OLDS - With just over a week until most schools in the area start the 2023-24 year, ensuring students of all ages are safe and secure when riding school buses in the district is an ongoing, multi-stakeholder effort, says Shawn Russell, Chinook’s Edge associate superintendent of corporate services.
The 11,000-student division has teamed up with four other divisions and Prairie Bus Lines to again host the annual First Rider Event program prior to the start of classes next month.
Offered to kindergarten and Grade 1 students throughout Central Alberta, the program gives the kids an opportunity to learn first-hand what it’s like to take the bus to school.
“It’s for any student who may be having a little anxiety about that first bus ride,” Russell told the Albertan. “So it is to put them at ease and to get them familiar with the school bus and what it is like to be on a school bus.
“Safety is something for all students, but first time riders can be a little nervous about what to expect on that first day of school. The program has worked well in the past to help with some of that anxiety.”
The free-to-attend program is co-sponsored by Chinook’s Edge, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Wolf Creek Public Schools and Red Deer Public Schools.
First started in 2009 and overseen by coordinators from the transport departments of each division, the First Rider program held sessions last week and this week, including at Olds’ Ecole Deer Meadow on Aug. 16.
The sessions saw the students and their parents watch a video of Winnie-the-Pooh riding a school bus, followed by a 10-minute ride on a bus.
The students learned about safety priorities at bus stops, conducted a safety evacuation, learned about the ‘danger zone’ around the buses where incidents can occur, and learned about entering and exiting buses correctly and safely, he said.
Parents who were unable to get their kids to one of the First Rider events can rest assured, he said.
“Each of our bus drivers will be calling the parents of students who are on their individuals routes sometime before the September long weekend because the first day of school is right after that,” he said.
“Any parent who has a particular concern or something they would like to make the drivers aware of can certainly share when that phone call comes.”
The drivers will give parents information about routes, pickup times and bus stop locations, he said.
Chinook’s Edge will be adding nine bus route this school year in response to changes in the eligibility for distance requirements, he said.
“We’ve prepared for that and have bought some additional buses to be ready for that this year,” he said.
While the division currently has enough drivers to meet current needs, “we are always looking for anyone who is interested in joining our team to be a driver,” he said.
Anyone interested in becoming a driver can contact the division’s director of technology, he said.
- With files from Doug Collie
