OLDS – With a new school year just over a week away, new students and first-time bus riders accompanied by caregivers were given a hands-on tutorial recently on the finer points of riding a school bus.
Coordinators from the transportation departments of Chinook’s Edge, Wolf Creek, Red Deer Public and Red Deer Catholic school divisions, along with Prairie Bus Lines held a First Rider bus safety event at École Deer Meadow School on Aug.14.
The First Rider program targets students in kindergarten and Grade 1, along with any other students who will be riding a school bus for the first time.
The 45-minute program was free of charge and involves four activity stations where participants could become familiar and comfortable with protocols, procedures and expectations that will make their busing experience successful.
Participants started by watching a video of Winnie-the-Pooh as he rides a school bus for the first time.
They then learned about safety priorities at the bus stop, conducted a safety evacuation and discovered the ‘danger zone’ around the bus where incidents are most likely to occur.
Finally, they hopped on a school bus with their parents or guardian for a 10-minute ride to learn about loading and exiting the bus correctly.
The new school year starts Tuesday, Sept. 3.
