West Hartford Introducing Pupils To School Buses

WEST HARTFORD, CT — West Hartford schools Monday are hosting a special event designed to indoctrinate the newest of pupils in the experience of riding a school bus.

School officials will be hosting practice school bus ride at all district elementary schools on Monday, Aug. 8, at 9 a.m.

West Hartford School System Director of Elementary Education Kerry Jones said the purpose of Monday's exercise is not a dry run of a child's regular school bus route.

Rather, she said, it is simply to give pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children who qualify for transportation services a chance to experience a ride on a school bus.

Then, when Wednesday, Aug. 31, rolls around for the first day of school, the children have been familiarized with the school bus experience or, as Jones calls it, "the feel of riding a school bus for the first time."

"The program is voluntary, and new pre-k and kindergarten students must have a parent or other adult accompany them on the bus," Jones said in a statement.

"The purpose of the program is to allow a first-time bus student the experience of boarding a bus, the seating situation, the feel of the ride as well as the noises created by the bus."

School officials also pointed out that bus drivers taking the youngsters on rides Monday will not, necessarily, be their child's regular driver.

"If you have any questions, please contact your child's school main office," Jones said.

For more information on the West Hartford School System, visit this link.