School children travel hundreds of miles each academic year on the big yellow buses under the constant care and attention of their bus drivers. Recently, during National School Bus Safety Week, the parents, teachers, and students at Zena Elementary School took some time to show their gratitude to the drivers by hosting a Parent Teacher Association (PTA)-sponsored Bus Driver Appreciation Day breakfast. While parents served up some delicious eats, all of the children school-wide stopped by to visit, share a laugh, and present handmade “Thank You” cards to their drivers. A very special treat was when Theresa Augustine’s third grade class recited, Of All the Jobs There Are, a thoughtful poem about school bus drivers written by Nancy McCaffrey.

Bus driver Barbara Carlson and her bus monitor Tanisha Ector were very happy and pleased to be at the breakfast. “My favorite part of it was the kids,” claims Ms. Carlson. “I just love their cards and artwork. I’ll be putting it all up on my bus and leaving them there to admire for as long as I can!”

Fellow driver Bob Riley, who has been a school bus driver for the District for 25 years with the same bus company, says he has seen four generations of students climb aboard his bus, as well as many safety changes to the buses over the years. Mr. Riley also was very touched by the children’s kind words and notes, as well as the tasty food served. “This is a nice event. It gets the PTA, teachers, and drivers an opportunity to get to know each other.”

The next day, Mr. Riley had a very special guest board his bus for the children’s ride home — Principal Therese Higgins! Ms. Higgins, in her first year as Principal at Zena, says riding the afternoon bus has become a regular part of her routine. “I started riding the bus the second week of school to get to know parents. It’s great to be able to chat with parents— even for just a couple minutes— when their children are dropped off in the afternoon.” Ms. Higgins credits Mr. Riley with helping her acclimate to the new school. “I’ve learned a lot about the community from him.”

Mr. Riley, as well as the other drivers, does a thorough safety check each morning and afternoon before children board the bus. Mr. Riley, who tests the security of seatbelts and walks by each seat to make sure everything is in proper working order, then posts neon orange safety tape in the back window of the bus, to signal that the bus is safe to ride, and the children appreciate his kind attitude.

“I never yell on the bus,” Mr. Riley says. Except, of course, for one particular cheer. “You are my most precious — ,” Mr. Riley says to his busload of students. “CARGO!” the students answer in unison.