First Student Gives Students More Reasons to "Love the Bus"

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Feb 02, 2015, 09:30 ET

CINCINNATI, Feb. 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Providing the best start and finish to the school day for students and their families means a safe and stress-free bus ride. First Student is working to further foster good bus behavior during Love the Bus Month and beyond through an initiative titled, "I Care + We Care = Customer Care."

Customer Care aims to ensure children arrive at school feeling safe, respected and ready to learn. The ongoing initiative sets simple age-appropriate behavior expectations for students and provides positive reinforcement tools for good behavior.

"At First Student, we never forget that how students get to and from school matters," said Dennis Maple, First Student President. "We recognize the opportunity we have to directly and positively impact each student's day. Our people take that responsibility very seriously."

Every First Student driver, monitor, manager and technician plays an important role in Customer Care. Team members are empowered to better manage student behavior on the bus, and provide positive reinforcement to students, including award certificates, stickers and notecards; and are focused on ensuring school buses are clean and well-maintained for students.

"Our people are our advantage," added Maple. "Customer Care provides additional opportunities for our team members to work together in strengthening our commitment to service and safety."

"The interactions students have on the bus can impact how they treat one throughout the day, as well as how they behave in the classroom," said Gary Catapano, First Student Senior Vice President of Safety. "We know how important it is for children to feel safe and respected on the school bus. Using our insight, expertise and resources, we are striving to build more positive relationships between bus drivers, students and the broader communities we serve."

The American School Bus Council created Love the Bus Month in 2007. Held every February, it raises awareness and appreciation for the experience of riding the school bus, as well as provides recognition for the drivers and monitors who serve our students and their communities.

About First Student
First Student is the largest provider of safe, reliable, sustainable student transportation solutions in North America. The company safely transports approximately 6 million students every day in the US and Canada. For more information on First Student, please visit www.firststudentinc.com.

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SOURCE First Student