SCHOOL BUS SAFETY HOW TO BE A SAFE RIDER Today we’re going to learn how to be a SAFE RIDER on your school bus. It is important to know how to be a SAFE RIDER, even if you don’t ride the bus to school. You will still ride the bus on any field trips that you take. Did you know that school buses are one of the safest ways to travel? Well, we’re going to learn about how to make your trips even safer! HOW TO BE A SAFE RIDER

ALWAYS BE CAREFUL THE ABCs OF BUS SAFETY Just like the ABCs you learn so that you can read, there are safety ABCs. The ABCs of bus safety stand for “Always Be Careful”. School buses are very safe. But just like you learn safety rules for riding a bike and crossing a street, there are safety rules for riding the bus. We want you to follow these rules so that you will be safe on your way to and from school.

So how do you get on the bus. Does it come to your house So how do you get on the bus? Does it come to your house? No, you have to go to the bus stop. You should always get to the bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus should come. You don’t want to run to catch the bus, or be in such a hurry that you forget your safety rules. Always stay on the sidewalk and look and listen for cars and trucks to the left, then to the right, and then to the left again before crossing any street.

SAFE RIDERS AT THE BUS STOP OK, so lets talk about being SAFE RIDERS at the bus stop. Once you get to the bus stop you should stay on the sidewalk and wait. Pushing and shoving or goofing around isn’t being safe. When you see the bus coming, take 5 GIANT STEPS back away from the curb. This keeps your toes safe and lets the bus pull up next to the curb. You should wait to board the bus in a line, standing one in front of another. See the kids in the picture? They are waiting to get on the right way. Wait until the bus has stopped, the driver opens the door and tells you to get on. You should never push or shove or rush at the bus. This is very dangerous and you could get hurt.

DANGER ZONE DANGER ZONE DANGER ZONE DANGER ZONE There are places around a bus that you should not stand or walk in. These are called DANGER ZONES because the driver can’t see you. The DANGER ZONES are the sides of the bus and the front and the back of the bus. If you are standing next to the bus and can reach out and touch it, you are in a DANGER ZONE. Before you cross in front of the bus you must be out of the DANGER ZONE so that the driver can see you and tell you it is safe to cross. And you must NEVER walk or stand behind the bus. This is the most dangerous place of all. If the bus driver can’t see you and the bus starts to move you could be hurt, so you must always stay out of the DANGER ZONES.

TAKE 5 BIG STEPS BACK To stay out of the Danger Zones, you should always be at least five big steps away from the sides or front of the bus. Remember, the most dangerous spot is behind the bus and you should NEVER stand or walk there.

OOPS!!! OOPS! What should you do if you drop something near the bus? Should you just go ahead and pick it up? No! The driver might not see you and the bus might start to move. That could be very dangerous. Always tell the driver what has happened and ask if you can get it first. That way the driver can make sure that the bus doesn’t move and he can keep you safe while you get what you dropped. Remember, if you keep all of your things in your backpack or binder then this won’t happen to you.

SAFE RIDERS Now we are going to learn how to be a Safe Rider while you are on the bus. It is important for everyone to follow the rules so that you can be safe. ON THE BUS

THE 3 B's Have any of you heard of “The 3 B’s”? The 3 B’s are: Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Bully Free. The 3 B’s can help us remember what we have to do to stay safe during our bus ride.

BE SAFE The first B is “Be Safe”. The bus driver’s biggest concern is your safety. They must be very good drivers and pass special tests before they can drive you on a bus. The driver needs your help to keep all of the people on the bus safe. One way you can help to keep everyone safe is to stay in your seat, and sit so that you are looking at the seat in front of you while the bus is moving. It isn’t safe to get up and move around when the bus is moving. The people in the picture aren’t being very safe. What do you think they are doing wrong…..they have their hands out the windows. Putting your hands or feet or head out of the window isn’t safe. You could be hurt if another car or sign hit you. So no putting any part of you out the window, not even to wave.

BE SAFE Another part of BE SAFE is to keep your backpack and other belongings under your seat or on your lap. Never leave them in the aisle or blocking an emergency exit for someone to trip over. This is really important in case there is ever an emergency when you would have to get off of the bus in a hurry. There wouldn’t be time to pick up or step over everybody’s stuff on the way out. Another danger would be if the bus had to stop all of a sudden, your backpack could become a flying object and it might hit someone.

BE RESPECTFUL Let’s talk about the second B. BE RESPECTFUL means that you should treat others at the bus stop and on the bus with kindness and caring. Your school’s caring community continues on the bus and so do the rules of your school. So you should show respect to the driver and monitor and also treat the other students on the bus the way that you would like to be treated.

