School Bus Safety

This morning I awoke to an awful news story on the television. A young girl was riding the school bus in Detroit and she stuck her head out the window to talk to a friend. Just when the bus started to move her head was struck by a tree branch and she was killed.

I often wonder why there are never parent volunteers or guards on a school bus. The only person to keep order is the bus driver and he/she has plenty to concentrate on while driving the bus. Children get up and change seats, bully other kids, leave their bags all over the floor and aisles of the bus and they can be just plain rowdy. It seems to me that either responsible high school kids could be assigned a bus to ride for community service or parents could rotate a schedule to protect our children.

Time for Manners, Vol.3, "American Manners", addresses this issue of school bus safety in a fun and creative style. The kids in the DVD sing an original song called "Back to Back and Bottom to Bottom". The song reminds kids to keep their bottom on the bottom of the seat and their back to the back of the seat, meaning to stay seated at all times. There are other important safety reminders in the DVD too.

I have thought of this tragic story all day and I would hope there will be some changes made in school bus rules and behavior. As always, Mind your Manners!!