You ask yourself this question and we are here to answer it. Be aware that the safety of your children is our priority. For that, we work in partnership with our drivers and our families to ensure the safest school transportation.

We encourage you to view the following bus safety video:



Code of conduct inside the bus

1- Never eat or drink while in the bus.
2- Board the bus calmly. Use the handrail when boarding and disembarking the bus.
3- Take your seat immediately.
Sit properly and remain seated facing the front at all times.
4- Always remain seated while the bus is in motion.
5- Windows are only for looking outside,
never stick or throw anything out the window.
Never put an arm, a leg or your head out of a window.
6- Speak in a calm and quiet voice to avoid distracting the driver and other students.
Make the least amount of noise as possible.
7- Use only respectful and polite language at all times.
8- Keep your hands to yourself - never push or shove other riders.
9- Obey the driver at all times and cooperate immediately.
10- Always respect others and their belongings.
11- Keep your personal objects for yourself - never throw anything in the bus.
12- No sales or/and solicitations on the bus will be tolerated.
13- Respect the rules at all times.

VANDALISM WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

The First Riders Safety Program

Every year, the CSCN invites students from kindergarten to grade 1 to participate in the First Riders safety program. This program is offered (in Edmonton) in August, before the first day of school, in the Northlands parking lot. You will find more details in the First Riders section. To find out about the safety rules in effect for all school bus users, please carefully read the safety section of our Frequently Asked Questions.

When school bus lights are flashing

Please note that in Alberta flashing lights are used in rural areas and only in some urban centres. Students using a school bus can be at risk when getting on or off the bus.
When school bus lights are flashing: On an undivided highway (not divided by a median), do the following:

• When you approach a school bus from either direction (from the front or the rear), and it has the alternating amber lights flashing, you must be ready to stop. This is a warning that the alternating red lights are going to begin flashing and the school bus is stopping to allow students to get on or off.
• If you pass a school bus that has its alternating amber lights flashing, pass with caution.
• When the school bus stops to let students on or off, its alternating red lights will begin flashing. You will also see a stop sign extended from the left side of the school bus.
• You must come to a full stop about 20 metres (about four to five car lengths) away from the school bus. This distance allows drivers of other vehicles behind you to see the flashing lights and students crossing the highway.
  
  
  
  You must remain stopped until the alternating flashing red lights are turned off and the stop sign on the driver’s side is no longer extended.
  On a highway divided by a median, do the following:
  
  
  • When you approach a school bus from the rear and its alternating amber lights are flashing, follow the same procedures as you would for a highway that is not divided by a median.
  • When you approach a school bus from the front and the school bus has its alternating amber or red lights flashing, you may proceed with caution. Watch for pedestrians. Remember, this is only on a divided highway.
    
    These rules apply whenever and wherever the school bus lights are activated. Some municipalities have rules for school bus operation specific to their region.

Please consult the school bus safety guidelines by clicking here to review with your child how to cross the street when the bus doesn't use its red flashing lights in large urban centers, or when the bus uses the red flashing lights in rural areas or small towns and cities.

Pouches with student passes for students from kindergarten to grade 2

What are the pouches on the students' backpacks used for?

The pouches contain a pass that identifies students in Kindergarten through grade 2 only. They are used, among other things, to remind the driver which student should not be dropped off without the presence of an adult at the stop. They are also used to help students, if they are too embarrassed to speak or if they do not know where to get off or which bus to take. The pass and the pouch are given to the student, at school, on his first day of class. It is important that the pass is inserted in the pouch and changed when necessary. The pouch should be attached in a visible place on the outside of the backpack. For more information on the types of pouches, please click here.

Plastic bracelets for students

This tool helps in the task of managing the students who share buses in the morning and afternoon. Students from kindergarten to grade 6, from schools Sainte-Jeanne-d‘Arc, Gabrielle-Roy, Notre-Dame et Jean-Claude-Mahé, are required to wear the bracelets starting from their first day of classes. These bracelets are distributed by school. Please find more details here.

Evacuation drill

Usually, the safest place for passengers is to stay on the bus in an emergency situation, but the following three situations require the students to evacuate the bus:

• Fire
• Fire hazard
• Dangerous position on bus is situated in a danger zone

This is why we conduct two bus evacuation drills per school year, one in the fall and one in the spring.

