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S1 E6 - It Takes a Village · Inside the OSD

• 0:09
  SPEAKER1: Welcome to Inside the OSD.
• 0:11
  I'm Dr. Leslie Bergstrom, and I'm the host of this podcast.
• 0:15
  Our purpose is to educate and inform you about timely topics and have a little fun doing it.
• 0:21
  We hope to give you an inside look at what life is like in our schools.
• 0:25
  And that is going to be fun because it's all about our kids.
• 0:29
  You certainly heard the phrase "it takes a village to raise a child." This proverb has been traced back to African cultures and means that an entire
• 0:37
  community of people must provide for and interact positively with children, for them to experience and grow in a safe and healthy environment.
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  You can think of our school community this way as well.
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  We have many caring adults providing many different functions, all in service of children.
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  Today we are going to speak with a part of that village that welcomes many of our students each day.
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  The part that starts our day, our crossing guards, our bus drivers, our school nutrition cooks who serve breakfast.
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  Let's start with our crossing guards.
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  It was recently crossing Guard Appreciation Week.
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  So we want to begin by thanking our crossing guards.
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  SPEAKER2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 1:27
  Here is your host, lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
• 1:31
  Leslie Bergström.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER1: Our district communications director and I recently spoke with some of our crossing guards, bus drivers, and breakfast servers who are some of the first
• 1:45
  faces our students see when they start their day.
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  We're excited to hear from them now.
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  SPEAKER3: Okay, can you tell me your name?
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  Bessie Woodward.
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  Okay, and how long have you been a crossing guard here?
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  Six years now.
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  Oh, my goodness. Okay.
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  And what is your favorite thing about being a crossing guard?
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  All the kids.
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  They're just so adorable.
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  They love you, don't they?
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  Yeah. They do.
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  So in six years, there must be some memorable stories that you've had about being a crossing guard.
• 2:15
  Oh, quite a few.
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  One that comes to mind is one lady.
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  She stopped and she told me, she says, "My son doesn't want me to pick him up down by the school anymore.
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  He told me to pick him up at the Dancing Crossing guard." I seem to recall another story.
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  I don't think you were on duty.
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  But you helped someone.
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  Yeah, that was during the parade one year.
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  A woman. She stopped there and I'm going, and she jumps out of her car and she says, "My kid's choking!" I'm going -- so I run to the car and I'm going, "Can
• 2:53
  you get her out of the car?" I'm going "can you do the Heimlich?" She says, "No, I don't know how." I said, "Well, can you get her out of the car?" I said,
• 3:00
  "Is it okay if I try?" And she said, "Sure, Yes, yes.
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  Anything! Anything." So I did the Heimlich and got the candy up.
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  That was the scariest part of my life.
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  I don't know if it was Miracle, but it was scary.
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  We are so lucky that you were there.
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  Yeah. Wow.
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  Anything else you can think of?
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  Oh, it's.
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  It's just so many.
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  You know, I can't just pinpoint one.
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  Every day something great happens, you know, all the kids, you know, they always wish me a good morning.
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  And and I tell them to have a great day.
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  And, you know, it makes your day.
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  Just hearing that from them, they all seem to be all so excited about coming to school.
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  And and I think that's a good thing.
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  And I'm glad to be a part of that.
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  Go ahead. My name is Carolyn, and I've been a crossing guard for maybe ten or 11 years.
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  I'm not sure.
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  And I like being crossing guard because the kids brighten my day and they tell me little stories.
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  You know, they tell me when they've got a loose tooth.
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  One kid this morning, he told me, he says, "I got my hair cut." So he showed me, you know, and it's just -- they share personal things
• 4:27
  with you. And, I don't know, I got a card from one of the little girls for Christmas time.
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  She wrote it herself.
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  You can tell. She said -- she calls me the cross lady.
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  And she said, "thank you for being the cross lady and I miss you on the weekends." Isn't that
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  sweet? I tell you just story after story after story like that from these kids, and they just brighten my whole day, get me to laugh, and they tell
• 5:04
  me jokes and tell me what they're going to do on a special -- on their birthday or on a special weekend.
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  And yeah.
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  SPEAKER1: Thanks for being here today.
