Getting Your Family Excited for the New School Year

Back to school can bring a mixture of emotions for your family. Kids can feel full of nerves, dread, excitement, or boredom with the thought of school. Parents can feel excited, sad, anxious, stressed, or happy. Make the transition easier by having a positive attitude towards the experience and your kids will follow your lead. Here are some ideas to help everyone in your family get excited for back to school!

Practice Social Skills

If you have a younger child who is nervous about going back to school because of all new classmates, try practicing before studies start. Allprodad.com has a great idea to have a “Make A New Friend Day.” Both you and your child go to a public place such as a playground and scope out someone you deem friendly. Then each of you attempt to make a new friend, engaging in conversation and overcoming the fear of meeting new people.

Throw a Back to School Party

If your children are older and are dreading school because it is not “fun,” make it fun for them with a party. Keep it simple, blow some balloons and serve snacks at a playground or house. Let your kids invite their friends over and usher in the back to school season.

Create Funny Photo Tradition

One way you can liven up the experience of back to school is with a funny photo tradition. Instead of the typical smiling with backpacks on picture, try one of these hilarious takes on back to school. They point out that oftentimes the parents are the ones most excited for back to school because they can reclaim some free time.

Do Summer Justice

It is tempting to get into the back to school mindset as early as July, but be sure to let your kids enjoy summer. Soak up the sun and make the most of summer vacation while it's here. Do not rush the limited amount of time your kids can relax and play. When it is time for school to start up again, do summer justice by recapping the great experiences you had with your kids. Have the children make a list of their favorite memories from the summer so that they can appreciate their fun times and get some closure that the warm season is over.


Having the right attitude about the summer to school transition will improve the back to school experience for everyone in your family! Do one or all of these fun ideas to get excited for back to school with your kids!

Summer Fun For Families in the Saint Cloud Area

As the weather warms, it is great to get out and enjoy all the Saint Cloud area has to offer for summer fun. Your family can enjoy these great amenities come rain or shine!

Image by Andrew Ciscel via Wikimedia Commons

Quarry Park

A hidden gem on the west side of Saint Cloud, Quarry Park and Nature Preserve is 683 acres of hiking trails, rock climbing, fishing, and swimming. The forest, prairie, and quarries offer a variety of breathtaking sights and teaching opportunities for your kids.

Splash Pads

If the weather is particularly warm, enjoy the day at one of the Saint Cloud area's many splash pads. There are large splash pads near the downtown area at Riverside Park and Lake George. On the west side of town, you can find a nice splash pad and playground in Waite Park at River's Edge Park and a smaller, more private splash pad near Westwood Elementary school. All of these parks offer picnic tables and playground equipment to make a wonderful afternoon activity.

Indoor Fun

If the weather is rainy, but you still need an activity to entertain the kids, consider some indoor fun in Saint Cloud. A popular choice is the play place in Crossroads mall where your small children can climb and play in between shopping. Consider hitting the movie theater; Marcus Parkwood Theaters has a summer movie series just for kids with discounted ticket prices. Another option for indoor fun is open gym times. Granite City Gymnastics, North Crest Kids Activity Center, Whitney Community Center, and the YMCA all have great facilities for open gym geared towards kids!


More ideas can be found at Fun4KidsMN.com, a website geared towards promoting family friendly events in the Saint Cloud area. If you are ever looking for something to do this summer, look no further! There are lots of options for family summer fun, even if the sun is not shining.

How to Keep Your Little Ones Warm at the Bus Stop

Minnesota winters are a force to be reckoned with. Snow, cold temperatures, and biting wind chills can be uncomfortable–even harmful– to anybody, but especially children as they wait for the school bus.

Because of their larger surface area to weight ratio, children lose heat from their skin faster than adults, which makes them more prone to frostbite. Kids also tend to ignore the signs of the cold more than adults do.

At Spanier Bus Service, we take children’s safety very seriously. That’s why we wanted to help you keep your child safe and warm when the temperatures dip below freezing. Here are a few important precautions to take:

1. Cover Their Extremities. The extremities of the body (hands, feet, nose, and ears) are most vulnerable to the cold. Keeping these covered is vital to avoiding frostbite.
2. Dress Them in Layers. Try and choose natural insulating fabrics to keep your kids warm like wool, silk or fleece. Start by dressing your child in an undershirt, a regular shirt, and a coat to have as many layers as possible. Wearing snow pants over their regular pants will help warm them up. Add an extra pair of socks if it’s extremely cold.  
3. Keep Them Indoors as Long as Possible. The longer they’re inside, the better. Buses are on time more often than not, so your kids should be able to time when they have to leave the house.
4. Wear Mittens. Wearing mittens keeps your hands warmer than gloves because your fingers aren’t separated. When your fingers are separated, they are more prone to frostbite.
5. When in Doubt, Add Another Layer. If your kids can wear a hooded sweatshirt under their winter coat, it will keep them even warmer. Always dress your child in one more layer than you would dress yourself.
6. Keep Them Dry. If your child’s gloves or hat gets wet, replace it immediately or have them pack a backup. Teach your kids to dry their mittens and socks as soon as they get inside. It’s best to avoid long contact with wet clothing.
7. Plan Ahead. To make things go faster in the morning, lay out all their clothes the night before. That way, your kids don’t have to guess where everything is in the morning and waste time. The best part is, you’ll know how many layers they’re wearing at the bus stop.  

Spanier Bus Service hopes everyone stays warm this winter at the bus stop. Our drivers strive to keep your children safe – on and off the bus.

What It Takes to Be a Spanier Bus Driver

At Spanier Bus Service, we aim to hire responsible, considerate, and friendly faces of the community. We hire neighbors and friends who are pillars of the community and who can provide reliability and consistency into the lives of the young students we serve.

