Wrong Bus, Right Attitude

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Two kindergartners from Matthew Paterson Elementary School were congratulated by the Carmel Board of Education on Tuesday for the easy-going way they handled a bus mix-up that could have confused bus riders with far more experience than the five-year-olds.  

Christopher and Madison, who didn’t even know each other before being placed together on the wrong bus home on their very first day of kindergarten, took the mistake in stride. They are now such good friends that they came into the school board meeting holding hands.   
Board President Melissa Orser and Vice President John Curzio III gave each child a “Survival Bag” that included snacks, a flashlight, a coloring book and an illustrated map of Carmel. Superintendent of Schools Michael Plotkin gave them the “Great Kindergarten Bus Awards” for being brave, calm and awesome. Bus Driver Jeremy Braddock, who kept the youngsters calm while he sorted out the mistake, joined the officials and the children’s families at the board meeting.   
Ken Silver, the assistant superintendent of business, operations and human resources, organized the event with the assistance of Marissa Callahan and Annamarie Pagnotta, who helped create the survival bags.  

“I thought we should recognize what they went through,” Mr. Silver said. “It was their very first day of school and their first trip home. That is a big, emotional event for kindergartners as well as for their families.  They were troopers, though, and they came out of it with a special friendship.”