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Transportation and Safety

Novel Coronavirus Covid-19


The health and safety of our students is extremely important to us as a district. Each day, we are monitoring new information from the Centers for Disease Control, state and local health departments and the Indiana Department of Education concerning the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19. We will continue to look to them for guidance.

We encourage our families to talk to their children about the importance of healthy habits as well.

  • Wash hands frequently and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. (Maybe sing fun songs like the ABC’s song or Happy Birthday, each two times).
  • Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Cover coughs with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Stay home if you have a fever. Remain home until you are fever free without the use of fever lowering medicines ( example Tylenol) for at least 24 hours.

Should we receive information that this or any widely-spread virus is prevalent in our area, our school district is prepared to take immediate action. We do have preparedness plans focused on such scenarios and will utilize them in coordination with any advice from health officials.

Resources

Indiana State Department of Health Coronavirus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
Frequently Asked Questions about Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

Resources for Children’s Health and Health Education

Handwashing Videos from the CDC
Handwashing Reminder Posters
Kids Health (Nonprofit Children’s Health System)
Academy of American Pediatrics Healthy Children
Just for Kids (a comic exploring Coronavirus)

Transportation

 

Dennis Mills
Transportation Director
389 E. Jackson, Martinsville, IN 46151
Phone 765-342-5597 | Fax 765-349-5268

Bus transportation is available to students living in Baker, Clay, Green, Jefferson, Ray, and Washington Townships.

MSD of Martinsville Schools

Elementary

  • Brooklyn STEM Academy
  • Centerton Elementary
  • Green Township Elementary
  • Paragon Elementary
  • Poston Road Elementary
  • Smith Fine Arts Academy
  • South Elementary School of Communications

Intermediate

Ronald K. Bell Intermediate Academy

Middle

John R. Wooden Middle School

High School/Alternative

Martinsville High School
Artesian Center for Excellence

Student Health or Safety Concerns

Please contact your driver or the transportation department should you have any concerns about your student. Sharing this information with us will allow for increased awareness.

Address/Assigned School

The MSD of Martinsville attendance area is an address in Baker, Clay, Green, Jefferson, Ray and Washington Townships. Please contact the Transportation Department at 765-342-5597 to determine which elementary school serves that address.

Bus Zones

A 1.5-mile walk zone has been established for the MSD of Martinsville. Shuttle areas have reduced this distance for grades 6-12. Please see shuttle page for shuttle options. Please contact the transportation department to determine if an address has bus transportation.

Bus Rules

Students on buses should conduct themselves in the same manner as in the classroom. A brochure is distributed during the year with several rules and procedures listed. That brochure is available in the forms section.

Should a problem arise the bus driver may contact the parent, school principal, or issue a written School Bus Conduct report. The report will be sent home with the student for a parental signature. The seriousness of the conduct and/or the number of previous reports determine the next actions taken.

Please contact the driver, transportation director, or school principal should you have a question or concern.

The following rules are posted on the bus. The bus is also equipped with video/audio recording equipment.

  • Observe the same conduct as in the classroom.
  • Be courteous, use no profane language.
  • Do not eat or drink on the bus.
  • Keep the bus clean.
  • Cooperate with the driver.
  • Do not smoke.
  • Do not be destructive.
  • Stay in your seat.
  • Keep head, hands, and feet inside the bus.
  • The bus driver is authorized to assign seats.

Guest Riders

Guest riders are not allowed on several routes due to capacity issues. Please check with the driver in advance. Guest riders must have a parental note that includes the name of the student assigned to the bus, the guest rider’s name, date, and parental signature. Multiple guests may not be allowed due to capacity issues. Shuttle students in grades 6-12 may not have guest riders.

Bus Schedule

Students should report to the designated stop 5 minutes early. The driver may, but is not required to wait at the stop. Stop location, traffic conditions and route schedule may prevent the driver from waiting extended periods of time.

Employment/Training Opportunities

The MSD of Martinsville Transportation Department is available to assist you in obtaining your Commercial Driver License to operate a school bus. There are several required steps listed below that will require your attention and efforts. The department will assist you and successful applicants will be reimbursed for several costs if you remain with the department as a driver employed by the MSD of Martinsville.

Many MSD of Martinsville drivers began as substitute drivers. Substitute drivers earn $80 per day. Most drivers for the district have double runs and earn between $81.78 and $102.57 daily. Insurance and PERF are available for district drivers.

