

Students who are in Grade 7-12 may occasionally get off at a different stop than the one they
are assigned to without notification of parent’s permission. For all students K-Grade 6 parents
must notify the school or the bus driver with permission to get off at a different stop.

Bus Routes and Stop Locations

When planning regular school bus routes student safety, ride times, and efficiency are all factors
that are considered.

Routes and stop locations are determined by the BCS Board and buses will not deviate from
main routes or stops.

Optional Bus Services

Ride-A-Long Service

Ride-a-long service can be requested by the parent or guardian of a student to temporarily ride
a bus they are not registered on (ie: going to a friend’s, sibling unable to drive, etc.). This
service will be provided on a first come, first served basis and is dependent on if there is room
on the bus. This service is only to existing stops. Requests can be made by completing a
Ride-A-Long Request Form and must be received 24 hours in advance. The request must be
approved by the school before the student can use this service.

Sports Bus

Sports bus will be provided for students who are signed up to play a school sport where
practices are not held at Brant Christian School In order to utilize this Sports Bus, the following
guidelines must be followed:
– Bus Registration Form completed
– Student must be on a team as a player.
– Minimum of 24 hour notice or a list of practice dates sent to the Secretary and/or Athletic
Director informing them that your student needs to ride the bus.
If notice is not received and a Bus Registration Form is not filled out, the student will not be
permitted to ride the Sports Bus.

Dual Ridership

This option is for parents that wish to have their student registered on a second bus route to be
used on a regular ongoing basis (ie: second residence, childcare, after school activities, work,
etc.) This service will be provided on a first-come, first served basis and only if there is room on
the bus. New stops will not be created for this service and a schedule must be provided ahead
of time. If there is no schedule, then ride-a-long service may be an option. Please reach out to
the board to request this option at transportation@brantchristian.org

Items Allowed to Transport

Due to some of our buses being at capacity it is important that the following guidelines are
adhered to for student safety. On full buses students can expect to have to hold items in their
laps or tuck them under the seat between their feet as there may not be extra seats to store
items.

Permitted Items:

Backpacks, lunch kits, books
Small duffle bags
Small instruments (Such as a flute, violin, clarinet, trumpet)
Skates with blades covered and in a duffel bag (no plastic bags please)
Hockey sticks, curling brooms. These must be stored wedged between the seat and the
window for the duration of the ride.

May be permitted at the discretion of the driver and based on space available. Please
check with the driver prior to bringing these items.

Medium sized instruments (guitars, trombone, saxophone, french horn, etc)
School projects that cannot fit on the student’s lap

Not permitted:

Large instruments (tuba, drums, etc)
Hockey equipment
Large school projects

Communication

If your child is going to be absent in the morning this should be communicated to Southland
Transportation Dispatch (403)938-3966 or if they will be absent in the afternoon this must be
communicated to the school office. Your bus driver may also provide you with their phone
number for communication, however this is secondary as that driver may be away and not
receive your message.

Bus delays or cancellations will be communicated to parents via text or phone calls.

Inclement Weather

Decisions regarding inclement weather will be made by Southland prior to 6:00 AM
Concerns

Any concerns or questions regarding bus policies, bus routes, or drivers should be directed in
writing to the BCS Board. Concerns regarding student behaviour on the bus should be directed
in writing to the school principal.

Student Conduct

At the beginning of the year bus drivers will establish and communicate the rules for their bus to
the students. It is expected that the students will follow these rules.
General expectations are as follows:

Students must not stand or leave their seats while the bus is in motion.
All parts of the student’s body must be kept inside the bus at all times.
Students should behave in a classroom-like manner. No loud-talking, shouting, foul
language, or rough-housing will be allowed on the bus.
Eating or drinking is only allowed on the bus at the discretion of the bus driver. Garbage
must be placed in a garbage can or taken home to be disposed of.
Students must obey all directions from the driver and/or adult in charge.
Emergency exits and equipment must not be touched unless they are needed.
Students exiting the bus must cross only in front of the bus and attempt only when it is
safe to do so, and under the guidance of the driver.
Students must not cause damage to any part of the bus, including seats. Parents will be
required to pay for willful damage caused by their children.
Alternate arrangements for transportation will be the responsibility of the parents of
students who repeatedly disregard the established rules of the bus.

Electronics on the bus

Electronic games, iPads, iPods, cell phones and various digital devices MAY be used on the
bus, but only with the understanding that they are used to do school work or engage in activities
that model good Christian character.

Parents are responsible for monitoring their children’s electronic devices and what is on them.
Do not send games, let kids watch or listen to materials that might be offensive, crude, or
contain violence, swearing or any ungodly material. Please ensure that your child(ren) keep
any devices containing such content at home.

Any lost or damaged electronic devices will be the responsibility of the owner of the device.
The use of portable speakers is not permitted on the bus.

Please encourage students to talk about and/or report both positive and negative things that are
happening on the bus with you as their parents, their teachers, and/or the principal for the safety
and well-being of all students.