Well, we survived the first day, though it was not without it's bumps along the way. Gilly had bus issues right off the bat. Last week, the bus driver called me to confirm our address, and that Gilly would indeed be riding the bus. She also offered us one of 2 group bus stops, because she didn't know which was closer to us. I picked the one closer, and that was that.
A few days later, I got a confirmation letter in the mail, telling me where she gets on the bus, and off the bus. I'll admit it, I didn't look it over as well as I should have. I was going by what the bus driver herself had just told me a few days before.
Yesterday, we set off for the bus stop. It was a few minutes further away than I had anticipated. Still, when we got there, there were no kids, no parents. I waited for a bit, just in case, but it became clear I was not in the right location for her bus. We walked back home, as I did not have my phone with me to call the bus garage.
It was 2 minutes till the time school started when we got home, so I buckled her into her car seat, and we drove there. When I got home, I looked at the card. Sure enough, it listed the further away bus stop for the morning, and the closer one for the afternoon. I was confused- why have 2 different locations all together? These two stops are easily 2 city blocks apart.
When it came time to go pick her up, I kept in mind both what I was told, and what was written on the card- children in K, 1st, or 2nd grade will NOT be released off the bus without an adult to pick them up. I looked at the card once more to verify the bus stop.
The location of the stop I chose was an address about a block away from the corner of the street I live on, and the corner of that street. The drop off point listed the corner of both streets as the drop off point, which is closer to me. However, it's a split road, so there are two corners almost a block apart for the same 2 streets (Bus stops C & D). Ok, well that right there gave me 3 possibilities for her bus stop, not even mentioning the possibility that she would be dropped off at the site (bus stop A) of her morning pick up.
I got to the bus stop at the original address (bus stop B). No one was there, no parents eagerly waiting for kids, no siblings meeting the kids off the bus, no one. I turned the car around, but stayed there, so I could also see the corner (bus stop C). After about 10 minutes, I drove down to the corner (bus stop C), so I could see all 3 of the possible bus stops from there- B, C, & D.
I waited. I waited some more. Meanwhile, I had been trying to get an answer at the bus garage, because we were now 10 minutes past the time she should have been dropped off. While I fully understand that the bus will not be running on time just yet, I was more worried at that point, that she had gotten dropped off at bus stop A, her morning stop, which I would NOT be able to see from there.
I finally got through to someone. As I explained the possible 4 bus stops, she assured me that Gilly would be dropped off at bus stop A. Gee, that's nice- next time you assign bus stops, make sure they are right before you send the information to the parents. I drove down there, and as I got to the corner over there, the bus was pulling away from the stop. I asked the woman on the phone if she could verify where my kid was, since Gilly was not wandering around at that bus stop looking for me.
She put me on hold, and I turned around to follow the bus, but lost sight of it in turning around. I did find it, on the street where I had been waiting earlier, at the bus stop I had picked, bus stop B. I was at least 3 cars behind the bus- no where near where they could see me, let alone know who I was, as they hadn't met me yet. I was still on hold with the bus garage when Gilly got off the bus, and randomly started wandering around, and walking behind the bus!
She had no idea that she was supposed to cross in front of it (we've talked about it, but obviously the driver wasn't letting the kids know, she wasn't even paying attention). She crossed right in front of another (thankfully) stopped vehicle. I was not parked, and she was just wandering around.
What is the point of telling us parents that we have to be in site of the driver for our child to be released from the bus, due to young age? It was VERY CLEARLY not the case. Even if the person I was on hold with on the phone had managed to tell the woman on the bus that I was trying to locate my daughter, she had me on hold without even knowing I had turned around to chase the bus, or that I had caught up to it.
Instead, they let my 7 year old daughter out to wander the street. She and I will be having a long talk about bus safety again today as we walk the nearly 10 minute walk to the bus stop. I'm not thrilled with the busing right now, and contemplating driving Gilly in, but MAN was that school packed yesterday. They have no where near enough parking- people were parked in the grass of the school, along the road, in people's yards... I was not impressed.
So, that was our 1st day back bump. I hope today goes smoother.
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Comments: 18
Next year we will be going to the further away stop because it's also where Amara will be starting Kindergarten! But the possibilities for stops there will make this confusing and I will need to call and confirm how it works up there so we can be ready for them. Also, with it being a school, we will have to be straining to find HIS bus rather than the lot of other busses that will be hanging around.
I can't believe that the bus driver didn't shout something to her to go in front. And I can't believe she let her off when she didn't see you there. I have decided that he will only be a car rider when ABSOLUTELY necessary because of the mess at his school during pick up and drop off times. At Amara's future school they do not allow car riders, exactly. Parents have to park in a parking lot across the street or park along the street a block down because there is not enough room for cars and busses and the busses take priority or course. Walkers and car riders are picked up at a seperate door from the bus riders and walkers/riders who are being claimed can only be picked up with a card that has their name on it. If they don't have that card the kids have to be signed out. It is a very efficient system.
Good luck on a good second day. I think this is week three for us!
My husband was pretty mad about the whole thing so he called yesterday. I dunno what he said, but the school nurse called last night about 5pm to let us know that the elevator had indeed been repaired and my son could go to school today.
I know when I pick up my daughter from kindergarten. The teacher makes them stand in a line on the outside wall and she will call each of their names when/if she sees a parent present.
We don't have bus service as my kids go to a private school. But if we did have bus service and that happened I would be talking to someone at the school about it.