As part of the third annual National Love the Bus program, the Sullivan School District is encouraging parents, students and teachers to take a moment and thank the men and women who take more than 1,100 children safely to school in the Sullivan area each school day.
The Love the Bus program, founded in 2007 and coordinated by the American School Bus Council (ASBC), is celebrated on Valentine’s Day and throughout February in school districts across the country as a way to raise awareness and appreciation for the hundreds of thousands of school bus drivers who safely transport more than 26 million schoolchildren to and from school each day.
It is also an opportunity for parents and children to learn more about the safety and environmental benefits of school bus transportation.
“School bus drivers are a vital link to the education system in Sullivan,” said Tom Slezak. “Without them, thousands of children in our area would have no other way to get to school each day. Love the Bus is an opportunity for us to thank the drivers who not only safely take our children to school each day, but also serve as role models and friends to children across the region.”
To help celebrate Love the Bus, parents, teachers and children are encouraged to visit the program’s website, www.LoveTheBus.com, to share stories about their favorite bus drivers, and make interactive valentines to e-mail or print and give to their bus driver on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.
Educators also may log on to, www.LoveTheBus.com to download an educator’s toolkit, which provides details on incorporating Love The Bus into their lesson plans and offers best practices for communicating about pupil transportation.
Throughout February, the American School Bus Council and its members will hold a series of local events across the United States to educate parents and children about school bus safety. To learn more about the benefits of school bus safety, log onto www.americanschoolbuscouncil.com.