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  Please tell us your name and how long you've been a bus driver.
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  SPEAKER4: My name is Kerri and I've been a bus driver for 11 years now and five years for actually the Oregon School district.
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  SPEAKER1: And will you please tell our listeners what you did before you were driving bus?
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  SPEAKER4: Before I drove bus, I was a police officer for 25 years and then I retired.
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  So I needed something to do.
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  SPEAKER1: And we're really lucky that you did.
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  So thank you.
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  What's your favorite thing about being a bus driver, taking kids to and from school?
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  I think it's
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  SPEAKER4: just the kids and the energy.
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  It still makes you feel young.
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  Even though I have two sons of my own, they're grown adults and I have grandchildren, granddaughters now.
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  It's just -- it just feels right.
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  I've always enjoyed coaching and doing things with kids.
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  So this is just expanding that in a really long vehicle.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, it does feel good to spend time with kids.
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  It fills the tank, doesn't it?
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  SPEAKER4: It does. It does.
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  I mean, sometimes it's really draining, you know, But sometimes you have a short little break before you get the next group and you can re-energize and
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  get ready for the next group.
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  SPEAKER1: Right? Right.
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  Is there any story that sticks out to you that you'd like to share that kind of illustrates your experience as a driver and what you try to do for kids?
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  SPEAKER4: I think just being observant of their emotions and noticing when things aren't quite right.
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  And then know that you have staff at schools that you can contact that will take your information and go, "That's
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  information we need to know" and then do something with it.
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  And one that I think of is a student -- happy go lucky, smiley, says good morning to me.
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  And then it all kind of stopped and there was a situation that had happened, but I had noticed it before then.
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  And I think that particular situation that was going on kind of in our district, it just put all those emotions right in front of me.
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  And I sent an email over to the principal and said, "Can you just check on this person for me?
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  Because I don't see him at school, so maybe there's just something -- maybe something happening on the bus I'm not aware of." Right.
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  And she emails me back and said, "I'm so glad that you let us know because that student is in our office right now and trying to work through
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  some things with us." So we're glad we're all seeing the same thing so we can help the student.
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  So it's just amazing when you have people that think of you other than just a bus driver also.
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  SPEAKER1: When they know that you're another caring adult, right?
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  And you are there to be supportive to them.
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  I mean, if I -- if my children were younger and they were riding the bus, the fact that you notice who's on your bus and you care about them and you see them
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  as individuals, that would mean the world to me.
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  SPEAKER4: Yeah. I try to set a goal every school year by Halloween that I will know all my students' names.
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  And how well do you do?
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  I might 100 -- Well, I'd say I added a few new ones, so I think I'm at probably 98%.
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  SPEAKER1: I bet kids love that too.
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  That you know them,
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  SPEAKER4: they know you. You know, and if you use somebody's first name.
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  SPEAKER1: It matters.
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  SPEAKER4: It matters. It really matters.
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  Like, you know who they are.
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  They know who I am.
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  I've had kids go, "Hey, bus driver." And I'll be like, "Hey, so my mom did not put 'bus driver' on my birth certificate.
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  I know your name.
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  You know my name because I know I told you." And then they start using your name, you know, And I have a silly nickname on my bus that everybody
• 9:14
  knows me as and I'm Krazy Kerri.
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  So some of the teachers came and asked.
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  They're like, "Is that okay with you?" And I'm like, "Oh, no, we -- it's all good.
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  It's, you know."
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  SPEAKER1: And so they remember your
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  SPEAKER4: name. Yeah. And I spell my name with a K.
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  So the crazy is with a K, we kind of went with that whole theme and, and I think it just makes the bus fun then, you know, And they relate to me more.
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  SPEAKER1: As a human being.
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  SPEAKER4: Yeah. And they know that I'm a mom and they know that I'm a grandma.
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  And so they -- we have a connection.
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  It's awesome.
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  SPEAKER1: Oh, thank you so much, Kerri.
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  Thanks for everything you do for our kids.
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  SPEAKER4: Not a problem. I love it.
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  SPEAKER1: Please tell us your name and how long you've been a bus contractor and driver.
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  SPEAKER5: First name James.
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  Last name Hagstrom.
