It's a great way for youngsters to learn to ride the school bus.
The annual First Time Rider Program goes this Saturday morning in Sarnia and in Chatham.
The sessions, put on by the Chatham-Kent Lambton Administrative School Services (CLASS), go from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Sarnia's Great Lakes Secondary and at Ursuline College in Chatham.
CLASS GM Kent Orr said it's geared toward JK and SK students who are going to be riding the bus for the first time. "What we do is we have a short safety video that parents can watch with their child, and then we take them outside and we actually got school buses and trained drivers on site," said Orr. "So we do some safety messaging around being safe outside the bus, boarding the bus, departing the bus."
Orr said the day also involves a short trip on the school bus.
"So they can experience and have a chance to ride a bus before the first day of school, and then that helps address some of the nerves or anxiety before riding the bus for the first time," he said.
Orr said anyone with primary students is welcome to attend the family-friendly event, and that parents can bring their younger ones who aren't in school yet.
Orr said typically, they see in excess of 500 people.
"We get really good feedback from the families, and we make sure it's accessible and we have an accessible vehicle there as well so that everybody can come and participate," he said. "They can ask questions, spend some time and get familiar and accustomed with the process of getting on and riding the bus for the first time."
Orr added that the first day of school can be intimidating for new students.
"Lots of excitement and some nerves, I'm sure, for moms and dads and the kids as well," he said. "We just want to give the opportunity for families to come and see the bus in a non-intimidating fashion so that the first time they see it, it's not at their bus stop."
