Topic: Fuel Costs
Contact: American School Bus Council
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Atn: 2safeschools Library Services Manager
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Contact E-Mail: safeschs@dnc.net

Impact of High Fuel Prices on School Districts Across the Country

Summer 2008
By The American School Bus Council
WASHINGTON - Every day, more than 25 million children take an estimated 475,000 school buses to school. For many of those children, the school bus is the only reliable form of transportation to school, thereby making the school bus a vital link to equal education for all students.

Given the current economic environment, many school districts are facing a number of budgetary challenges, including finding ways to pay for rising fuel prices. Some district policy makers are suggesting cuts in service that would require students to walk longer distances to class while others are recommending that school bus service be eliminated entirely. ... (Click here for story)

Project MC-21: Special Safety Concerns of School Bus Drivers
Under the sponsorship of the Transportation Research Board, MaineWay Services, along with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and Daecher Consulting is conducting a study focused on the special safety concerns of school bus operations. The survey covers various school bus safety issues, how they are addressed, and for opinions on how they can be improved. Final results of this survey will be available through the Transportation Research Board in 2009, but individual information provided by survey takers will be kept strictly confidential. The on-line survey can be taken at the VTTI Website. Click here for Survey Page. The survey closes Sept. 1, 2008 | Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums

Coby Handheld Players Bus Safety Pocket Video Players Pocket video players have become an inexpensive and useful school bus safety tool. Kids love watching these small handheld devices while riding the school bus. Some units, like some of Coby's pocket iPod style players can be purchased for under $50.00 providing 2-gigabites or more of flash memory video storage viewed on a bright 1.66-inch TFT color LCD display. Although the bright 1.66 display is adequate, Coby’s pocket players are available with up to 3" screen displays. Earlier Coby models, such as the Coby's MP-C7085, cost even less, provides 1-gigibite of mp3 music/audio and video storage but are a little more complicated at converting video to compatible files and loading the player. The download process is easier with this player using a CD from the 2safeschools library. The CD contains the 'stop bullying' videos in a variety of formats and already converted for the Coby MP-C7085+ and other players. Click the following link for Coby's products page | See the "Thumbs up' stop bullying information panel near the bottom of this page for some free download videos. Tell us what you think - Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums | Survey. Also visit our archived article covering small DVD players Capturing Kids Attention The Seven Highly Effective Steps to Keeping Your Child Safe School bus safety information for parents is covered in this free 3-fold MS word template that can be customized to fit your policies. Take the short survey and order the free template with our thanks for helping keep children safe. Link to survey | More free bus safety resources - Click Here. Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums | Survey. Featured School Bus Driver Website "This page was written BY a School Bus Driver, ABOUT School Bus Drivers and FOR School Bus Drivers." Frank Hayden's efforts in helping keep kids safe has been an Internet staple for well over a decade. His School Bus Driver website pages are filled with useful information covering virtually every aspect of school bus safety - from mainstream to special services, seat belts issues, railroad crossings, tips and suggestions, bus fire demonstration, links to other websites and on and on. Click Here for Featured Website) | Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss in the forums Featured Book: Don’t Feed the Bully This book presents Brad Tassells four-step agenda for kids beating (not beating up) bullies: 1. Staying calm; 2.) Assessing the likelihood of violence; 3.) Having a thick skin and sense of humor; 4.) Collecting evidence; In a nutshell: Don't Feed the Bully is an important self-help book for pre-teens that is cleverly disguised as a hilarious, fictional novel. The easy read book provides practical advice to children on the extremely important topic of bullying. Yet it delivers that advice in a humorous, captivating plot that makes putting the book down nearly impossible. I urge educators to adopt this as required reading for your middle-school children. Doing so would be a major step forward in tackling the serious problem of bullying, which continues to lead to escalating violence in our schools.” Barnes and Noble.com reviewer, 5/12/2007 - Click here for more articles and reviews about the book and the author. | Click here for Website | Amazon.com Reveiws, new and used books For Kids: Report a School Bully. | For Employees: Report a Workplace Bully. Public Comments | Letter To Editor | Discuss workplace bullying in the forums Help keep school bus safety alive all year long Know of an exceptional school bus related story in your part of the woods (U.S. and elsewhere)? Does your pen beg you o write one? Drop us a note with a link to the story or send us your story. Feature Story to Editor. Public Comments | Discuss in the forums | Survey. Help Promote bus safety knowledge Would you like your website considered for our Featured Website story or know of an excellent website produced by a school bus driver or school bus transportation Department? Does the Website include images from our on-line Free Photo Library or from our School Bus Safety CD Photo Library? If so, please tell us so we can tell others - thousands of others. about your webpage/website Letter to Editor | Public Comments | Discuss in the forums | Survey.

New CD Packed with info Providing safe transportation A new CD from 2safeschools is now packed with over 900 files covering a wide variety of school bus and bus stop safety information. This CD provides solid information and training ideas to help the school bus driver provide safe, calm environments on the school bus. Over 200 free photos included on this CD along with several video previews covering student behavior issues, crossings, mirror checks and much more. Click here for more information.	The Observer® School Bus Video Observation System (analog and digital) Click Here to visit the website Free Booklet James Kraemer, author of the pending book, "Dangerous school buses," has put together excerpts into a free booklet (PDF format) titled, "Death at the school bus stop." Right click here (save target as...) to download your free template, courtesy First Coast Community.
Thumbs Up! Stop Bullying Now Website with free video downloads "Take a Stand, Lend a Hand - Stop Bullying Now," is the theme of this 'stop bullying' website From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. This government library website designed for children and teens offers resources for recognizing and preventing bullying, which can take the form of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, and "cyber-bullying" .Features games, webisodes, and other resources for youth, and a section for families and educators. Includes free video downloads - Stop Bullying Now Website	SPIDER-MAN Critical Review Target: Middle School to Adult. The Spider-Man movie opening scene includes a school bus scene adequate for school bus student safe practices discussion. The scene has been digitized in wmv/flv formats and includes slides for classroom discussion. Included on 2safeschools school bus safety CD, the review can be viewed in Internet format by Clicking Here. | Free death at the school bus stop Slide Presentation and Booklet templates. After viewing these presentations, please click here to give your comments.
Adult To Adult The School Bus - Safety Ignored In some countries there are no enforced transportation standards, other than what nature provides. Death is a common standard nature provides. Click here for story.	Virus Alerts Mcafee Updates & More Virus Alerts Recently Updated Threats Virus Hoaxes AVERT Home Page Trend Micro Free Virus Scan