| Commuter Guide to Vashon Island Schools |
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Dear Students and Parents, Vashon Island High School Contact numbersVashon Island High School Ferry (WSF) informationTicketsStudents usually buy online a monthly passenger pass or a multi-ride commuter card. There are no ticket sales at the Vashon terminal. Passenger tickets are collected - whether in a vehicle or on foot - from Fauntleroy passengers as they board the boat and from Southworth passengers as they disembark from the ferry to the Vashon dock. Southworth drivers buy their ticket at the toll booth before getting on the Southworth ferry. Car/driver commuter passes and tickets are collected at the tollbooth or on the dock at Southworth and Fauntleroy, before boarding the ferry to Vashon. No tickets are collected when leaving Vashon Island. Students may park their cars overnight in the parking lot above the ferry dock. ScheduleAll times below are from the winter 2008 schedule, effective through March 29, 2008. The core commute times don't often change with new schedules, but for updated and emergency schedule information, check the WSF Web site. MorningSouthworth commuters take the 6:40 ferry and Fauntleroy commuters take the 6:45 ferry. School buses are on the Vashon dock to meet the ferries and depart the dock for school after students from both ferries have boarded. AfternoonImmediately after school, school buses takes students from McMurray and Vashon High School to the ferry dock. Commuter students wait on the dock until their respective ferries depart: Fauntleroy commuters take the 3:25 and Southworth commuters take the 3:30. Ferry delaysIf a morning ferry is delayed for any reason and the school bus is not waiting on the dock, students should call their school to let them know that they are waiting on the ferry dock. High school students should call 206-463-9171. Middle school students should call 206-463-9168. The schools will arrange for a school vehicle to pick up the students and bring them to their schools. Ferry informationThe WSF Web site has a wealth of information. E-mail Alerts (click on the link to subscribe) are messages sent to you whenever there are delays, emergency schedule changes, traffic situations that might affect the ferries, etc. Given the frequency of ferry problems, E-mail Alerts are very helpful. Vessel Watch uses the GPS units on the boats to show you where they are on the route. At the dock but the 3:25 ferry is nowhere in sight? Call home and have someone look at Vessel Watch to find out exactly where the boat is (updated every three minutes). Behavior on the ferriesBecause of increased security concerns, it's important for commuter students to comply with requests from WSF staff. Ferry employees and hundreds of commuters see commuter students as representatives of Vashon Island schools. It is important that students’ behavior on the ferry and in the terminals reflect the positive contributions they make to Vashon schools. WSF can, at its discretion, refuse passage to any passenger. You can't go to school on Vashon if you can't ride the ferry. BusesSchool busIn the morning, school buses for McMurray and for Vashon High School pick up students on the Vashon dock. The buses wait for both the Fauntleroy and Southworth ferries to arrive. In the afternoon, students board the buses bound for the ferry dock at their respective schools. Metro busIf students arrive late or stay after school, Metro buses 118 and 119 leave the Vashon dock at regular intervals (don't worry about the bus number: there's only one bus route). There is a bus stop just south of the Vashon Highway entrance to the high school (outside the staff parking lot and across from the Park and Ride - you’ll see the sign). On the Metro schedule the stop is between the SW Ellisport and SW Bank stops so you can use those times as a guide. The nearest bus stop for McMurray students is in front of McFeeds on the southeast corner of Vashon Highway and Cemetery Road. Bus fare is collected when boarding the bus: The fare for students is .50 and exact change is required. McMurray and Vashon High School offices have bus and ferry schedules and can help students decide which bus to take to catch a particular ferry. Metro schedules are usually available at the Fauntleroy and Vashon ferry terminals. General information about Metro; Metro route map for Vashon Island. Adverse weatherAdverse weather conditions can cause school to be one or two hours late, but the ferries don’t sail at tidy one-hour intervals. If a school delay is broadcast on radio and TV stations, students catch the following ferries (as of the spring 2008 schedule): One hour delay: Fauntleroy, 7:05 ferry; Southworth, 7:55 ferry. A broadcast notice of “Limited Bus Transportation” does not affect the route of the school buses that transport commuter students. Refer to the school district’s Emergency Weather Bulletin (PDF) for more information. School hoursVashon Island High School begins at 7:35 and ends at 2:25, with dismissal on early release days at 10:10 (10:40 for noncommuters). Southworth commuters catch the 10:45 ferry, Fauntleroy commuters catch the 10:30 ferry. VHS bell schedule. McMurray Middle School begins at 7:40 and ends at 2:10; early dismissal is at 10:30 (commuter students are excused earlier to make the 10:30 and 10:45 ferries). McMurray bell schedule. School news and informationSchool newsletters are available online and by mail (mailed by request only) and contain important and timely information about activities, events, and deadlines. Subscribe to school mailing lists by going to the district Web site (Subscribe to Our Mailing Lists, bottom of the right column). You’ll also receive the quarterly school district Report Card to Parents. EmergenciesIt’s helpful to have a contact person on Vashon Island in case of emergency or if school is closed early for weather reasons. Midday ferry departures from Vashon can be up to two hours apart, and there is no direct route from Southworth to Vashon between the 12:30 and 5:05 ferries (goes to Fauntleroy first and then back to Vashon). After school activities and eventsMcMurray Middle School and Vashon Island High School offer students many opportunities to participate in drama, music, study, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Commuter students are equal members of their respective student bodies and are encouraged to participate in any of these enriching activities. For activities schedules, check the VHS and McMurray Web sites. Continued enrollmentOut-of-district students must get a release from their home district and reapply to the Vashon school district every school year. Students who maintain academic progress and are free of truancies or disruptive behavior are accepted for the next school year. This procedure is usually completed soon after the first of the year preceding the next academic year. Application for Nonresident Admission (PDF). Running Start |
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