Important Information, Terms & Conditions

Michelle Gleeson
Director, Entomologist & Presenter, Bugs Ed.       
Email: michelle@bugsed.com

ABN: 983 919 040 77

Blue Card Number:  337386/8  
Expiry Date:  15th April 2026

Please read carefully even if you are a regular client as some of our conditions have recently changed.

The following information is valid for our Primary School workshops conducted around our regular travel areas.  Visits to remote areas, or traveling shows may incur slightly different conditions. These can be discussed with Michelle Gleeson – email michelle@bugsed.com.

Student Attendance:

All students attending a Bugs Ed. workshop will be charged the appropriate cost for that given workshop (see www.bugsed.com for pricing).  A head count will be taken by the presenter and all students physically present will be charged the full workshop price (teachers attend for free).  Alternative arrangements must be made for any members of the class who are not able to make payment.  These students must be transferred to another classroom or to the library.  Please note:  it is not acceptable to move non-paying students to a different part of the same room as it often disrupts the presenter & participants.  It is also not appropriate to allow students to attend the workshop for free & to simply forgo the included activity booklet and live mealworm in lieu of payment.

Activity Bags:

As of January 2024, we have decided to discontinue our student activity bags.  Instead, students will receive the activity booklet (including the mantis mask craft activity) and a vial of bran with a live mealworm to take home (a care sheet is included in the activity booklet).  Our printing, insurance and petrol costs have risen dramatically over the last few years.  Rather than increasing the financial stress on families by raising our prices, we have instead chosen to reduce our production costs by removing certain items from the activity bags, namely the plastic magnifying glass and the plastic forceps.  The removal of these items also helps us to achieve our goals of running a business that minimises our carbon footprint and impacts on the environment in a positive way.

Final Numbers:

For various reasons, student attendance on the day is sometimes significantly lower than the initial number booked in.  We will contact you several days before the workshop to confirm expected numbers and can adjust group size and session times accordingly.  We may suggest combining smaller groups into a single session, to reduce the wear & tear on our live insects & our presenter’s vocal chords.  We will still keep our group sizes small (maximum 35 students per session) to ensure that the quality of our workshops are maintained and that students enjoy a hands-on, interactive experience.

Teacher’s Resources and Posters:

The teacher responsible for making the booking will be emailed a downloadable teacher’s resource pack. This can be passed on to any teachers who have a class attending our workshop sessions. The content of this file is subject to copyright conditions and may not be reproduced by any other individuals without prior consent from Bugs Ed. The content may be used only for the calendar year in which the workshop takes place.

There is a limit of one insect poster per class.  Extra insect posters can be ordered for $10 each.  Please request any extras at the time of booking, so that we can bring them along on the day.

Teacher & Parent Participation:

A teacher is required to be in attendance for the full duration of each workshop session.  Whilst our presenters hold blue cards & are experienced educators, we do not consider it appropriate to act in the place of qualified teaching staff.  Parents are welcome to attend workshops free of charge.  We do however ask that younger siblings remain seated with their parents so that they do not interrupt the performance.

Choosing Presenters:

Due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness and family emergencies, it may be necessary for a different presenter (i.e. one other than the one who handles your booking confirmation) to fill in.  We also try to allocate workshops to the closest presenter to your school, thus cutting down on petrol & travel time and reducing our carbon footprint. At Bugs Ed. we only employ qualified entomologists who are experienced in working with children, so no matter who runs the workshop you can be guaranteed that they will be professional, friendly and able to answer all of your tricky insect questions.

Problem Students:

Our Bugs Ed. presenters are experienced in dealing with children.  However, we reserve the right to remove children from our workshops if they risk damaging our displays or endangering our live insects by not following instructions, or if they severely disrupt or interfere with the learning & enjoyment of the other participants.  In the unlikely event that a child is removed from a workshop, their payment will be refunded in full, provided they do not receive an activity booklet and mealworm. If an activity booklet and mealworm is required, then only half of the full workshop price will be refunded.
We do realise that our audience will be excitable and we take that into account.  We have thankfully never had to evict a student from our workshops to date.

Equipment & Venue:

A full list of our Workshop Requirements is available at www.bugsed.com.   We ask that a qualified member of staff set up any computer equipment prior to the start of the workshop.  The proper set up & running of computer equipment is vital for a prompt starting time & ensures the entire workshop runs smoothly.  Make sure the presenter is aware of any passwords, usernames & log-ins in case your computer is designed to automatically lock after a given amount of time.

We also ask that the room is set up in accordance with our requirements before the arrival of our presenters.

Delays to Workshop Starting Time:

We arrive at the school 30 minutes before the stated workshop starting time to set up our equipment and to ensure a prompt start.  We ask that teachers arrive to the workshop venue on time and settle the students promptly.  Our presenters have a lot of material to cover in the session time and late arrival means less time for things such as questions.  Punctual arrival & departure of groups is extremely important when multiple classes are being run back to back.  If for any reason the start time is delayed, we do our best to make up the lost time and can sometimes stay back longer if needed.

Payment:

An invoice will be left with the office after the workshop.  Payment must be arranged within 30 days of the invoice date.  Please pass the details below on to your finance officer.

Account Name:  Bugs Ed.     
Account Number: 22524306   
BSB: 124-006
Bank & Branch Details:  Bank of Queensland, Waterworks Road, The Gap.
Please email a payment notification to michelle@bugsed.com.

Workshop Cancellations & Change of Dates:

We ordinarily do not charge cancellations fees.  We do however ask that when cancelling or rescheduling a workshop that at least 1 month notice is given.  Our workshops fill up very quickly and certain months are booked out months in advance.  This can make it very difficult to change dates. Please bear this in mind whilst making a booking.

In the unlikely event that a presenter cannot run a workshop through illness or other unforeseen circumstances we do our utmost to give as much notice as possible.  We also endeavor to reschedule the workshop as near as possible to your chosen date.

Risk Assessment:

As our workshops are conducted on school premises, it is assumed that you will complete your own risk assessment & safety documentation in accordance with your school’s guidelines.  To help you adequately assess the risks involved in our workshops, please see www.bugsed.com for an outline.

Special Needs Students:

Bugs Ed. is happy to accommodate all students & we have experience in conducting workshops for bi-lingual classes, special needs groups and students with behavioural problems and disorders.  If you have students that fit any of these categories, please notify us when making your booking.  It is important for us to know this information before we visit your school, especially when live insects are involved.

If you have any queries please contact Michelle Gleeson at michelle@bugsed.com.

Last updated January 2024.