Sheila McCord, Troup County School System (TCSS) transportation employee, knew working with kids and helping people was for her. That’s why she considers being a bus monitor a calling, not a job, “I volunteer at Hospice and the local nursing homes, but it’s something about being around kids. I love young people and children. I work with them at my church with youth bible study and the choir. It’s a calling.”

She joined the school system after her previous employer moved their headquarters to Texas. She was in the job market and a friend recommended the school system’s transportation department. McCord applied and has been a bus monitor for eight years. 

“Working with special needs students has given me a new perspective of what children need. I get to understand their character and learn to communicate with them one-on-one each day. Each child is different so each need is different. You really have to have that calling to look past the visual and look deeper into their needs and what they want,” stated McCord.

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Four years ago while Jameel Dixon was an Assistant Manager at Buddy Home Furniture, he decided to do something to help lead kids on the right path. He was already a scout leader with Boy Scouts of America, but he wanted to do more. “I do a lot of camps during the summer time and I’m active with children throughout the year. I was riding around Troup County and I saw an advertisement for bus drivers so I applied. The next day, I got a phone call. I’ve been here ever since.”

“The best part about what I do every day is the joy in seeing the kids grow over time,” he laughed as he remembered when, “they were younger, some of them were trying to jump over the seats and you had to teach them how to behave on a school bus. It’s different from riding in a car. Now, we have meaningful conversations that we won’t forget. It stays with us and we help each other.”

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The Troup County School System (TCSS) Transportation department has been keeping safety at the forefront even before school started. October 19-23, 2020 is National School Bus Safety Week, and with # students transported to and from school each day, TCSS understand this as a week to publicly promote school bus safety, recognize transportation staff members, and highlight the work they do all year.

Chip Giles, Transportation Director said, “Our employees take safety seriously. We have safety checks at the beginning of routes, we disinfect school buses after each route, and we offer masks and hand sanitizer to our students. Our main job is to transport kids safely to and from school, but you gotta love kids to do the job effectively. We work hard to do our part.”

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The Troup County School System is hosting an OPTIONAL writing contest for Kindergarten thru 12^th Graders. The topics for elementary, middle, and high school students are listed on this flyer.  Each topic focuses on FAMILY!

Contest Due Date: Friday, October 30 @ at the end of the school day. Virtual learners may email their teachers their entries. In school learners may take their entries to the front desk.

• Elementary Student Writing Topic: A favorite memory I have with my family is...
• Middle School Student Writing Topic: My family influences me in many ways. Here's how. 
• High School Student Writing Topic: Describe an unusual family tradition of yours that continues today. Why is it important to your family? 

Contest Entry Details are available: HERE

TCSS will provide a weekly dashboard update. This Covid-19 Dashboard update is effective as of Tuesday, October 20, 2020 @ 9:00 am.

Printable Covid-19 Dashboard