All kindergarten students practiced how to safely cross in front of a school bus during bus safety training this month. In Red Mill’s parking lot on Tuesday, small groups of students stepped off the school bus, walked out away from the bus and then watched for the driver’s signal to cross. When they saw the signal, they looked both ways and crossed the parking lot to a staff member.
Occasionally, the bus driver would put up her hand as a stop sign and beep the horn. The students stopped and returned to where they came from.
The exercise was part of the Transportation Department’s annual safety training for each school’s kindergarten students.
“We do a yearly safe crossing training for our kindergarten students to help teach and promote safe bus practices and to reinforce the information that students get from the drivers daily,” said Assistant Transportation Supervisor Mark Halsey. “It also allows us to give instruction about bus ridership rules and expectations to those students who may not regularly use the school bus.”
The East Greenbush CSD has a comprehensive school safety program, which includes the practice of safety drills throughout the school year (fire, lockdown, secured lockout, hold-in-place, evacuation and bus safety).