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Driver's actions hailed during bus safety week
(by Sue Hoffman - October 26, 2011)
Driver's actions hailed during bus safety week
By SUE HOFFMAN
National School Bus Safety Week, celebrated last week, was the perfect time to recognize safety plans in action, Solon school officials said Monday.
School Superintendent Joseph V. Regano said he received an email from a parent Oct. 20 commending school bus driver Sheena Howell for ensuring student safety. The incident involved a motorist who apparently was not going to stop when students were getting ready to board.
Ms. Howell has instructed the students that if she beeps her horn, it means danger and not to cross the street. The students had learned the lesson well.
"I wanted to take a minute to tell you about a situation that happened this morning," wrote Kristin McClintick, the mother of two children who attend Arthur Road Elementary School.
"Every morning my children stand on the porch until the bus comes and head down the driveway. Today was the usual until I heard a ton of horn beeping and my screaming children running back up from the driveway to the porch. By the time I had gotten the door unlocked they had already gotten off the porch and were heading back to the bus.
"When my husband saw my daughter he asked her what had happened this morning. Her response surprised us. She said that the bus driver had her stop sign out but that a car was not going to stop and kept coming."
The bus driver beeped her horn, she said. "My children reacted and ran straight to the house the way I would have wanted them to.
"My hat goes off to that bus driver," Ms. McClintick said. "Had she not previously discussed this with the children one of my children may have been hit by a careless driver ... It is obvious she cares about our kids as much as we do and you should know how comforting that is to the parents of our students."
Mr. Regano thanked the parent for acknowledging the driver for always thinking of the children's safety first. "I believe all of our drivers do that.
"We make sure our drivers have maximum safety training," he said.
Mr. Regano said with thousands of children getting to school by walking, bus or car, he is always relieved when all is well at 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. "It works well because everyone takes their responsibility."
This year's theme for National School Bus Safety Week was "Be Aware - Know the Danger Zone," a message targeted to all drivers on the road.
The national observance helps increase awareness among drivers and students to be alert and follow safety rules and laws when students are loading and unloading school buses.
"In Solon, bus drivers spend time talking to students about safety rules, and safety drills are conducted on the buses," Mr. Regano said. "Just like a fire drill, this communication about safety rules is critical in ensuring students are prepared in the event of an actual emergency or potentially dangerous situation."
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