Some lessons can’t be taught in a classroom —something soon-to-be kindergarten students in Moose Jaw learned first-hand on Wednesday.
The First Rider Program gave parents and their children a crash course in school bus safety, teaching the dos and don’ts before the big day.
“They get a chance to hop on the bus and see some of the drivers in action and get the bus moving, which is important for our drivers to help them understand some of the real safety elements,” director of education with the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, Sean Chase said.
Educators and safety advocates were on hand from the Holy Trinity Catholic Schools and Prairie South Schools, teaching kids what they can expect and how to stay safe when boarding a bus.
It’s a monumental moment for the little ones, who are stepping foot onto the big yellow school bus for the first time.
According to the traffic injury research foundation, children between the age of five and 14 are the most at-risk pedestrian group.
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“It’s just important that people learn very early in their lives what the best ways are to behave to keep themselves safe,” said Moose Jaw police chief Rick Bourassa.
“So the earlier we can get that message in when people are ready to receive it, the better we are.”
And the kids weren’t the only ones getting a crash course. The parents learned a thing or two as well.
“It kind of kills the anxiety that we have about putting our kids on a bus and sending them off to nowhere, ’cause they are our babies and we haven’t done this for a really long time and been on buses in a really long time,” parent Krista Mabley said.
A little preparation that will go a long way, as parents get ready to send their young ones off on their own.
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