According to Transport Canada, school bus travel remains the safest mode of transportation to and from schools. It is 16 times safer than the family car. To maintain this level of safety, motorists must also do their part.

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The Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord is committed to promptly informing families of any route delays or cancellations.

1. Automatic voice mails

When a bus is late more than 10 min or cancelled, a phone message is sent to families on that route. It is very important that the school is kept informed of changes to your contact information by sending Change request form through your BusPlanner parent portal https://en.centrenord.ab.ca/programs-and-services/transportation/forms (i.e. phone number or upcoming address changes). This way we are able to reach you. 

2. BusPlanner

Delays and cancellations are available online at https://cscn.mybusplanner.ca/  

3. Notifications from the app Ez Parent

Using your Android or iOS cell phone, please install the application for parents ez Parent. When the route is running, you will receive the notifications (bus is approaching the bus stop; arrival of the bus at the stop etc.).

If the bus is more than 15 minutes late, and we have not left a message, please contact your bus service provider. For all other concerns, please contact the transportation office at 587 782-2322 or by e-mail at Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. 

4. Text Messages (SMS)

The Transportation department utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages to your mobile phone. Messages may include bus delays and safety alerts.
Please follow the instructions by clicking this link (page 2).

How to read a text message from the transportation office?

"Lundi 24 octobre AM #204F Retard/Late 15 minutes à 8h"
[Lundi 24 octobre AM] = Day, date and AM/PM info of notice
[#204F] = Route(s) affected
[Retard/Late] or [Annulé/Cancelled] = Announce a delay / cancellation of a trip
[15 minutes] = Delay announced
[à 8h] = Time of emission

Fast and easy access to your school bus schedule

Presentation

We are pleased to introduce our new online service, BusPlanner. 

This program allows you to consult your child’s information:

• bus stop location
• departure and returns time
• any addresses that we have in your child’s file
• contact information
• bus delays

BusPlanner also allows to:

• Find eligible schools

Verify if your child is eligible to taking the school bus

• Submit your transportation change request

A link to access the program is under “Programs & Services / Transport” on the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord website, www.centrenord.ab.ca. This link will bring you to the login page where you will have to enter your User name and your Password.

Log in to the Parent Portal

Log in to the BusPlanner Parent Portal and have an access to your child's transportation details.

Account creation online:

• From the website https://cscn.mybusplanner.ca/
• Select Parent Portal
• Select Create Account
  

Enter the email address used to register your child in school and press Submit. An email inviting you to confirm the subscription will be sent.

Using the account

Once the creation of your account is confirmed, you can perform the following actions:

• Access school data in “School Information”
• Find eligible schools for your child in “Which School do I Attend”
• Verify if your child is eligible to taking the school bus in “Can I Ride a Bus?”
• Consult the bus schedule and the location of your child's stop "Parent Portal"

• Submit your transportation change request
  • Go to “Parent” / “Online forms and applications”
    

• Select the name of the child for whom you wish to file the change
• The form is available in French “Formulaire changement de transport“ and English “Transportation Change Request :”
  

• The form will appear in a new window. Please complete it and click Submit
• Once the form is completed and submitted, the transportation service will then process any change request.

If you do not have access to Internet please inform the school as soon as possible.

If your child’s bus route times or stop locations must change, we will inform you via our automated message system “SchoolMessenger”. You will then have to go online and consult your new schedule on the date indicated so that you have the updated schedule on time before the following week.

The process should be easy. If you encounter any difficulties, contact our office at
587 782-2322

Delete your account

If you want to delete your account, please follow the following instructions:

• open one of your notification emails from BusPlanner (Ex: delay, transport change)
• click on the Unsubscribe link
• A page to the BusPlanner portal web site will open
• Log into your account BusPlanner
• Select the option Delete Account

Unsubscribe from the notifications

If you want to unsubscribe from the notifications, please follow the following instructions:

• open one of your notification emails from BusPlanner (Ex: delay, transport change)
• click on the Unsubscribe link
• A page to the BusPlanner portal web site will open
• Log in to your account BusPlanner
•  Select the option Unsubscribe

Travel safely!