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  I am a second generation school bus operator.
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  My dad was a bus driver when I was a kid, so that's kind of how I worked my way into it.
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  I got my first bus license in 1981.
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  Oh, wow. I'm not really good at math, but that's.
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  SPEAKER1: A long time.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER5: I got my first bus contract, I believe, in 1990, right around there.
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  Wow. All right. So that's kind of a long history there.
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  SPEAKER1: You've been driving our kids for a long time.
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  So what's your favorite thing about it?
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  SPEAKER5: Well, my favorite thing is knowing I have not really even sure how much of an impact I have on certain kids.
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  It's greeting them in the mornings is a treat, you know, And when they see me as kind of a person that they can relate to.
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  That's kind of what I kind of -- that's what really kind of warms you up, truthfully, because you can see it in their faces.
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  It's -- it's true.
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  You are the first kid, the first person they see in the mornings.
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  Right. And I've I find it so important to greet everybody.
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  Some of them acknowledges, some of them.
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  SPEAKER4: Decide not to.
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  You know.
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  SPEAKER5: It's kind of fun to see some kids who look at you like, "what's the deal with you?
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  Why are you talking to me?" And over time, they kind of soften up and it's kind of cool to see them warm up you and then greet you
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  back or just kind of see you as not just part of the woodwork, but, hey, this guy must be kind of okay.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, you could drive the same students for years, right?
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  SPEAKER5: Most drivers do.
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  Yeah, but be honest with you.
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  My situation's a little different.
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  I do so much in the district where there's lots of routes I've filled in and there's
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  SPEAKER1: Got it.
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  SPEAKER5: lots I've done. I've changed some routes from year to year, so I've really had a huge variety of students.
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  Yes. And it's kind of cool to get to the high school level where you see certain kids and they all kind of look at me like, "I think I know that guy.
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  He drove me when I was.." Because I'm involved in 4k.
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  Right. And different routes at the grade school level.
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  So there's a lot of -- a lot of different faces that end up being kind of recognizable not only for me but for them as well.
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  SPEAKER1: So that's why I think
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  SPEAKER5: it's really important to kind of be kind of a greeter, so to speak, that, you know.
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  SPEAKER1: Another caring adult.
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  SPEAKER5: Yeah, just exactly.
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  Yeah. And somebody they can feel comfortable with, I think that's a big deal.
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  SPEAKER1: So given that, is there any story over all this time that really kind of sticks out to you?
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  I'm sure there are many.
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  What's one you'd like to share?
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  SPEAKER5: I can give you one that my wife and I, because Julie's been driving for over 25 years as well.
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  She was with me one night.
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  We went to a restaurant over in Stoughton at dinner and we were coming out of the restaurant and there was a young lad coming in
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  with a child on his arm, coming in, I think with the girlfriend, wife, whatever the situation was.
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  And we shared that look like, "Hey, I recognize you." And he looked at me and a big smile came on his face, on his face, and he goes, "Hey, I
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  remember you. Do you remember me?" And it's, it's always really challenging because when I drive a bus, there's 50 faces.
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  Yes. And I'm looking at them all in a mirror.
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  So it's not their true appearance.
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  You kind of don't realize that at first.
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  But I'm one bus driver and he's one of 50 kids at a time and
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  SPEAKER1: Hundreds and hundreds.
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  SPEAKER5: you look at the number of kids I've transport over the years.
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  But this young gentleman, I recognized him and I was really struggling to come up with a name because that's the really hard part.
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  And I'm sure you'll ask most people that work with kids is that the ones who give you the most challenge are the ones.
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  SPEAKER1: Sometimes the names you remember.
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  SPEAKER5: You learn their names a lot quicker than the other ones. And this -- this fellow looked at me and he had this huge grin on his face and he was looking at me.
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  He says, "I remember you." He says, "I gave you a really hard time on the bus, didn't I?" But he was a -- he wasn't a bad kid, but he
• 14:47
  just got himself in hot water a time or two.
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  And it was just so funny to watch him recognize that I was -- "I was kind of tough on you, wasn't I?" And I looked at him and I go, "You know..." Boom.
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  And his name came to me and I said, "Your name is Chris, isn't it?" Oh, wow.
