✓ I understand that Steps Academy will take all reasonable precautions to provide care and safety.
✓ I acknowledge the potential of unknown risks and I voluntarily assume the risks inherent in the transportation outlined.
✓ I release Steps Academy from and agree not to sue for any claims I or my child may have arising from, or in connection with, any bodily injury, property damage, or loss, which my child may suffer from any cause whatsoever.
✓ I release Steps Academy from, and agree not to sue, for any bodily injury, property damage, or loss, which my child may suffer resulting from Acts of God, or the activities or the acts or omissions of any other organization or individual over whom Steps Academy has no direct control.
The responsibilities of the parent/guardian are as follows:
✓ This form is required to be completed in order to authorize that Centre personnel can transfer children on the bus.
✓ At home, discussions with your child regarding bus safety rules, the importance of getting ready quickly and the meeting space as discussed with the staff are necessary.
✓ If a child is required to be on school grounds before or after school for an activity, it is the parent’s responsibility to arrange for pick up and drop off of their child.
✓ Parent/Guardians MUST inform the centre if their child will not be taking the bus with us. (This includes any changes to their attendance, activities or if the child was picked up by someone else.) The absence form is on our website Stepsacademy.ca and is accessible through your phone. You are able to include any information you wish in the Comments section of the form.
✓ Verbally informing a staff member of an absence is NOT considered proper communication of information. The online form is the ONLY acceptable form of absence communication.
The repercussion of not filing an Absence Form is the payment of a cash penalty before the next time your child is accepted on the bus. When Steps Academy is forced to contact parents regarding an absence that was not received by our office, it results in staff having to contact the parent/guardian to confirm attendance or absence. The cash penalties are as follows:
✓ First and second warning will be a $10.00 cash penalty.
✓Third warning will be a $25.00 cash penalty along with a transportation suspension for five continuous registered school days. Your child will still be accepted for attendance at Steps Academy, however parents will be responsible for arranging to and from transportation.
✓Fourth warning will be suspension from our transportation program for the remainder of the school year.
All monies collected in penalties will be used towards BIG STEPS PD days for extra material and activities.
The responsibilities of the child care centre are as follows:
✓Under severe weather and/or road conditions when the bus will not be transporting children, the centre will contact parents via email to inform them. There will also be online updates through the First Steps Facebook page. Calls will be made to the children’s schools to inform their offices our buses will not be transporting children. Steps Academy regularly updates the school offices with a
list of the children we transport so they would be immediately aware of the children affected.
✓ All staff will follow centre policies and procedures as well as the Alberta Child Care Regulations for ratios, supervision and transportation.
✓ Staff will remind children of where the meeting spot is and what to do if they are unable to find our staff. We will inform any new children as to where the meeting spot is for their school and show them the vests that staff are required to wear to ensure they are easily visible.
✓ Staff will have a cell phone to reach parents or the centre director if required.
✓ Staff are trained in First Aid and will have a first aid kit on the bus as well as in the evacuation bag, along with emergency contact numbers and the portable records of the children.
✓ Staff will do frequent head counts and confirm the attendance of children.
✓ If a child has not been reported absent by their parent(s) and staff are unable to locate the child within 10 minutes, staff will implement the following protocol:
✓ Bus crew staff will call the appropriate Steps Academy centre office.
✓ The office staff will call both parents in turn; if no answer, staff will call the
emergency contact person on file. During this time, the bus crew at the school
grounds will ask the child’s school office if they are able to confirm an absence.
(This is not always a guarantee, as the school has its own privacy rules that
may result in them not being able to share this information.)
✓ If no answer from either parent or the emergency contact on the first attempt,
we will contact the police as the child will be considered missing
By signing below you are agreeing to the terms, conditions and penalties outlined above.