This week, Delaware City Schools elementary students learned about bus safety thanks to a video made by staff and students at Carlisle Elementary School.
The video premiered on Tuesday during “Good Morning, Pacers” at Carlisle and features students from the school learning bus safety procedures like remaining seated, listening to the bus driver, and locating where the emergency exits are.
School Counselor Marie Weller said the goal of the project was to teach students about safety in a way that appeals to them.
“(We’re) trying to do it so that they are learning something, but it’s entertaining and fun at the same time,” Weller said. “We have to teach these bus safety rules, how can we make this kind of fun and make this a bit different. People pay attention more if they are engaged and if they are in it or their friends or teacher are in it. People like to put themselves out there.”
Weller said she’s happy students got to see the little pieces of the video they made brought together into a complete product.
Carlisle Principal Paula Vertikoff said the goal of “Good Morning, Pacers” is to teach students how to be leaders. Along with Weller, Vertikoff added the pair work to find ways to get students involved.
“We find inspiration from things we see and hear around the school and do a lot of planning and carefully pick who’s going to be on ‘Good Morning, Pacers’ because we know we need our best leaders to be a part of that,” Vertikoff said. “When we make the videos, we make it for all our Carlisle family, not only students but teachers and families.”
The third grade students involved in the video said they enjoyed taking part in the bus safety project.
“My favorite part was jumping out of the back of the bus,” said Claire Jutte.
Jutte added she was nervous at first but happy with how the video turned out because it’s about an important topic.
“All the elementary schools are seeing this, and I felt like … wow,” Jutte said. “I’m nervous, anxious and scared. I’m a tiny bit camera shy. … Bus Safety is really important! If you don’t follow bus safety … you could end up in the hospital.”
As nervous as she was, she said she would do it again on one condition.
“I would do it again as long as it involves more jumping out of the back of buses,” Jutte said.
Fellow third grader Torian Kingsborough said he enjoyed learning about the process of making the video, like how Weller edited in the title character from “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willems.
“I liked being on the video, and the video was pretty cool,” Kingsborough said. “I’d definitely do it again.”
Liam Cashion, a third grader, said several classmates recognized him from the video.
“Five people were like, ‘You were on Good Morning, Pacers,’ and there were like eight people at SACC (who recognized me),” Cashion said. “I overcame my fear, and I thought it was fun overall. I liked seeing the end product.”