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  And I was so proud of myself because I can't remember names a lot of times.
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  And we just -- we had a nice quick chat, but my wife just looked at it and she went, "You have no idea how important that is because that kid
• 15:21
  remembers you." Right.
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  And what he said was, "You were one of the few people that treated me with respect on the bus, even though I wasn't the greatest kid on the bus
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  for you." He says, "And I remember that." You know, and Julie's heard that.
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  And she she tells the same kind of story, probably condense it.
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  But it just it was it was heartwarming to know that here's a kid that I had probably had ten years earlier and he
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  remembered me. He remembered the way I talked to him and treated him.
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  Just a little bit of dignity and respect.
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  And I think that's kind of in a nutshell.
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  You try to create relationships with kids and it takes you so far, you know, because eventually maybe that has an
• 16:15
  impact on them down the road and how they interact with people they know or their kids.
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  So that's, you know, that's one little story.
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  But it does -- it sticks out in a big way for me.
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  But there's lots of kids I've seen over the years, and it's just fun watching them kind of grow up and see what they turn into.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER1: Well said, Mr.
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  Hagstrom. Thank you.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER5: Yeah, you bet.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER1: Please tell us your name and how long you've been serving breakfast to our students.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER4: My name is Ann Spilde and I have been with the school district at Netherwood Knoll for nine years now.
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  SPEAKER1: Thank you. What's your favorite thing about serving breakfast every morning?
• 16:53
  SPEAKER4: My favorite thing about serving breakfast is seeing the kids, of course, because that's why I work here.
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  And the nice thing about breakfast is we get to know the kids.
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  We get to know their personality.
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  We get to just know them and they're so stinkin cute.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER1: And so you said you have some kids you see every day, some you see frequently.
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  And then every once in a while, a brand new face.
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  SPEAKER4: Exactly. We have frequent fliers and we have some that come in just for their favorites.
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  And then we today we had a brand new kid, new to the school, new to here, and we're there to help.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER1: That's lovely. And I have to ask, because you mentioned this earlier and I think it's the coolest.
• 17:34
  What is one of their favorite breakfast meals?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER4: Their favorite breakfast is our berry patch smoothie, which consists of strawberry yogurt, applesauce and apple juice.
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  SPEAKER1: That is the coolest thing, because I think any parent would feel really good about sending their child into school to have a berry smoothie for breakfast.
• 17:54
  I mean, that is -- that's terrific.
• 17:56
  And I bet our families really, really appreciate that.
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  SPEAKER3: I hope they do.
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  SPEAKER1: Is there any story that sticks out to you regarding sharing, regarding breakfast that you'd like to share?
• 18:06
  SPEAKER4: I don't know, I. There's there's so many so many things.
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  But when they come in and they walk in and they see what the breakfast is and they get so excited, even if it's just Froot Loops.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER3: Yay, Froot Loops!
• 18:21
  SPEAKER1: Well, that's probably a treat because they don't see Froot Loops all that often, so that's great.
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  SPEAKER4: Yeah, well, we do have reduced sugar, just so you know.
• 18:28
  Because I think our kindergarten teachers would kill us.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER1: Well, I love that they're excited when they come in to see you guys at breakfast every day.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER4: They are. And one of our cooks, Marissa, her daughter, comes here, so she gets a kiss and a hug every morning, which is just so darling.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER1: Well, that's a -- that's a perk of employment.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER4: It is. But yeah, I just -- I love seeing those cute little faces every day.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER1: All right. Thank you, Ann.
• 18:54
  As I reflect on the stories we've heard today, one thing stands out in my mind that is consistent with our approach to everything in the OSD.
• 19:02
  These are caring and professional adults who truly know our kids.
• 19:08
  We're so thankful for each and every one of them for helping our students start their day for the care they take and getting to know each one and for
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  being that consistent, smiling face that begins and ends the day, it's truly special.
• 19:26
  Thanks to our listeners for tuning in this week.
• 19:29
  Remember, you can find links to Inside the OSD on our website at Orego nSD.org/podcast.
• 19:38
  It's also available on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
• 19:44
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 19:51
  We'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about the kids.