students Archives - trackschoolbus

Inexpensive Gifts for Your Fellow Students (School Bus Driver Viewpoint)

Posted on June 28, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

Not only teachers, school bus drivers also provide gifts for students in their bus, when they return back to school after or before vacation or in any special occasion or even during their retirement.

However, choosing the right gifts to express appreciation for them can be a huge challenge mainly due to high prices. Often, drivers cannot afford costly gifts that too for all the students in the bus.

Here are some inexpensive gift ideas to surprise students

1. Crayons

Crayons are perfect options that add charm to a driver’s gift. Your gift will be really great for those young artists, as they can use the most vibrant colors in their little hands to expose their talent.

Often this set comes in a convenient package and also includes a crayon sharpener. You can also make crayons from old and broken ones, that too in any shape you prefer which will really write younger students

2. Water bottles – personalized

Students will love such aluminum, steel or plastic water bottles that are personalized. Along with keeping students hydrated, they will be pleasant to see their names written in it, while coloring you can use sharpies or even colored stick-on letters to decorate these cost effective bottles.

3. Play dough

Play dough is a valuable gift, as it offers a variety of educational opportunities for kids in classroom as well as home. It can improve motor skills and can also release stress.

With play dough, it is also easy to teach all math shapes and concepts. You can even make the dough at home with an easy recipe and present it to students. Making play dough is easy using flour, salt, water, vegetable oil as well as food coloring.

4. Painted rocks

This is an easy to make gift. Just collect flat smooth rocks from outside and then paint them well with attractive colors and designs that kids like. These designs will also provide the best rock painting ideas for kids.

Make sure to clean and dry the rocks before painting the rocks. Magical markers can also be used instead of paint. Types of rocks you can choose for painting include sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic.

5. Game boards

This game board can provide happy memories for kids with their family and friends during weekends and vacation. Such a game can also build solid relationships between students in classroom. This provides them training to come out of challenges and win the situation.

You can also design your own board games that can even serve as an educational tool. For instance, creating math games help kids to improve their knowledge in math facts as well as concepts in new ways and environments.

6. Stamped pencils

These are less expensive gifts for students, which they will be using for a long time. Not only names, you can also write up some sweet or inspirational messages or phrases in such pencils. Hexagon shape pencil sets provide space to stamp either student’s name or any quotes.

These pencils can be made easily at home, for which you require only a few items such as metal stamp set, metal heart stamp, small hammer, pencils and small stamp pad. Let them add this gift to their pencil cases.

7. Punch balloons

Sure, kids will like this lovely gift. These balloons are ideal for indoor as well as outdoor fun and events.

Available in different sizes and colors, these balloons that are good for punching and bouncing also keeps children active as well as entertained. It is better to let the children blow them or at the end of the day in class.

8. Elf hats

If it is Christmas occasion, elf hats are perfect gifts for kids. These elf hats will take students to a holiday season. It is also easy to make these easy to wear as well as comfortable hats at home.

Also the key items required for this craft such as glue, stapler, cotton ball, construction paper, scissors and a pen will often be available at home.

Hope these ideas help you buy wonderful gift for students without breaking your savings.

School Students Using Public Transportation – Pros and Cons

Posted on December 24, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

The decision to send our kids through public transportation (buses/trains) is, at the outset, a simple one. Most parents would, if they had infinite time and money, choose to drop them off themselves.

Sadly though, this is not the case for a large majority. With limited time and money, juggling responsibilities, they do a cost-benefit analysis. Interestingly enough, these are not the only reasons why the decision is taken.

While the alternatives to public transportation include the children cycling or walking to schools themselves, we will be primarily concerned with private cars (including carpooling) as the choice of public transportation, by default, assuming that there is some distance to be covered to reach the school.

Pros of Using Public Transportation

Minimum ambiguity, Maximum discipline

There won’t be any last minute dashes due to a parent’s hectic schedule. There is a scheduled stop at a scheduled time and the child needs to be there.

If the child doesn’t reach the stop on time, he/she will have to wait for the next bus. Through trial and error, the child knows for certain which bus she needs to catch.

A Multitude of Choices

The child has several choices for spending his/her time. From enjoying the solitude to making friends and spending time with them, to spending time reading or studying, the child makes the time of his/her own.

A Question of Friendship

Studies have shown that the adults who have close long-term friendships do better than their less social counterparts. This is especially important as the age when the child is attending middle school and/or high school is when intimate friendships are most often born.

Public transportation provides space for socialization and making friends with other children through frequent and regular interactions.

A Dollar Saved is a Dollar Earned

Several families have significant financial constraints. Public transportation is a (relatively) safe option for them to send their kids to school. This becomes even more important if their neighbours are sending their kids to the same school through the same means.

Stronger, Faster, Fitter

While this can’t be compared to children walking or cycling to school, children who travel to school via some mode of public transportation are fitter. This is shown through studies which reveal that public transit users, on average, take 30% more steps per day.

