The invisable bus
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The invisable bus
| Tue, 09-05-2006 - 6:17am |
Quick vent!
Liam has beeen in new spec-ed school for two weeks.
| Tue, 09-05-2006 - 6:17am |
Quick vent!
Liam has beeen in new spec-ed school for two weeks.
:(
Did the bus show?
-S
Nope, we drove.
I'll have to call transportation I s'pose.
Dee
Dear Dee,
You are clearly new to the bus thing. We NEVER expect the bus to be timely esp. at first, and in fact are amazingly lucky if there are no mix-ups the first week of pickup. Also, often the buses are late. I mean REALLY late the first few days, like Malcolm gets to school over an hour after start time. I often have to rearrange my schedule more than once during the school year according to whether or not the bus driver has been changed and we have a new driver, late, late, late!
And one little thing like a new student on the route? Oh yeah, late. But God forbid I run upstairs for a second to check with computer tracking website on where the bus is (why I bother is questionable) and of course the bus will come during the 2 seconds I am NOT there, and now we have missed the bus...
That being said, Malcolm has always loved the bus and made great bus pals, very social thing, the bus.
Good luck!
Sara
ilovemalcolm
I with Sara on this one. The whole bus thing is ALWAYS screwy especially the first week.
The first day of school this year they never called to tell me Cait's route. She only takes the bus home so I was concerned. I called them and sure enough they forgot to schedule her.
It gets better. I went to the school to pick her up and her and her buddy, Mitchell are goofing around near where the busses come in. The line was attrocious so I am already 1/2 late as is every other parent. Come to find out, though Mitchell had a ride in the AM, there was no bus for the PM and no one knew. His mom never checked because he had a ride for the morning so she figured it was all set. I drove him home. He had arrived at school that day 2 hours late on the bus.
It takes a good 2 weeks to get a routine with those things. It is a government beurocratic operation. This year Cait gets out of school at 3:23. Her bus doesn't even get there until nearly 4 and only goes there to pick up her and one other girl. The entire bus (at that time of day) is used for the 2 of them and one kid from elementary and Cait still doesn't make it home until 4:30. Over an hour after she gets out of school. She is getting good at doing her spelling homework while she waits for the bus then takes a nap on it on the way home.
Renee
I wouldn't mind as much except school has been in session since Aug 1st and the school knew from two weeks ago when Liam was transferred that he needed the bus.
Dear Dee,
Yes, Yes, I know, you'd think they'd get it together. Except after 6 years with our BOE (starting at age 3 with special needs preschool),well, I would never think that. Every little thing here requires hours of phone calling, excpet noone answers their phones or returns phone calls and lots of yelling when you do reach them. And we all assume the worst every time and always have a backup plan, because we must. I have to tell you, WE'VE been lucky lucky compared to a few stories I've heard.
I do always get a letter from ped stating that Malcolm cannot be on bus over an hour due to sensory issues, this is to keep them from loading the little bus up with 2 - 3 schools, also makes them put Malcolm towards end of pickup and at head of return list, once they had him on first and last and that would have meant almost an hour and a half each way every day, not counting when the bus was late or stuck in traffic. No way. But the fact I have the letter in file, etc. is no guarantee that bus company will know squat, I must fight for everything we need every time. Exhausting.
And btw, your school knew but they are not the bussing people. No one hand knows what another is doing... And all our requirements are on Malcolm's IEP, but if you don't input the requirements into the computer, the bus companies do what they want and have no record of medical needs, etc. etc. Everything here takes 4 - 5 xs the work and frustration, but it just goes with the territory!
How'd it go in the afternoon?
yours,
Sara
ilovemalcolm
Sort of on this topic how do your kids do on the bus? Son will start school thursday. The bus is scheduled to pick him up about 3 blocks from our house. I can arrange my schedule to drop him at school.It is about 3.5 miles away. I intend to sign him up for after school program 3 days a week (til 5pm). Those days I will drive to pick him up. So he could take bus to school every day and home 2 days. From age 3 I've walked him to school,so I'm very unsure about putting on the bus. Ages k1-gr8 for this school are on this bus.It may be a great social time for son. On the other hand I live near 2 public schools and it is chaos when those schools unload the buses. Also a neighbor works for the local school dept, she says the majority of the discipline problems come from the buses.There are no monitors.
I'm excited about the after school program. The teachers do the homework with the kids,then there "academic" activities. Science club,chess, architecture.. Things son will enjoy. Swimmimg is during school. I can't drag or push son to go to the local club because it's loud and athletic based.
Oh I picked him up.