
HPS Transportation
December 2023
Superstar Rider Underway!
The elementary schools and the transportation department joined together to implement a positive behavior reward program on the buses.
Students who act safely, responsibly or respectfully on the bus; who go out of their way to assist another student, or who just show exceptional behavior on the bus will receive a Superstar Rider ticket from the driver.
One copy of this ticket is turned in at school for a reward or drawing; one copy is brought home for family to acknowledge, and one is kept for tracking purposes. Since its inception on December 4th, more than 700 tickets have been awarded!!
The students are excited about the program, and drivers are reporting improved behavior.
CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR STUDENTS' SUPERSTAR BEHAVIOR
always follows bus expectations - Bus 31
picked up trash at the bus stop - Bus 3
tries to quiet other students - Bus 20
showed kindness to another student - Bus 6
A joy to have on my bus! Personality plus! - Bus 9
helped another rider scan their ID - Bus 7
good listener - Bus 27
GREAT JOB, STUDENTS!!
***Important Reminders***
We have made several requests regarding the points below, but are still having issues. Please help us by complying with the transportation regulations.
Student IDs are REQUIRED to ride the bus. Please see Our Website to obtain a replacement.
- All bus students must be at the bus stop 5-10 minutes prior to posted bus stop time. Students should be physically waiting at the bus stop, not inside a house, car or down the street. Bus drivers are unable to wait for students who are not at the bus stop.
- Kindergarten parents must be at the bus to receive their student off of the bus; not waiting in their car.
- All DAILY transportation changes should be made through your school’s on-line dismissal form, per the school’s policy.
- Elementary Students will not be let off at a stop other than the one assigned to them without a daily dismissal form.
- Only one ID card can be active at a time. If you have received a replacement ID, the previous ID has been made Inactive. Do not use the old card, if found.
- Please DO NOT PUNCH A HOLE through the card or scratch the card as there is an embedded RFID chip in the card and it will not scan if damaged
STOPFINDER IS A GREAT TOOL FOR FAMILIES
The app has the ability to track the bus and to alert you when the bus has entered a zone, allowing you to plan more efficiently. Traffic, construction and student attendance makes keeping an exact schedule a challenge sometimes. We have always asked for a 10 minute window for pick up and drop off times. With Stopfinder, you will be able to set Geoalerts, giving you a notification when the bus is approaching your location.
If you are not currently using the app, you are missing out!
Click the link below for more information and how-to guides on Stopfinder.
Email transportation@hopkinton.k12.ma.us if you need a new invitation link
Featured Driver
Samantha (Sam), driver of bus 7, has been driving a school bus for 17+ years. She lives in Bellingham, has two children and two grandchildren, and enjoys watching hockey.
Sam has recruited her daughter (KatieLynn bus 8) and her cousin (Becky bus 32) to drive for Hopkinton!
Earlier this year, when a young student snuck off of the bus at a stop that was not hers with a friend, Sam's quick thinking and full adoption of the scanning protocol allowed us to locate the child and contact the family in moments. The child did not know the rules and when invited to join a friend at their house, gladly accepted.
We are fortunate to have Sam on our great team of drivers keeping our children safe every day!!
Hopkinton, MA 01748
508-417-9381