Longtime volunteer helps students waiting for schoolbus

Patty Arthur has volunteered at Ridgeview Elementary off and on for several years, but with the school torn down and a new one being built in its place, it looked like she had lost that opportunity this school year.

But then Arthur discovered that the corner in front of her house was a bus stop where a handful of fourth-graders and one third-grader from Ridgeview would catch the bus to Browne Elementary, their temporary school for this year.

Arthur knew that being moved to a new school could be difficult for the kids, so she decided to help make their experience a positive one.

“I told Mrs. Williams, the principal at Ridgeview, that I would supervise the kids while they waited for the bus. So I’ve been out there every day. It started out with us talking and getting to know each other. We had spelling bees, and I kept them entertained while they waited for the bus,” said Arthur.

Over the Thanksgiving break Arthur came up with the idea of writing a story with the group.

She would take notes, and they would create the characters and develop the plot.

During the cold winter weeks that followed, Grant Bischoff, Aubrey Cox, Alex Hanson, Makela Saunders and Kiauna Wilson, who call themselves the Bus Stop Bunch, collaborated with Arthur to write “Santa’s New Crew,” a story about reindeers trying out to be part of Santa’s team.

Arthur took notes and connected their thoughts within the story.

“They came up with the idea for the story right away. It just kept bubbling over with more and more ideas, and they just kept giving me descriptions – what would the reindeer look like; what would they act like? They gave me all of that. It was very easy to write. I’ve never written anything before, but with the kids’ help it was all there. I just wrote it down,” said Arthur.

“We wouldn’t be able to write very well without her,” said Makela Saunders.

Aubrey Cox agreed. “She helped us a lot. Writing the story was fun, and it really made the time (waiting for the bus) go faster.”

Makela’s favorite new reindeer was Foo-Foo, a pretty little thing that wore red high-heeled boots and a sequin and feather collar.

“I came up with the part that she was always on her cell phone,” said Makela.

“I liked Foo-Foo and Lucky; they’re our girls,” said Aubrey.

Grant’s favorite reindeer was Sparky. “It was my idea to have sparks coming out of his nose and hoofs.”

Arthur has sent the copyrighted story to a publishing house that accepts unsolicited transcripts.

The group is busy working on their next story about a haunted school bus.