In Alamance-Burlington Schools, they will receive cards, gift cards, goodie baskets, donuts, coffee, biscuits, candy and sweet treats. In Buncombe County, they will be recognized at a community assembly, spotlighted during morning announcements, and invited to PTO-sponsored lunch with principals. In Iredell-Statesville Schools, they will receive breakfast, lunch and treats each day along with thank you notes from students. All across North Carolina this week school bus drivers will be “feeling the love” as schools and districts celebrate national Love the Bus week Feb. 8-12. To find out more about these activities as well as many others being held throughout the state, visit the NC Bus Safety website and select “2016 Love the Bus Events.”
State Superintendent June Atkinson will join in the festivities this week by boarding a school bus and riding with students to Petree Elementary School (Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools) on Feb. 10 where she will attend a special celebration for bus drivers in that district. On Thursday, Feb. 11, Atkinson will attend a noon luncheon for drivers at Holly Springs High School (Wake County Public Schools.)
“Our bus drivers make more than 1.6 million special deliveries each day as they transport students safely to and from school on more than 13,300 yellow buses,” Atkinson said. “They navigate in sometimes challenging driving conditions, complete important training and have even learned a new statewide hand signal to help students know when it is safe to cross the road. These professionals clearly make student welfare their top priority so I hope our school children, teachers, principals and parents will take a moment this week to thank them for all that they do.”
Gov. Pat McCrory also has proclaimed Feb. 8-12 as “School Bus Driver Appreciation Week” in North Carolina, and he urges all school communities and citizens to support the Love the Bus program and to recognize the excellence of the state’s school bus drivers and their record of safety.
The Love the Bus program, founded in 2007 and coordinated by the American School Bus Council, is not only a way to raise awareness and appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers nationwide but also provides an opportunity for parents and children to learn more about the safety and environmental benefits of school bus transportation. Nationwide, school buses represent 25 percent of the miles traveled by students in this nation but account for less than 4 percent of the injuries.
Parents, teachers and children also are encouraged to visit the American School Bus Council’s website to share stories about their favorite bus drivers and make interactive valentines to email or print and give to their bus driver. Additional information is available on the ASBC website.