hree Rowan-Salisbury School System students took top honors in North Carolina’s 2013 National School Bus Safety Week Poster Contest.

This year’s contest theme — “At My Stop — You Stop!” — emphasizes that motorists are supposed to stop at school bus stops and that students should look carefully before stepping into the roadway at the school bus stop.
The 2013 poster contest winners are:
Grades K-2 — Carmella Raiti, Morgan Elementary School
Grades 3-5 — Medina Grissel, Knollwood Elementary School
Grades 6-8 — Victoria Amaro, Southeast Middle School
Special Education — Francisco Cruz, West Alexander Middle School (Alexander County Schools)
“The message to motorists, as reflected in this year’s poster theme, is clear: motorists must stop when a school bus is loading or unloading students,” Derek Graham, N.C. Department of Public Instruction transportation services chief said in a news release.
“Students participating in this year’s contest learned the importance of school bus safety rules as they worked on their posters.”
Each of the first place winners will receive a plaque featuring his or her artwork and a school bus safety puzzle, also featuring the student’s winning poster.
First place winners also competed in the National School Bus Safety Poster Contest held in Grand Rapids, Mich. in October.
The importance of school bus safety was driven home in Rowan County the morning of Oct. 17 when West Rowan High School junior Makinzy Smith was struck and killed by a car as he crossed the road to catch the bus.
The bus had come to a complete stop, with its red lights on and stop arm extended.
The Department of Public Instruction and the Governor’s Highway Safety Program sponsor the annual School Bus Safety Poster contest. For more information on school bus safety, visit www.ncbussafety.org.