**New** Fast and easy access to your school Bus tracking system

The Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord (CSCN) is happy to announce that it will implement a bus tracking system starting this school year in collaboration with an Albertan technology company ez enRoute. Our goal is to make school transportation safer.

The transportation service tested the bus tracking system in 2021-2022. The successful results of the pilot project and positive feedback from families convinced CSCN to offer the full bus tracking system for all families in 2022-2023.

All buses will be equipped with the bus tracking system via GPS as of September 01 2022. It will allow the Transportation service to improve the operations and anticipate delays.

You will find below an overview of the system as well as the benefits for your family.

Is it free of charge for your family?

The participation in the bus tracking system is free of charge for participating families.

How does the bus tracking system work?

You will have access to the application ez Parent via Android or IOs devices (Apple devices).

Connection to the application :

• 1- Using your Android or IOs cell phone (Apple product), please install the application for parents ez Parent :
  
  
  

  Apple Store	Link	Icone
  	https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/ez-enroute/id1066169653
  Google Play Store
  	https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ezenrouteparent

  
  
  
• 2- Enter your identifiers :
  
  

  Your username: email or phone number (you can check the current information in your transportation file in BusPlanner) Your password: please create your own password (Clic here to see the steps «HowToResetPassword») * If you require assistance with app connection or using, please contact customer service Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser..

Please note that if your login information (email or phone number) has changed, you must ensure that the board’s transportation service and the school(s) have been advised so that your login information for the application can be updated.

When the route is running, the parent will receive the notifications (bus is approaching the bus stop; arrival of the bus at the stop etc.).

The Transportation service is working in tight collaboration with ez enRoute, the bus contactors and the schools on the smooth running of the bus tracking system.

Please contact ez enRoute customer support for any questions regarding access or using the application.

If you need information about your trip outside CSCN office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), if your child has forgotten something on the bus or if your bus is late, you can communicate directly with our carriers. Here is the list of our carriers and their contact details:

 School bus transportation is offered to all our students free of charge within designated zones but only within a radius of 50 kms from the school. Please use our BusPlanner Geo Tool to help you find out in which school zone you reside. Additionnaly, our school zones maps are availaible on that webpage (in Fench).

Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord produced a FAQ document designed to provide information and answer questions regarding the School Transportation. You can print the document here.

If you would like a printed copy, please contact us by email at Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. or by phone 587 782-2322.

To advise the school of a change of address, daycare or contact information, submit the form on BusPlanner Parent Portal.
First of all please make sure your BusPlanner account is created. Please visit the BusPlanner Parent Portal page and follow the instructions to create the account if needed.
Once the BusPlanner account is created, please log in to the portal and follow the steps to submit your Transportation change request form:

• Go to “Parent” / “Online forms and applications”
  
  
  
  
• Select the name of the child for whom you wish to file the change
• The form is available in French “Formulaire changement de transport“ and English “Transportation Change Request :”
  
  
• The form will appear in a new window. Please complete it and click Submit
• Once the form is completed and submitted, the transportation service will then process any change request.

Please take note that the changes may take up to three weeks to become effective.

Ready for the Bus with First Riders!

Every August, before the school year kicks off, the CSCN invites students from kindergarten to grade 1 to our special First Riders safety program. Held in Edmonton at the Northlands parking lot, this program is designed to get your child comfortable and confident with school bus travel.

First Riders offers unique, hands-on, and free 45-minute sessions entirely in French. It's a fantastic opportunity for you and your child to learn important bus safety rules in a fun, interactive environment.

During the event, you and your child will move through various outdoor stations that build confidence and provide essential safety information. A ride-along on the bus is included in the program. Please remember, a parent or legal guardian must accompany the student throughout the session.

While the program primarily focuses on Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students, we also welcome any child who will be taking the bus for the first time, as well as those interested in a safety refresher.

First Riders is free, but spots are limited, so make sure to register online! Registration opens every June.

First Riders is proudly hosted by Edmonton Public Schools and Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord, in partnership with our dedicated carriers and Edmonton Transit Service.

If you have comments or complaints to make to the transportation service, please use the school bus transportation complaint system HERE. After you send the form you will receive an automatic reply confirming we have received your message and we are reviewing it.