A Question of Responsibility

Children who use public transport to go to school tend to become more independent and responsible at an earlier age than their peers. While public transportation may lead to nervousness among the parents, this quickly disappears as the child learns and demonstrates responsibility.

A Benefit to Society

Apart from the increased car traffic and pollution and all the negatives that go with it, it has been seen that children who use public transit systems to get to school develop a healthy appreciation for public transport facilities.

And they have a greater tendency to use as well as support its use through adulthood. This is especially important to those areas where the public transport system is weak and needs to be strengthened.

Cons of Using Public Transportation

Safety – The Primary Concern

While there are several benefits to public transportation, it cannot be denied that there is one area where private transport trumps it; by a fair way.

And this, in the opinion of many parents, is their single most important concern. This is especially true in difficult neighbourhoods. And while using public transit is certainly safer than walking to school, it doesn’t beat the family car in this respect.

Harassment and Negative Experiences

Closely related to the above mentioned one, avoiding being bullied or harassed – and not having a proper channel to address it is an important factor for parents in choosing not to send their child through public transportation.

Children may also get traumatised by events they are not part of, but simply witness. Given these circumstances, in areas where public transportation is the only option, parents may choose to send their children to a suboptimal school as a result.

Sharing is Caring

The primary reason for preferring private transportation to public transportation is that of safety. Parents often compromise due to the difficulty in taking children to their school amidst their own hectic schedules.

This is true especially when both parents are working. This can be mitigated by carpools, where parents of different children alternate the responsibility of taking them to school.

The Hour Expands

Taking public transportation inevitably means that the child needs to spend more time in transit. From walking to their stop to wait for the bus to the longer routes (that have to be) taken by the bus; and back again while returning home.

This is more prominently seen for high schools, which are generally further away. This is a concern both with respect to time as well as safety.

Discomfort and Overcrowding

Most schools start and end around the same time. So, when a bus comes along, it is possible that it may be overcrowded. And this makes for a negative experience for the child, which they may not be able to handle. This effect is even more prominent while returning home.

Differing Standards

A study indicated that among children between the ages of 9 and 13, only 6% play outside a given week. At a time when parents are overprotective about their children, can we reasonably expect the children to be able to handle themselves in public settings?

With unfamiliar people? In a crowd? And then there’s the question of personality. Do they get anxious? Under difficult circumstances, will they be able to call the parent and communicate with them?

So there you have it. Why you should rely on public transportation for your children’s school travel. And why you shouldn’t. Priorities and personal preferences play a big role. But we hope this will help you make a more considered decision.

Guidelines for Transportation of Students with Special Needs

Posted on September 21, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

The school administration systems have to ensure that children with special needs are transported in a safe manner in the approved transportation of the school, which, in many cases, is the school bus.

The school transportation should be planned and organized in such a manner that it provides proper and adequate support to children with special needs.

This article puts down some guidelines that need to be followed for students with special needs.

It is to be noted that the staff has to be trained appropriately, aides and nurses have to be provided as per the requirement, there has to be a written emergency evacuation plan, and there should exist a detailed infection control package.

Students with Special Needs and Their Transportation

A student’s individual needs form the main consideration in deciding whether the student can use the same transportation provided to those students without disabilities.

For children to receive special education services, it is important to have a transportation representative who would provide the following recommendations as regards the bus transportation facilities of the school:

The type of the vehicle that the student can ride
The length of the ride, pick-up and drop-off times
Temperature conditions during cold weather
An emergency communication system to be present in the bus if required
Training and skills to be provided to the driver and bus attendant

Wheelchairs for Children with Special Needs

Wheelchairs are frequently used as the mode of transport on the school bus for children with different special needs. However, it is important that certified transit wheelchair has to be used for the purpose.

This is the type of wheelchair that meets the design and performance requirements. Such wheelchairs can also be used by the occupants while travelling in a motor vehicle. The school administration can seek help from rehabilitation therapists to identify certified transit wheelchairs.

Recommendations for occupant securement on a school bus:

Any child with a special need that can be moved from a special seating device should be transferred to a child restraint system (compliant with standards) for transportation.

The seat should be facing forward and occupant restraints should be dynamically tested for such a seat at the manufacturer’s end.

In case the seat is unoccupied, it should be carefully fastened so that it does not become a projectile in the wake of a sudden stop or crash and cause danger to the occupants.
Passenger seats with a restraint system should be fitted with a frame that conforms to laid-out standards. The school administration should consult these points with the bus manufacturer when the order is placed for the school bus or when it is retrofitted at a later point in time.
Children weighing less than 50 pounds should be secured in an appropriate safety vest or child restraint system that conforms to the laid-out standards.
A safety vest or a child restraint system should be installed only according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Such a system should not be placed on a seat next to the emergency exit on a school bus.
Seats that are used to transport children that are less than one year old or weighing less than 20 pounds should be attached to the seat only in a rear-facing manner.

