NEW PALESTINE — Sitting at one of the picnic tables at the New Palestine Community Schools bus garage, driver Heather White had a few minutes before her afternoon route was about to start, so she began working on writing nearly 70 Post-it notes.
The notes are filled with encouraging words for each of the students she drives to school, from kindergarten through high school age. White hands the notes to the students as they leave the bus each day, hoping it will help the kids get their day started off on the right note.
“I try to do different messages for the bigger kids than I do the little ones,” White said. “For the little kids, I write things like, ‘You are very special and I’m proud of you. You can do so much,’ just little messages like that so they know that they mean something.”
For the older students, White writes messages such as, “When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine; you are enough; don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great; and you are perfect just the way you are.”
District communications director Craig Smith noted that White and all district employees were challenged at the start of the school year by superintendent Gina Pleak to try some type of a challenge or something new for 100 days that would benefit themselves or others.
“Our superintendent took on a 100-day challenge, and she invited the rest of us to do it too,” Smith said. “If we commit to something for 100 days, we’re really more than likely going to commit to something on a longer term. Dr. Pleak’s focus was we can show Dragon excellence every day, and I say that in two words because if you do something every day it means more.”
Smith said everyone who works for the district is an educator in one way or another from the first people the students see, the bus drivers, the secretaries, the lunch staff to the teachers in the class room.
“Each person has a chance to impact someone in a positive way,” Smith said.
White said the idea of writing the notes was really just an extension of who she is and showcases the type of community work she enjoys doing.
“I try to be selfless like that so instead of doing something for myself when we got the challenge, I felt like that some kids need encouragement, that positive outlook, so I would do something for the kids,” White said. “It’s important for me that kids understand someone is here for them and I love, absolutely love my kiddos.”
White, now in her sixth year of being a bus driver, is a mother of four and a grandmother of two and knows how important it is that children start their days off right.
“There are some of the kids who don’t want them and I don’t make them take them, but I just want them to know that they’re important to someone so I’m making the effort,” White said.
White drives about 70 kids in the morning then more in the afternoon and said she’s handing out the notes as the kids leave the bus in the morning and walk into the school. Starting this week, White also decided to hand the Post-it notes out after school when the kids get off her bus and head home.
“I have kids who ride only in the afternoon and not in the morning, so I’m staring that to make sure those kids get a note too,” White said.
That puts White at writing more than 100 Post-it notes a day, which she usually likes to do the night before.
“If I can’t get them written at night, I do them really quickly in the morning,” she said.
Smith noted several kids have written notes back to White thanking her for taking the time to make them feel special.
“She’s had some parents send her pictures of kids collecting these post it notes at home,” Smith said.
In addition to handing out the Post-it notes, White also volunteers and reads to kids in the district on Wednesdays, she does lunches with a grade level class once a month, and she does snacks on Fridays.
“I just want to really connect with the kids because I have really good bus kids and they’ve become very important to me,” she said.
While White noted the challenge is only for 100 days, she plans to continue the practice all year long to keep the good vibes rolling on her route and beyond.
“Even on the weekends when I don’t see the kids, I try to keep the positive notes going for my husband or my kids or whoever,” White said.
