Ada Exempted Village Schools is joining other schools and communities in recognizing National School Bus Safety Week, Oct. 17-21.

The national theme this year is Safely Rolling to My Destination. The district reminds us:

"The big yellow school bus has become the epitome of education in our country. Often, we take for granted the benefit of this service, even while school and transportation staff continue to focus on maximizing safety and efficiency. Without this service for children and families to access safe transportation education equality would be difficult to achieve.

"More than 800,000 Ohio students ride on school buses each day, and nearly 15,000 bus drivers, mechanics, secretaries, and supervisors statewide are dedicated to providing safe transportation for Ohio children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tells us that students are about 70 times more likely to get to school safely when taking a school bus instead of traveling by car.

"This year's national campaign is focused on reminding us that safety is the first priority for our children. Ohio law requires motorists to stop clear of the school bus until the bus driver cancels the red lights and the bus begins to move.

"'Ensuring the safety of our students is crucial,' is the message from transportation supervisor Britton Devier. 'We are training our bus drivers to be cautious, but we need help from parents to make sure children remain alert and mindful of good safety practices when walking to their bus stop or to school.'"

The Ada EVS transportation department has the following tips for getting on and off the bus:

• Get to the bus stop early and wait at your designated place of safety.
• Approach and enter the bus after the driver signals. Take 10 giant steps away from the bus when unloading.
• Always follow the driver's directions for how to cross the street.
• Be alert to traffic and look both ways. If you must cross the street, always cross in front of the bus.