Please contact the department if you are interested or if you have any questions.

Requirements include:

  • Pass all required written BMV tests.
  • Obtain an approved physical from a certified medical examiner.
  • Pass Third Party Skills Test and Road Test.
  • Pass Pre-Employment Drug Screening and be placed in testing pool.
  • Pass Criminal History Check.
  • Obtain Standard Certificate by completing 3 day course.
  • Complete 4 observation hours and 8 driving hours with another driver.
  • Pass Driver Performance Physical Standards.
  • Complete designated training as needed at the department.

Informational Links

Safety

 

Tim Foley
Safety Director
389 E. Jackson St, Martinsville, IN 46151
Phone 765-342-6641

The safety of our students is most important to us as a district. Our goal is for each child to thrive in a positive and safe educational environment. Each year our district invests in new technology, implements new procedures, and attends professional development seminars in an effort to stay ahead of any unforeseen situation and protect our district. We have implemented a visitor check-in system at all schools, added more video cameras, renovated entryway doors, were one of the first schools in the state to request hand-held, metal detectors offered by Governor Holcomb’s office, and most recently added a 3rd full-time resource (police) officer to our district.

Our students engage in fire, tornado, and safety drills which is not only mandated by the Indiana Department of Education but the right thing to do. We do not usually discuss our safety drills for the purpose of keeping our procedures away from those who may not have good intentions.

Safety Resources

 
 
We want our students to become tech-savvy by learning new programs that will assist them in their future careers. Along with the understanding of how to use technology is the need for responsible digital citizenship and an awareness of online safety practices. Each student will receive either an iPad or Chromebook to enhance their academic experience; however, several common websites and apps are restricted from MSD of Martinsville devices including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Hangouts, Pinterest,  YouTube Kids, ROBLOX, WhatsApp and video games. We are governed by the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA )  which protects students from malicious content.
 
Please note that our district has blocked the search terms from our computers/Chromebooks; however, we are unable to block cell phones connected to their own data plans. As a district, student safety is our #1 priority. We administer extensive levels of security to ensure that our online content for students is age appropriate. Though we do allow Youtube (not Youtube Kids), it is filtered, monitored and restricted to what students can view.
 
Parents, if your child has a social media account, we encourage you to please consider age appropriateness and exposure from older siblings or friends. Please talk about the content they access, the importance of not accepting any communications invitations from people they do not know and not sharing personal information. Please continue to have regular conversations with children about Internet safety and monitor what’s happening on their accounts.
 
To learn more, please click:
 

Inclement Weather Procedures

We would like to make you aware of our procedures and communication plan concerning the possibility of inclement weather:

  • Weather decisions are made by our team who monitor conditions closely both through technology as well as by driving actual roads throughout the district. 
  • When determining a delay, early dismissal, or cancellation of school, countywide weather conditions are reviewed. In addition, we utilize the National Weather Service website @ www.nws.noaa.gov/om/cold/wind_chill.shtml as well as a private product called Weather Sentry.  
 

Communication

Before school, every effort will be made to have a decision by 5:30 AM and communicated to you and your family in the following ways: 

  1. Staff/ parents will be notified through an all-call using School Messenger. (Telephone numbers are generated from our Skyward database. At your convenience, please check Skyward to ensure your telephone # is up-to-date for this academic year.)
  2. Communication will be added to the district’s website and social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MSD of Martinsville
  3. Communication will be sent to the following radio and TV stations: WCBK, WISH 8, WRTV-6, WTHR-13, Fox-59.
 

Early Dismissal

As weather conditions in our area can change quickly, an early dismissal may be necessary. We will make a decision concerning dismissal as early as possible, next, call parents through School Messenger, and finally, communicate information to our website, social media, and local media.

We encourage you as a family to develop a weather plan. For example, if parents or guardians work, where should your child go if there is an early dismissal or a two-hour delay? Please be mindful that weather prediction is just that, a prediction. We will drive roads, use science, and apply common sense before making any decisions.  Please also keep in mind that our school service area spans many miles and while in your area it may just be flurries, we could very easily have icing conditions in another. We hope this information helps as we work together planning for inclement weather events.

Replay District Messages

Parents can replay automated messages from the district by calling 765-343-7001.