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Students from Andalusia’s Headstart program had the opportunity to learn all about school buses yesterday.

Kimanisha Trawick with Headstart said as the kids get older and transition to the elementary school, it is important to learn how to ride the school bus.

“A lot of our kids ride the school bus to get to school,” Trawick said. “We do this every year just to make sure that all of our students know what it is and how to behave on the bus.”

The children learned how to load the bus, sit down properly in the seat, where the emergency exits are, how far away they need to stand from the bus and how to get out of the back of the bus during an emergency.

Every year, former bus driver Steve Dyess would be the instructor for the safety class, and Trawick said this year they dedicated the class to him.

“He would come every year,” Trawick said. “It was sort of a tradition. So, it was weird not having him here this year. That is why we wanted to dedicate the class to him this year because the kids really loved him.”

Andalusia City School’s transportation director agreed with Trawick.

“They need to know how important it is to sit correctly and behave properly on the bus,” Thompson said. “The first week of school is always a little hectic with the first-timers, but the bus drivers usually have it handled.”

With the summer heat still beating down, Thompson said she is looking at purchasing more school buses with air conditioners.

“We already have two that have air conditioners,” Thompson said. “I know for sure the next ones that we purchase will have them as well.”