09-15-2008 (4.05 MB)

Duration: 2:02 m

Helping a new student find her way home

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• Except for my daughter missing the bus, the first day of school was the smoothest in recent memory. To prepare a system of this size is no small undertaking, and I would like to express my gratitude to all of you. More than 3,200 employees pulled in the same direction to get our schools ready for 22,000 students. I especially want to acknowledge the efforts of our support staff—maintenance, custodial, and grounds personnel. Our schools and campuses were beautiful and spotless. Thanks also to the VSAA staff for your patience with the remodeling project and your hard work to re-open the building.
  
  I plan to send personal messages to you throughout the school year as a way of highlighting some of the dedicated and caring members in the Vancouver Public Schools family who are making a difference for our students. I hope you enjoy the stories.
  
  This story is about a missing student and one of our bus drivers, Linda Ingenthron. On the first day of school, Linda was completing her afternoon run from Jason Lee. One of her students, an 11-year-old, 6th grade, non-English speaking Cambodian immigrant, got off at the wrong bus stop. Linda completed her afternoon runs, but when the girl’s family reported that she had not showed up at home, Linda knew something was amiss. She remembered that the student had appeared somewhat confused when she exited the bus. Linda drove her bus back to transportation and retraced her route in her personal car. She stayed in contact with our Transportation Department on her mobile phone and found the student walking along Andreson Road toward SR-500. Personnel from the school were dispatched to assist in transporting the student home. Linda certainly could have “punched out” and headed home to tackle her own list of to-do’s. But she didn’t. She set aside her own needs for those of another. That is about service to kids first. And, it’s about adult to student relationships. Thanks, Linda. I know the girl’s family is grateful, and so are we.