Wyoming — It was the typical after-school hustle and bustle as Gladiola Elementary students boarded the school bus, full of energy and eager to move, talk and get home to their families.
About halfway down the rows of seats stood Wyoming High School sophomore and bus mentor Sadie Parks, greeting the kindergarten through fourth-graders.
“How was your day?” Sadie asked, ushering the children on the way to their seats and listening to their cheerful, sometimes funny answers.
With bus driver Diane Kallemeyn at the wheel, the drop-off route went smoothly. Students chattered about school and Halloween, and Sadie made sure all remained calm and orderly. To students with the wiggles: “Sit up, face forward,” she reminded them.
A first-grader showed off her drawing; another asked Sadie to tie his shoe, his leg stretched out from his seat.
“Victoria, you are an artist!” she said, glancing at the drawing while continuing to watch the students around her.
Sadie is one of 30 high-schoolers who accompany elementary and Wyoming Intermediate School students on the bus ride home every school day. The district has hired them as bus mentors to serve as role models for good behavior, and to make sure the younger students are following the rules.
They are an extra set of “eyes and ears,” said Joe Steffes, WPS safety, security and transportation director. One or two mentors are on each of the district’s 16 buses every afternoon.
The ninth- through 12th-grade mentors are recommended for the job by high school administrators and are considered leaders at the school. They fill out job applications as any Wyoming Public Schools employee would, and are trained on expectations and dos and don’ts. They are paid minimum wage, $12.48 per hour, for two hours every school day.
“Safety of our students is paramount, so this whole program has been an incredible asset to this district, and I am so thankful that our administration sees the value in allowing this to take place,” Steffes said.
Sadie said she is having a great time getting to know the students and works hard to make sure they follow the rules. They draw together and play games like “I spy.”
“All the kids are really kind,” Sadie said. “They listen really well, and I mainly wanted to be a mentor because I like helping little kids a lot and getting to know different people.”
Kallemeyn, who has been driving a bus for 12 years, said Sadie and other mentors are much appreciated.
“They’re very helpful. The (younger) kids are just being kids. They are squirrelly. It helps to have an extra pair of eyes back there keeping them mindful of what they need to be doing,” she said.
An Investment in Students
WPS started the program to address behavior issues on the bus, Steffes said. High School teacher Anna Servo mentioned the idea for a bus mentor program to him after she heard about one in another district. Things took shape from there, and Servo invited students in a peer mentor program she advises to apply. She encouraged other teachers to recommend students as well.
Servo said she sees the program as a great way to invest in and support Wyoming students. The young students emulate the older students and build relationships with them.
“The kids don’t want someone on the bus that is just an adult telling them what to do. They want someone cool and fun,” Servo said.
Bus mentor Koby Lango, a sophomore, said he sees the role as a way to help out the drivers.
“The bus driver has a really big job. They have to watch over the kids and watch the road at the same time. I just like being there to help out,” he said.
Mentor Erionn Palmer, a sophomore, said the job gives him something to do after school, and he enjoys it.
“They ask me a lot of questions. I really just answer questions the whole time. They have new ones every day,” he said. “It encourages younger students to really listen and pay attention.”
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