Does your child need a school-bus refresher?

After a year and a half of remote learning, your kids may be rusty when it comes to their school bus know-how. To ensure a worry-less start to the new school year, share this sweet animated poem from our friends at KCTS9 with your littlest students – and run through these 10 reminders, even with older children: 

1. Walk with a friend, stay on the sidewalk and obey signals and crossing guards when walking to and from the bus.

2. Don't look at your phone or wear earbuds while you're walking.

3. Keep an eye on traffic, especially cars that are turning or approaching. 

4. Wait for the bus, even if someone stops and offers to drive you to school. 

5. When you see the bus approach, take three giant steps back.  

6. Stand still until the driver swings the door open. 

7. Load one at a time. 

8. If you drop something as you're getting on or off, tell the driver before you bend down or turn around to get it. 

9. When unloading, never walk behind the bus. 

10. When unloading and crossing the street, wait for the driver to signal when it's safe to step out. Before you go, look left, right, left, the same as you do any time when crossing the street. 

Bonus tips for drivers. Make sure you know the rules of the road when approaching a school bus – especially if you recently moved from Washington to Oregon, since the Beaver State has stricter rules governing when drivers must stop. And those sometimes confusing school-zone "when children are present" signs? Here's what you need to know to stay safe and avoid a costly ticket.