Episode Details

Anthony Godfrey:

Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host Superintendent, Anthony Godfrey. They spend hours behind the wheel transporting thousands of students safely to and from school, on fun field trips, to athletic events and more. On this episode of the Supercast, we hop on board the big yellow school bus to find out what it's like to be a school bus driver. Hear why our drivers love the job and the students they serve, driving countless miles with safety in mind each and every day. The school bus is here, let's climb on board.

We're here at Eastlake to take the kids home on an afternoon, joining Sean on his route. Sean is a driver extraordinaire, very popular, not just with the kids on the bus, but in the neighborhood as well. And we're excited to take a ride.

Sean: Hi kiddos. Can you guys all say "Hi"? This is the Superintendent kiddos.

Anthony Godfrey: Hi guys!

Sean: All right, kiddos. We're taking off, everybody sit down.

Kids: Can we be Fortnite taking off?

Sean: Nope, we're being the red alligator today kiddos. All right, kiddos, everybody sit down, remember to keep my aisles clear. Do we stand up while the bus is moving?

Kids: No!

Sean: That's what I thought. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey: What's the, uh, red dragon or red alligator or Fortnight?

Sean: They are the red Dragons, but every day before we take off, I let somebody choose what we are. Sometimes we're a magic school bus, sometimes we're a hippopotamus, I let one kid choose, and today they chose alligator. So we're going to be a red alligator today.

Sean: We get lots and lots of random questions on the bus.

Anthony Godfrey: Well there's time and space. It's like a little road trip.

Sean: Do you guys remember what you were going to do up here at the crosswalk?

Kids: Yeah!

Sean: Okay. As soon as we go through the crosswalk and pass and then you guys can start.

Kids: (Singing) 'Wheels on the Bus'

Anthony Godfrey: Sean, I've got to admit, it's nice to have somebody else driving.

Sean: I've always enjoyed driving. Even when we go on vacations, everybody's like, you need a break and I tell them, "Nope, I'd rather drive."

Anthony Godfrey: Well, Sean, it's a relatively short time with them, but boy, there's a lot of interactions.

Sean: A lot of interaction.

Anthony Godfrey: What other schools do you serve on your routes?

Sean: I drive Mountain Ridge High School and Copper Mountain Middle School.

Anthony Godfrey: How are high school, middle school and elementary kids different on the bus?

Sean: My high school kids like to sit down and keep to themselves and be quiet. They'll talk to me every now and then. The junior high kids are very vocal. They have their own little groups that they'd like to stay with. And as you can tell, the elementary kids are the rambunctious bunch.

Anthony Godfrey: Well, they're rambunctious because they want to talk to you. You're doing a great job of it and I love your interactions with the kids. It's so, so fun to watch.

Sean: I appreciate you. Thank you for coming out today.

Anthony Godfrey (04:19): We are here in the transportation offices in the ne