The positions at Spanier Bus Service are a perfect fit for retired individuals who are looking to remain active in the community after retirement. The excitement of working with children and teens will keep you active and engaged with the community.

Our positions are also a wonderful fit for stay-at-home parents who want to match the schedules of their kids. With parallel schedules, being a school bus driver can make a wonderful compromise between balancing work and caring for your kids. It will also encourage you to become even more involved and embedded in the community and school district.

Individuals looking to help young children succeed on the path to education will find purpose and meaning in working with Spanier Bus Service. As a Spanier Bus driver, we are among the first faces that children see every morning. Our attitudes and excitement can set the tone of every school day. A positive, engaging greeting and a kind interest in the lives of our students can provide an immeasurable impact on the attitudes and successes of our students.

Spanier Bus Service offers numerous benefits to our employees, among which include a 401k retirement, full-time wages with part-time hours, and training. Spanier Bus Service does not require previous school bus driving experience. In fact, we offer paid training opportunities and extensive safety preparation to equip you with the responsibilities of being a school bus driver.

At Spanier Bus Services, our motto is, “We don’t hire drivers, we hire our friends.” What this means is we don’t fill positions and hire workers, we want to help our drivers become active members of the community and make a difference in the lives of school children. If you would like to become a member of our team, visit Spanierbus.com for a Spanier Bus Pre-Application Form, or visit our office at 1310 Sunridge Drive in St. Cloud.

How to Ease Your Kindergartener’s Bus Anxieties

If you have a young child at home who is just starting school, chances are that they are nervous about starting. Kindergartners often have some anxiety about entering a new school and taking on new responsibilities as a big kid. One of those biggest anxieties is often about riding the school bus. They might think, “What if I get on the wrong bus? What if I get bullied on the bus? How do I know what to do?”

To help quell their worries about the bus, consider the following:  

Greet the driver. If your bus driver can greet your child every morning, this can help your child establish a positive relationship with the driver, which can make them feel more safe and comfortable. They will also feel more comfortable sharing any problems or issues that arise on the bus.

Share experiences. Share your own school and school bus experiences with your child to help them know what to expect. Encourage older siblings, cousins, or friends to share as well so that your child will have a lot of people to draw from. If those older kids ride the same bus, encourage them to buddy up with your kindergartner to help ease their worries.

Drive the route. Help your child become familiar with their bus route. Drive to school from home and back, and point out familiar landmarks or points of interest so they can recognize their neighborhood.

Be consistent. Get your kids to the bus on time. Consistently drop them off and wait for them at the end of the day. Give clear directions if any day is different from the norm. This consistency will build a routine for your kindergartner and will help relax their worries.

Teach them about safety. Go over good listening and sitting habits with your child so their transportation goes well. Reading a picture book, like Molly Rides the School Bus and My School Bus, can help them visual the habits to follow.

Establish a routine. Fear of the unknown can be the biggest cause of stress for a child. Take away the unknown, and establish a routine to help alleviate some of that stress. Set dinner and bedtimes, develop and stick to a schedule for the week, and set age-appropriate responsibilities.

Provide positive encouragement. Let your kindergartener know that it’s natural to be nervous or anxious when encountering new things. Your kids will gain confidence and learn to problem solve on their own in due time. Be a constant source of encouragement and support for them.

Visit Spanier Bus Service for more resources for helping your child be their very best for the school bus this year!

Preparing Your Kids for the New School Year

Are you ready for the back-to-school season? It’s not uncommon for families to scramble as the weeks before the new school year dwindle down. Take a breath, enjoy the last days of summer with your family, and let us help you prepare for the new year. Read our tips to help your family get ready for the exciting new school year:

Start A Schedule

A week or two prior to school, have your kids go to bed at the appropriate time. According to the National Sleep Foundation, preschoolers require 10 to 13 hours of sleep, children ages 6-13 need 9 to 11 hours of sleep, and teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Help them get into a regular pre-bedtime routine that includes prepping schoolwork, nighttime hygiene care, and relaxing.

Plan Ahead

Have you ever rushed out of the house in the morning only to walk into the office feeling as if you have forgotten everything you needed for the day? Help prevent anyone in your family from feeling this way by planning ahead. Devote Sunday afternoons to things like meal prep for the week’s lunches and developing a family schedule. Elementary-aged kids can choose their clothes and set up their backpacks each night before school. Older siblings can help with chores, carpool, and help younger siblings during the week. Planning ahead will make everyone’s week run much more smoothly.

Bus Safety

Prior to the start of school, remind your kids about bus safety. Safe bus transportation includes listening to the bus driver, behaving appropriately and respectfully toward other bus riders, and knowing how to safely enter and exit the bus. Remind your kids of how to wait for signals from the bus driver and how to cross the street safely. If your kids get picked up, walk home from school, or drive themselves, remind them of safety standards and precautions. Your kids may be champs when it comes to safe transportation, but reminding them will reinforce those habits.

Remind Them of Expectations

During the summer, kids kick back and relax before the rush of the next academic school year. Once the school year begins, though, it can be hard to get back into the working mindset. Encourage kids by helping them to set expectations for academic objectives, sports, and extracurricular goals, as well as expectations for chores and responsibilities at home. Help them balance school and home life to help them excel this year and carry those habits into adulthood.

Encourage them to have fun

In addition to responsibilities and expectations, encourage your kids to have fun this year. Encourage them to engage in new friendships, experiment with new clubs and hobbies, or explore new subjects at school. Kids of all ages will benefit from trying new things and it will make the year more exciting and rewarding!

Every school year comes with new changes and challenges. Help your children make the most of this school year by preparing the whole family and kicking off your school year routine on a positive note. From the staff at Spanier Bus Service, we wish you and your family a safe and happy school year!