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Weekends Home FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Residential and/or instructional staff are responsible for ensuring that their students pack clothes, personal items, music players and other items that the student may need for the weekend. Please contact residential or day staff if you have specific items that you would like for your child to bring home on weekends. Also, for those students who may need a change on the bus, please provide between one to three changes of clothes and at least three diapers/pull-ups. These actions will help preserve your child’s dignity and comfort throughout the trip. Thanks for your help!

Because the buses are often crowded we like travel to be fairly quiet if possible. Most students socialize or listen to music or play games on an iPad. If your child has a favored leisure activity or toy that will help make travel relaxing for them, please send it along. If you know of an activity that soothes your child when they are upset please let us know that as well.

Buses make one scheduled stop each way. The bus makes additional stops as needed, however we ask that you please take your child to the toilet prior to boarding the bus and refrain from providing excessive beverages before travel. Thank you. This really helps keep the trips as short as possible.

We will provide snacks for each student for the Friday trip. Please feed your child lunch before bringing them to the bus on Sundays. We do not provide snacks or lunch for the Sunday trip. Water and juice are available for students on all trips. Please do not give students large drinks before boarding the bus. Unplanned bathroom stops slow down the trip considerably.

No, due to time constraints and staffing issues, students may not buy snacks or other items at stores during the bus trips. Please plan ahead by providing snacks for return trips.

Snacks are prepared by the TSBVI Food Service department in accordance with dietary restrictions and allergy information provided to the Health Center. Please keep all information current so that we may provide a safe and healthy meal for your child.

We will not be able to change the Weekends Home schedule assigned to your child except in emergency or critical situations. If you believe that you have an emergency or critical situation and would like to request a change in your child’s schedule, this must be done no later than 4:00pm on the day before travel will occur. For travel changes please contact your students: Dorm Manager, the Health Center and the Coordinator of the Weekends Home Program.

We will notify you of any cancellations or significant delays due to weather or any other unforeseen circumstances.

For everyone’s safety, TSBVI has strict rules about who can pick up your child at the bus stop. Please be certain anyone who will pick up your student on Drop-off days is on their Weekends Home Permission list. You will complete this list at registration. Please bring the full name and phone numbers of all the people you want on your student’s permission list. If you need to add someone later in the year contact Cathy Olsen olsenc@tsbvi.edu  (512) 206-9182 or your student’s dorm manager or Gian Calaci calacig@tsbvi.edu (512) 206-9231.  Please take care of this before travel days.

Students experiencing a temperature above 100 degrees, diarrhea, or vomiting will not be allowed to return on the bus or van in order to protect the other students from a contagion. If a staff member observes a student with any type of medical or health problem indicating that the child may not be healthy enough to return on the bus or van, the staff member may contact the TSBVI Health Center and describe the problem to the nurse on duty. The nurse will determine whether the student will be allowed to return on the bus or van. The staff member will inform you of the nurse’s determination.

Each bus has a Medications Sponsor who is responsible for picking up student medications from the Health Center on Fridays. Please meet this person at your stop to get your child’s medication. If you forget to do this we will call you and ask you to return to the bus stop. If we cannot reach you by phone within a reasonable time period, your child’s meds will be returned to the Health Center at TSBVI.

On Sundays please give all medications to the Medication Sponsor on your route. Do not pack medications in luggage, your child will not be allowed to board the bus until you give all medication to the bus Medication Sponsor, this is for everyone’s safety. EMS must be able to locate all meds easily, in the event of an emergency.

If you forget to bring your child’s medication to the bus or the prescription is not full enough to treat the student until her next visit home, your child may not be allowed to return to school. This will be determined by the Administration at TSBVI. The bus Medication Sponsors are not allowed to let a student on the bus until they have all the students’ medications. Thank you for your attention to this very important detail for travel.

Weekends Home staff have a 40-hour training week at the beginning of each year and on-going training, as needed. Weekends Home staff are formally trained in: First Aid and CPR, bus evacuation procedures, emergency procedures, basic sign language, Orientation and Mobility, Positive Behavioral Support Techniques and MANDT. Staff are also given professional development opportunities throughout the year to increase the quality of care that your child receives.

Please remember that we will not be responsible for any money or valuables you send back with your child. Our staff is not allowed to accept money, and we strongly discourage parents from sending any money or valuables in students’ luggage.

Until the staff are familiar with you, you may be asked to show an ID before being allowed to pick up a student. This is for everyone’s safety.