News Release
August 22, 2007
For Immediate Release
School bus orientation day prepares kindergarten students to ride bus
A free Young Rider Orientation Day on Aug. 25 will help new students feel more comfortable taking the school bus. This year, approximately 65,000 Peel District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board students will ride the school bus each day. Both boards have provided joint busing service since 1994.
"Taking the bus is as much a part of the school experience as a desk and textbooks," says Tom Howe, transportation manager. "We want to make new riders feel as comfortable as possible. Educating children and parents about bus safety is the main aim of the day."
The program, designed for kindergarten children and their elementary-aged siblings, runs every hour between 9 a.m. to noon. During the one-hour orientation, parents and children will watch a bus safety video, discuss their bus safety concerns and take an informative ride on a school bus.
To help children feel more at ease with their first school bus experience, parents can:
· talk about bus rides as fun adventures. Parents should try not to be anxious in front of their children.
· establish a routine by taking a few walks to the bus stop before the first day of school.
· keep children organized. A backpack is easier for students to carry than many small items.
· make sure children recognize their bus stop location and carry identification in case they get lost.
· teach bus safety rules—listen to the bus driver’s instructions, stay seated on the bus and respect other students.
· teach traffic safety. If children must cross the street to get to the bus stop, remind them to wait until the bus stops, activates its flashing lights and the stop arm before they look in both directions and cross.
The school bus orientation sessions are available at several locations throughout Peel. Families can call the bus company for their area before Aug. 25 to confirm their attendance and request a time slot.
East Mississauga Central Mississauga West Mississauga
Attridge Laidlaw Transit Stock Transportation
Transportation Hawkestone - 905-275-1615 905-829-2040
905-855-7771 Wolfedale - 905-270-0561
Bramalea Brampton Caledon/Dufferin
Laidlaw Transit Stock Transportation Parkview Transit
Snelgrove - 905-857-4370 905-829-2040 905-846-1070
Additional bus safety information is available in "Preparing your kindergarten child to ride the school bus," a fact sheet for parents. A copy is available in the "Parents Boost Learning" section of the Peel board's website at www.peelschools.org.
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Media contact: Tom Howe, Transportation Manager, PDSB/DPCDSB
905-890-0708, ext. 23219
References: Danielle Wilson, Communications Project Co-ordinator, PDSB
905-890-1010 x 2817
Nancy Marshall, Communications Officer, DPCDSB
905-890-0708 x 24278