On August 1, parents will wave goodbye to their new kindergarteners as they board the big yellow bus on their first day of school. The parents will not be able to ride the bus with their young learners, walk them to class, or help them carry their bookbag of supplies into school. However, many Cobb parents recently got a sneak peek of the bus ride their kindergarten and first-grade students will take. Parents got to hold their child’s hand as they stepped on and off the bus for the first time. They also got to visit their student’s school and meet the teacher who will help their student start their academic journey in Cobb Schools.

The sneak-a-peek bus ride is an annual event for Cobb kindergarten and first-grade students. It helps the young students and their parents get over the butterflies in their stomachs ahead of the first day of school. Both parents and their students will know what to expect when the big yellow bus rolls up. 

The annual kindergarten and first-grade ride-along, which the Cobb Schools Transportation Department coordinates, gives the five and six-year-old students a chance to take a trial bus ride and learn important safety tips like how to exit the bus properly. It also gives parents an opportunity to see why the school bus is the safest way to get students to and from school.

The kindergarten and first-grade ride-along followed the same morning route at the scheduled stop and pick-up time as the first day of school. Bus schedules are updated and available on the District website. Although parents cannot join their students for the bus ride on the first day of school, they can track the location of their child’s bus in real-time thanks to the Cobb Schools Here Comes the Bus App.

Schools, like Rocky Mount Elementary School, also hosted a family orientation, which provided a sneak-a-peek inside the school and classrooms. The young bus riders also got an extra surprise when they rolled up in the big yellow bus. If the bus ride to their new school was not exciting enough, the fanfare that awaited them at Rocky Mount topped off the day. The Lassiter High School band and cheerleaders and Rocky Mount mascot were on site to welcome the young learners to their new school. Board member David Chastain was also at Rocky Mount to greet the young learners.  

After dropping off supplies, meeting their smiling teachers, greeting new friends, and learning what to expect in the new school year, the students and parents alike were one step closer to being ready for the first day of school. Welcome to Cobb!