Since Kayla began the EEE (Essential Early Educational) program at Shelburne Community School she has been riding a bus. I quickly realized that taking a bus to school was a far easier transition for her rather than me driving her. For two years, she was on the EEE bus which only consisted of children in her class and it went well.
Starting kindergarten was a whole new ball game. Not only did we have to create a new IEP, get acclimated to a new teacher, get accustomed to the “open classroom” concept, and deal with many more children; Kayla had to take a different bus with a new bus driver. This was going to be a big transition.
Meet Pam, the driver of the special education bus. I am not sure how many kids she carries on the bus or how many para educators are riding along, but Pam is the one who gets Kayla to and from school without a problem. Having worked in many schools and hearing Kayla’s stories I have a general idea of who is on the bus. First, the bus carries children from kindergarten through 8th grade. And clearly there are children with significant special needs as the bus is wheelchair accessible. But my assumption based on stories I have heard is that there are children placed on that bus who were not capable of riding the “mainstream” bus, usually this is a result of behavioral issues. As a result, Kayla has heard some great words, stories, and probably has been exposed to some “not so nice” behaviors.
I do not care what Kayla is exposed to on the bus because I know she is in great hands. Pam is always friendly, upbeat, and punctual. She also is amazing at communication and letting me know if the bus will be late and/or is running early. Clearly, she has a lot of patience. To drive any bus with kids you need to have a lot of patience, but driving a bus with special needs children is a whole different ballgame. And her patience shows when I am running late and she stops the bus and is waiting for me to come flying down Bishop road to get Kayla off the bus.
However, what strikes me the most about Pam is her utmost respect she has for the children that are on her bus. Over the years, I have seen true empathy and compassion she shows towards Kayla. Whether that is asking her how she is doing, telling Kayla she is sorry she is not feeling well, giving her a dog bone every day for her dog, or making a music playlist for the children to listen to; she truly cares.
Many of my friends complain about the school’s busses and the behaviors that occur. They opt to drive their children to and from school. I absolutely love the bus and what a great experience it has been for Kayla. When I bring Kayla to the bus in the morning it doesn’t matter if she is in a good space or not. I know once I get her on the bus, explain how she is, that they will make sure she is okay. I never worry about Kayla getting to and from school because her bus driver is an incredible woman who cares deeply about all the kids that she is carting around.
Thanks Shelburne Community School for having a superb bus driver!