INNISFAIL – Everyone can do their part to ensure school bus safety.
Thanks to Innisfail Middle School student Taytum Attwell that message is being heard loud and clear.
The 10-year-old Grade 5 student recently won the Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD) school bus safety poster contest, and was chosen the Grade 5 winner from all entries in the division.
“It makes me feel really happy,” said Attwell of her win.
This year’s theme for the contest was School Bus…Bully Free Zone.
Attwell noted how students like herself can combat bullying on school buses and at school.
“Being nice to people, helping others and sticking up for them,” she said.
Dieter Brandt, director of transportation with CESD, said it was Attwell’s unique approach to the poster contest that set her apart from other entries in her grade level.
“Her poster was very unique. It was original,” he said. “Her entire poster was a puzzle. The wording said, 'keeping the pieces together for our school bus…bully free safety zone.'
“She did a good job,” Brandt added, “She did everything she needed to do and criteria had to be followed.”
Winners in each grade, from kindergarten to Grade 6, were announced just before the Christmas break on Dec. 20.
The Alberta Student Transportation Advisory Council (ASTAC) sponsored the contest during School Bus Safety Week from Oct. 21 to 27.
“This contest is put forth by the ASTAC for the entire province. All kindergarten to Grade 6 students had the opportunity to enter,” said Brandt, adding they do internal judging for all 42 schools in the division. “Once we’ve done our judging, we pass all the posters on to ASTAC and they go through to the next (level). All posters, whether they are successful in our judging or not, go forward to the provincial level.”
For her part, Attwell won $25 in cash and free transportation in the form of a school bus and a driver, provided by CESD for a class field trip in 2019.
Attwell said she chose a puzzle for her poster to highlight the role every student can play when it comes to keeping school buses safe and a bully free zone.
“We’re all pieces of the puzzle. We have to put it all together to fight bullying,” said Attwell.
