School Bus Fleet, September 2017

To maximize attendance the district offers the ride along on three days in early August and parents sign up online Families including younger siblings meet at one of the districts high schools Before the bus ride staff members collect photos of each student and a parent release form that tells drivers who can receive a child at their bus stop Drivers get these when school begins along with a list of kindergartners on their bus During the ride along students learn to listen to the driver and watch their hand signals to safely cross the street They are driven through the transportation departments bus wash which is exciting for the kids then taken back to the school Morgan says Our real big thing is bottoms to bottoms backs to backs hands to yourself inside voice she adds That gives the idea that everyone needs their own space It also keeps twisting turning and standing to a minimum Having parents aboard to hear the instructions to the students gives them the opportunity to reinforce those expectations to their children Morgan points out Additionally it helps ease anxiety for parents who have concerns about their young children riding the bus In 2016 the ride along required 10 buses and drivers to transport 1400 kindergartners plus their parents and younger siblings At least 4000 people rode in the three day event and costs run between 1500 and 2000 Morgan says Its well worth it because a lot of these kids have never been on a bus before she explains So its good for kindergartners and a good education for parents When beginning a program there will be challenges Morgan says Some of Issaquahs included finding a place large enough to accommodate the program details like having sandwich boards directing parents where to park gathering release forms and photos and choosing dates that didnt interfere with family vacations After 10 years Ours has evolved to a place where we know what were doing she adds 3 DVD courses tailored for age A cost effective option that schools can use year after year is student safety DVD courses from the School Bus Safety Co Jeff Cassell president of the company consulted educational experts to produce three courses to teach children about school bus safety A five section course addresses the pre K to grade 2 group Mrs Mary teaches children how to cross the street and safe practices inside the school bus Cassell explains To appeal to children of various learning styles the production uses both real people and animation featuring Hoppy Rabbit and Pengie Penguin The pre K to grade 2 course costs 275 For grades 3 to 5 the company uses a magic tent to deliver its message in which a brother is teaching his younger sister about safety This three part course costs 220 In 2013 the program won a Silver Telly Award in the safety category For the sixth grade and up course which costs 150 We just give them the facts Cassell says They already know everything so youve got to present it to them with no gimmicks For grades 3 and up Cassell adds I involved experts to do an overview of what bullying is why not to be a bully why not to be a bystander and what to do All three courses can be purchased for 600 at schoolbussafetyco com 4 Creating a fun event In 2015 First Student introduced the Safety Dog program with a floppy eared mascot to teach students simple but effective safety tips in a fun and memorable way says Teresa Cole First Students senior eastern safety director Children get to walk a yellow carpet and pose for a photo sort of like an Emmy event she adds Posing with Safety Dog kids have the opportunity to wear fun costumes sunglasses and feather boas We encourage parents to attend the event with their children Cole says Children sign a safety pledge and leave with a bag of goodies Goodies include pens bracelets and sunglasses Children also receive a coloring book created specifically for First Student complete with safety tips taught during the program The Safety Dog program is free of charge to schools partnered with First Student 5 Robot teaches entertains Since robots are a big hit with kids schools might consider Buster the School Bus and Barney the School Bus remote controlled miniature school buses created by Robotronics Inc Buster which measures 24 by 36 by 36 inches blinks his eyes talks and teaches students about school bus safety Although young kids can have short attention spans When Buster rolls into the classroom kids cant help but stay focused says Erik Larsen western sales representative for Robotronics More than 50 of the robotic buses are purchased through federal and state grants or private funds Larsen points out Often schools ask a local company to sponsor a purchase of a bus In return the company receives federal tax write offs goodwill in the community and advertising School districts bus companies and sponsors can also purchase custom decals for their Buster or Barney with their logo on the side for an additional 250 Benefits One doesnt have to look far to see the 23 SEPTEMBER 2017 SCHOOL BUS FLEET A student poses with First Students Safety Dog as part of the companys safety event in Woodland Hills Pennsylvania in 2016