With the start of a new school year just one week away, nearly 30 brand new elementary students recently got their first lesson in school bus safety.
While some carried Paw Patrol backpacks, and others shed some tears, a group of junior and seniors kindergarten students in Bradford West Gwillimbury learned the ins and outs of how to take the school bus for the first time this fall, as part of a program run by the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium.
“The program’s designed to alleviate any anxiety the students have and families have,” said Sean Levasseur, the consortium’s safety and accessibility officer.
Typically, the free First Rider program in BWG gets fewer than 10 students and their families, so this year’s was a “tremendous success” with nearly 30 kids at the first of two sessions, both of which were held Aug. 23, he said.
Students and parents gathered at Fieldcrest Elementary School to watch a video about school bus safety before they practiced some of the tips in the video outside with a real school bus.
One of the most important things kids and parents should know about taking the bus to school is the proper loading and unloading process, said Levasseur.
This involves standing on the sidewalk at a safe distance from the road while waiting for a bus, watching for a signal from the driver that it is safe to cross in front of the bus, and never going under the bus if you drop something, according to the safety video.
There is also a “danger zone” of 10 steps all the way around the bus, and the most dangerous areas are directly in front of and behind the bus because the driver cannot see those areas as well.
“Stay visible, and stay seated,” Levasseur said.
After the video, everyone went for a short bus ride before returning to the school, and the students practiced the proper unloading procedure.
While there are no more First Rider sessions planned for BWG, there are a few more throughout Simcoe County before school starts:
- Aug. 28, Midland, 6 p.m., Monsignor Castex Catholic School
- Aug. 29, Orillia, 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Monsignor Lee Catholic School
- Aug. 29, Barrie, 6 p.m., Terry Fox Elementary School
- Aug. 30, Innisfil, 6 p.m., Holy Cross Catholic School
- Aug. 31, Alliston, 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., Holy Family Catholic School
