Students, parents prepare for back to school; drivers on alert for school buses
The aisles of Target on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard were packed Sunday with lots of last minute back to school shoppers filling their carts with their education essentials.
"Binders, sharpies, highlighters, pens and glue," counted off fifth grader Tasianna Guzman.
And getting all the final items on their school shopping lists helped both kids and parents feel a little more prepared.
"I'm excited, and nervous, and all those feelings. But he was in kindergarten last year, so I feel like we're veterans at this point, we're ready," proclaimed parent Jenny Crowler.
However, as school officials have been reminding the public all week, it's not just kids and parents who need to get prepared for this week. Drivers need to be extra alert as well.
With kids heading back to school that means more buses on the road, so be aware and slow down. And if you see the extended stop arm come out, be prepared to stop as kids get on and off their buses. Also remember, some buses are now equipped with cameras that can catch your license plate if you pass a stopped bus, leading to a $500 fine and possible jail time.
Of course, most important is keeping kids safe, so they can focus on their studies, especially when they already have a mix of emotions heading back to school.
"I'm kind of nervous," admitted seventh grader Chatton Freeman, although he later said he was excited, too.
And that's a sentiment shared by the bigger kids, including those who start classes at college this week.
"I'm still nervous, and I've done this two times already now, but it's excitement I guess, being halfway done," said Ali Wells, a rising junior at Duke.
As always, ABC11 wants to wish all our students heading back to school good luck and remind them to stay safe.
Click here for more on the North Carolina School Bus Stop Law.
