By COLLEEN MCCARTHY
In honor of National School Bus Safety Week, East Oktibbeha County Elementary School officials took time Wednesday to recognize its bus drivers’ contributions and educate the students on bus safety.
“We took this week to honor our bus drivers for the job that they do for us each day,” Oktibbeha County Superintendent James Covington said. “This morning out here at East Elementary, Ms. (Yolanda) Magee and her staff honored the drivers out here with a breakfast — just a small token to say thank you for the safe delivery of our children to and from school each day.”
Students went through a brief safety drill where they learned what they would need to do in case of an emergency.
“You never know what situation may come upon you. Last year, we had an unfortunate situation where the bus got trapped in the water and kids needed to know how to react, how to respond,” Covington said. “So it’s necessary to do the drills. The state department requires us to do the drills twice a year, and that drill last year helped us to get those kids out of the unsafe situation.”
Schools all around the country are observing National School Bus Safety Week by educating students, bus drivers and other motorists on how everyone can stay safe on the road.