BONNYVILLE - A Meet the Bus event was hosted by Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) at Duclos School on the afternoon of Aug. 31, where students who are new to taking the bus could see, ride and learn bus safety and etiquette before starting their first day of school.
Kindergartners and their parents attended, but anyone who was new to riding the bus was welcome.
Roughly 25 students took the opportunity to meet a bus driver and go on a short bus ride around the town of Bonnyville.
Marlena Bowering, a driving instructor, went over the importance of being on time for the school bus, dressing appropriately for the weather and how to be safe while riding on a bus.
“The importance of this is that kids who have anxiety and have never been on a bus before see what it's actually like,” Bowering said.
“The bus is huge, it's long and tall and overall intimidating… This helps parents as well to see that this is OK.”
Charlie Wojcik, who is five years old said, “It's fun to be on the bus and make new friends.” Charlie is a new student this year and was brought to the event by her mother Krystal.
“I’m glad she got this introduction as I was feeling anxious about her going,” admitted Krystal.
The annual Meet the Bus event is meant to ensure parents and children know that students will be in safe hands when heading to and from school, relieving anxiety and back-to-school nerves.
NLPS’s first day of classes for Grades 1-12 is set for Sept. 6, with kindergarten students beginning on Sept. 8, followed by preschool kicking off the year on Sept. 12.