SCHOOL RULES When you think about it, the school bus is really a part of your school. The rules that you learn in school should be followed on the bus. This means that you should talk in your classroom or quiet voice. It also means that you should ask the driver or monitor before doing something like changing seats. Doing things like throwing something back and forth or pushing other students wouldn’t be OK in your classroom and its not OK on the bus. Most importantly, you should give the bus driver and monitor the same courtesy that you give your teacher. Be Respectful also means to listen to the bus driver and do what you are told the first time. If your driver has to ask you to sit down more than once you are not being respectful or safe. Remember, the bus is a moving part of your school and the driver must be able to pay attention to driving you safely. ON THE BUS

BE BULLY FREE The third B is Be Bully Free and it means just that. Bully behavior is never OK. Not at school, not on the playground, not at the bus stop and not on the bus. Being a bully helper isn’t OK either, so sitting back and not helping another student who is being bullied is not a good choice. If you see that someone, including you, needs help, there are some things that you can do. And remember, the bus driver and monitor are watching out for you and there to help you with any problems.

HA HA SO Just remember the phrase HA HA SO to help you know what to do in a bully situation. HA HA SO stands for HELP, ASSERT YOURSELF, HUMOR, AVOID, SELF TALK, OWN IT. These are things that you can do if you are bullied or want to help someone else who is being bullied. Lets talk a minute about each one.

ELP H A SSERT YOURSELF HELP mean to ask for assistance or help from an adult or friend when you have a problem you can’t solve by yourself. If you are in a bully situation and are afraid, ask for HELP. You can also ask for ideas on how to handle bully problems from your friends and adults like the bus driver or monitor. Assert yourself means to use “I” messages to the bully like “I don’t like it when you do that. Please stop it.”

UMOR HA VOID Humor or making a joke can help stop the bullying or calm things down. Remember to use humor in a positive, not hurtful way. You can make a joke about what the bully said, but don’t make fun of the bully. Avoid means to stay away from places where you know the bully is likely to be. For example, don’t sit in the part of the bus where people who tease you usually sit. It also helps to stay with others…there really IS safety in numbers.

ELF TALK S O Using self talk means to think of specific good things about yourself instead of listening to mean things from the bully. You might tell yourself that you know what the other kid said isn’t true or think about some of the things that you like about yourself or are good at. Own it means agree with the put down to throw the bully off. For example you might say “Yeah, I know that this is a dorky haircut, but its not too bad for my first try.” Use SELF TALK to remind yourself that your hair looks fine. WN IT

THE 4th B Now we’re going to add another B so that we will have 4 Bs for bus safety. The fourth B is BE RESPONSIBLE. What does that mean? Are you responsible for the bus? Isn’t that the bus drivers job? Well, ALL of you, including the driver, are responsible for the bus. If you ride the bus every day, isn’t it your bus too? Wouldn’t you rather get on a clean bus that doesn’t have stuff written on its walls, or torn up seats, or sticky floors, or litter all over? Well, it is your job to not litter on the bus, or write on its walls, or poke holes in the seats. Your bus driver will make sure that the bus is working right and safe to drive. If we all take care of our bus, it will make our ride to school much nicer. BE RESPONSIBLE

SAFE RIDERS GETTING OFF THE BUS There are just a few things to remember when its time to get off of the bus. If you are on your way home, pay attention and watch for your stop. Don’t leave your seat until the bus has stopped. If it stops faster than you expected, you might fall. Walk to the front of the bus and use the handrail going down the steps. The handrail will keep you from falling if you trip.

REMEMBER YOUR DANGER ZONES Once you are off of the bus, walk away from it right away. If you have to cross the street to get home, remember to walk at least 5 GIANT STEPS ahead of the bus on the sidewalk before you cross. This way your driver can see you and will signal you when it is safe for you to cross the street. And remember, it is NEVER safe to stand or walk behind the bus. DANGER ZONES

? Now your teacher is going to ask you a few questions to see what we have learned. Are you ready?

WHAT DOES “ABC” STAND FOR?

THAT'S RIGHT! ALWAYS BE CAREFUL

When you see the school bus coming, is it OK for everybody at the bus stop to run up to the bus to be first to get on?

NO! It is never safe to rush up to the bus. Safe Riders stay 5 giant steps back from the curb. It is safe to get on the bus in a single file line once the driver has opened the door.

Can you name a Danger Zone?

DANGER ZONE DANGER ZONE DANGER ZONE DANGER ZONE If you can reach out and touch any side of the bus you are in a DANGER ZONE.

NAME THE 4 B’s

BE SAFE BE RESPECTFUL BE BULLY FREE BE RESPONSIBLE

WHERE SHOULD YOU PUT YOUR STUFF WHILE ON THE BUS?

KEEP YOUR STUFF UNDER YOUR SEAT OR ON YOUR LAP.

TWO FRIENDS ARE TALKING QUIETLY TO EACH OTHER WHILE THE BUS IS MOVING COOL UNCOOL

A STUDENT SEES HIS FRIEND POKING A PENCIL IN THE BACK OF THE BUS SEAT SO HE DOES IT TOO COOL UNCOOL

A GIRL SITTING BEHIND THE DRIVER YELLS A QUESTION TO HER FRIEND IN THE BACK COOL UNCOOL

A STUDENT HAVING A PROBLEM ON THE BUS ASKS THE BUS DRIVER FOR HELP WHILE THE BUS IS STOPPED COOL UNCOOL

SAFE RIDER CERTIFICATE This student has participated in the Booth Fickett School Bus Safety Program and is certified as a SAFE RIDER. If you remember and obey the School Bus Safety Rules that we have learned today, you will be a Safe Rider.