If a child weighs 20 pounds before 1 year of age, rear-facing restraints meant for greater weights should be considered.
Cart-type units, stroller devices, three-wheeled devices, etc., cannot be used as occupied transport in a school bus. In case such a device is approved by a manufacturer after specific impact tests, they have to be installed only according to the specifications laid out by the manufacturer.
Wheelchairs should be secured to the floor of the bus with specific fastening devices. The fasteners are approved only after dynamic testing is done on them with the help of dummies and must have the capability of restraining the wheelchair. The occupant is restrained to the wheelchair using another separate device.
Any plastic or metal trays that are attached to the wheelchair should be unfastened before loading the wheelchair and should be separately secured during the transport.
For every wheelchair-borne passenger, the occupant restraint system used should be tested for specified force conditions separately for upper and lower torsos.
If liquid oxygen is to be transported on the school bus, care should be taken to mount the cylinder securely and fastened in a manner such that it prevents damage and exposure to high heat. An appropriate sign should also be placed on the bus.

Additional Recommendations

#1: When children with tracheotomies travel on the bus, a nurse or aide with sufficient medical training should be on board the bus to provide medical assistance in case of emergencies.

#2: The school transport representative should also take part in the medical procedures training required for students with special needs. They should be adequately trained with the latest programs which will ensure that they provide the latest as far as the care is concerned.

#3: The guardian of the ward with special needs should be kept informed of all the transportation needs and specifications.

#4: Both the guardian of the child with special needs and the bus driver should be kept informed of all the specific needs during the transportation of the child.

#5: For every student with special needs, a copy of the emergency medical card should be present on the bus.

#6: There should be enough stocks of supplies that ensure precaution and spread of infections in the bus.

#7: There should be a written plan for emergency evacuation plans and the staff should be adequately trained for the same through dummy evacuation drills.

To conclude, it is the responsibility of the school administration system to obtain periodically updated information on restraint systems for children with special needs from the relevant authorities and implement the same.

How to Transport Special Needs Students on School Bus

Posted on January 15, 2018 by TSB Super Admin

Students with special needs often become side-lined in measures to ensure child safety in schools, mainly in school bus transportation.

While the safety measures tend to generalize the needs of all the students under one umbrella and when efforts on safety compliance are implemented, these children receive the last loaf.

Some might be wondering if there is any justifiable need to differentiate the safety measure efforts adopted in the majority of the children and those geared for specially-challenged children.

Of course, there are!

Here are some key points that school authorities, transport managers, school bus drivers, school bus attendants must know.

1. Normally, giving special provisions can isolate the special needs children from other children. However, if the situation warrants the need for one, like the use of a wheelchair for the physically challenged children, then it might be wise to accommodate the use of one.

Support from the staff and other kids can help them to build their confidence even though they are treated differently.

2. Teach safety rules on school bus transportation but it requires a little effort and concern from the teachers and parents alike. Game videos and mock traffic parks might not always work for them.

Teachers can instead opt to teach them simple rules customised for their learning styles and patterns. Peer learning is another tried and tested method which has proved successful in many instances .

3. A simple change in approach of the staff can formulate better school bus transportation for these kids. With the help of appropriate training, communication method of school bus staff can be altered to suit the needs and connect better with them.

It would be ideal for school authorities to incorporate lessons on transportation safety for children with special needs. And these lessons can also be included in the general training of drivers and support staff on traffic rules and regulations.

4. Making use of postural supports while travelling in a school bus should be encouraged, especially if they improve the child’s seated posture, as this will also perk up the fit and effectiveness of seat belts.

5. Special needs children face various upsetting situations. However, the general approach of the society towards these kids is accommodating and appreciative. It would be wiser to train the staff on providing special care for such children.

Apart from the school bus staff, other students should also be taught to respect and treat these children with empathy. Keeping an eye contact with such kids make communication easier.

Simply kneel down when needed to maintain eye contact and you can witness the difference.

6. If any liquid oxygen is being transported in the school bus then it should be safely mounted to avoid damage and excessive heat.

7. Children with special needs tend to be confident when they do their chores independently. However, things differ while on a school bus. Consider, for instance, a physically challenged student need assistance of the driver while on the school bus.

It might be impossible for them to approach the driver or supporting staff on a moving vehicle. In such cases, having a personal aide to these children in school transportation is advisable. Peer support and buddies can also be utilized to overcome such situations.

8. Plastic or metal trays and lapboard which are attached to the wheelchair ought to be removed before loading the child and need to be held separately for safe transportation.

9. Communication is an important factor while transporting children with special needs. The tone, language and the mannerism all need to be adjusted to accommodate the physical and emotional needs of such children.

For example, children with vision, hearing or cognitive difficulties might need special assistance to have the instructions clear.

Talking to such children will not help in any way. The support staff should be able to connect with these children with their tone, language and behaviour.

Instructions on school bus safety rules should be conveyed to these children in a simple and easy manner so that they can understand it easily. Step by step instructions will prove helpful. You can also use images and gestures to teach them for faster communication.

“Disability need not be an Obstacle to Success.”

-Stephen Hawking