Yale Public Schools Staff Deliver Holiday Greetings to their Students

Yale, MI — Last week, Yale Public Schools staff boarded buses and took a ride through the district to give holiday greetings to their students. Farrell Emmett Elementary Principal Bob Watson said his staff thought they were giving a gift to the students, but after seeing how cherished the visits were, they realized they received the gift themselves.

Watson said that his teachers and staff were missing their students terribly, as the district is currently doing all virtual instruction. They wanted to do something special for the families. With Superintendent Kenneth Nicholl’s blessing and the collaboration of staff districtwide, the idea took off.

Watson said that Santa drove one of the buses and it was amazing to see the students’ reactions when their teachers got off the bus with him.

Yale’s Director of Transportation Jeri Fishel said the bus drivers were missing their kids so badly, they were thrilled to have the opportunity to get back on the roads. Both Watson and Fishel said that the teamwork to make this logistical feat happen was amazing. They were able to let the families know what time the buses would be rolling up and organize the teachers and routes accordingly.

Watson and Fishel said that parents called in thanking for the visit and said that their children really appreciated the connection with their teachers and bus drivers.

Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland