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North students give bus drivers afternoon off
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .North students, along with their student chaperones, put on their walking shoes to give their bus drivers a break on Walk Home Day on May 9.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .A group of North students smiled before heading out for Walk Home day on May 9.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .As part of Staff Appreciation Week at North Elementary on May 9, the school hosted a Walk Home Day with students to give the district's bus drivers a bit of a break. Poland bus driver Karen Carroll (right), who usually transports 40 to 50 children at a time, smiled with the only two passengers she brought home on May 9.
By SARAH FOOR
North Elementary students strapped on their walking shoes May 9, foregoing the bus ride home and taking to the sidewalks instead.
The week of May 7-11 is Staff Appreciation Week throughout the district and each of the schools in Poland offered special events to celebrate their employees.
North principal Tracy Kaschak said 137 students and 34 parent chaperones volunteered to participate by hoofing it home after school.
“Walk Home Day is our way to give a break to our Poland bus drivers, who safely and quickly transport hundreds of kids to school and back home each day. Today, we’re giving them a much lighter load,” she explained.
Students were divided into neighborhoods and parent volunteers accompanied each group of walkers back home. Students weren’t required to participate, but those who did received a bit of exercise and offered an environmentally-friendly deed for the day.
When Poland bus driver Karen Carroll arrived at the school on May 9, she only had two students to bring home – much different than her usual load of 40 or 50 children.
“I miss seeing the kids I usually bring home, but I think this is a very nice program. It’s been a fun change for the day,” Carroll said.