European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 8, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes education monday March 8,1993restrictions put on accused bus Driver by Chuck Roberts staff writer a school bus Driver accused of slapping children from Haine Berg elementary school in Wiesbaden Germany on Jan. 12 has been placed on emergency and standby status and can Only transport . Pupils if there is an adult bus Monitor. The German bus company involved denies any wrongdoing but consented to the demands of parents and school officials that the Driver be  a in a really pleased knowing he a not driving my kids a said Richard. Alix Haine Berg assistant principal. Alix said he interviewed each of the 29 children on the bus in his office Jan. 13. Although Alix said he. Heard 29 slightly different versions from the first through fifth graders he Felt certain that some of the children had been slapped. But a spokeswoman for Sippel risen bus company described the Driver As a Calm Man who had driven school buses for 10 years without any complaints. �?o1 could not picture him doing something like that a said spokeswoman Ruth Kirsch Cim. She said the company a owner did no to believe the Driver slapped the children but agreed to remove him from his route according to statements from the children the Driver drove Over a curb and almost hit a sign As the bus left the school. After it arrived at Wiesbaden a the Driver stopped Short of the bus Stop and told the children to shut up or he  let them off the bus. The children said he yelled at them in German. After about 10 minutes two boys told him they wanted to get off the bus and the Driver slapped them. Quot the kids were scared when they got Home Quot said staff sgt. Mike Reffalt who was waiting for his son Tommy at the bus Stop after growing concern when the bus was several minutes late. Quot the first thing my son said was that the bus Driver hit  Reffalt said his children sometimes exaggerate but he knew that 11-year-old Tommy was telling the truth Quot they can to fake being scared Quot he said. Capt. Danny Bury said he is certain that his son Danny also was slapped when he arrived Home excited and with a red face. Bury said the bus Drivers claim that the kids were unruly probably was True but Bury said slapping a child was noway to handle the problem. Wirscheim said the military Community needs to enforce a bus Monitor program to help control the children. That proposal is being considered by the local judge advocate general a office said school bus coordinator Robin  school bus monitors were used for the first time last school year but Grilley said the merging of the Mainz and Wiesbaden communities posed logistical problems Tor getting the program going this year. And Grilley said the new Community commander wanted the Legal people to study the proposal before giving her approval. 1parents assail bus supervision by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau Kaiserslautern Germany in the loud and sometimes rambunctious world of school bus Riding 5-year-old Peter Giordano is getting an education his Mother never dreamed of. When he was pushed Over the Back of a seat last fall Peter was standing where he should have been sitting. When he was punched a month later by a kid twice his age and three times his size Peter was defenceless but he also was the instigator. But what has been most apparent to air. Force tech. Sgt. Kathy Giordano is his budding vocabulary. A Peter has been Riding the bus since Early november. Quot Giordano said of the Kinde Gartner. Quot he now knows every word in the  Giordano says her son is no Saint but she believes a bus monitoring program is needed to improve discipline and avoid a serious Accident. She and a handful of other parents have turned to Kaiserslautern military Community officials for help. But there seems to be some disagreement Over whether a problem even exists. Quot the majority of the kids on the buses Are Good kids living by the rules Quot said air Force col. James Shambo the 86th support group commander at Ramstein a which administers the bus transportation program for the Kaiserslautern Community. Quot if. It Wasny to working we would have a lot More serious things occurring out there Quot Shambo added. The Kaiserslautern Community includes Vogel Weh Ramstein and land Stuhl. There Are 82 regular bus routes and about 3,300 pupils who ride a bus to and from school each Day. In january there were 71 reported complaints according to Shambos office. Air Force tech. Sgt Kathy Giordano and her 5-year-Oid son Peter. A amps Kavin Dougherty As of feb. 2,101 students have been suspended for their conduct on the buses. The incidents ranged from a student possessing a knife to another igniting a firecracker to five reports of hitting. The majority of complaints were minor said it. Col. Sam Hays Shambos Deputy. Quot the program is not As Good As it could be Quot have said. Quot but we Are going to look at it Ana make it  one of the options is to install video cameras on a few of the buses Hays said. However that idea is still in its infancy and a major problem could be gaining the German bus companies permission. Shambo is steadfastly against a compulsory Monitor program that would involve parents whose children ride on a school bus. The main drawback is logistics Shambo said. Shambo said he does no to want a program where parents Are going to ride four times a week and Quot take a Day off. I think that puts the students at risk. At least for now Giordano and some other parents favor a Volunteer Monitor program probably run on a part time Oasis because interest is Low at this Point. There Are a few buses in the Lan Stuhl Community that have bus monitors Shambo said. However there Are Days when the buses do not have a Volunteer he said. It was one year ago tuesday that 6-year-old Nicholas a. Radik of Vilseck elementary school Germany died in a bus Accident. Nicholas apparently was jumping in and out of the vehicles rear Side door while other children were getting off the bus. When the Driver closed the front door the Back door shut As Well pinning the child. He was dragged for about 200 feet before falling to the pavement. The Augsburg Germany a amps a the University of Maryland Augsburg Campus has arranged 1993 Spring visits to overseas military schools in Europe starting tuesday. The visits arranged through the University a guidance Counselor so offices consist of a Genera presentation a presentation of information that All interested students should know about the Campus and a ques Tion and answer period. Interested students also will have the Opportunity to meet with a Campus representative. The personal interview will focus on strengths and weaknesses of student transcripts As far As attending the Augsburg Campus or elsewhere officials said. The session also includes a Brief presentation on financial Aid. Parents Are invited to attend. Presentations normally run from one to two hours. More information can be obtained from High school guidance Counselor offices. University of Maryland Augsburg Campus officials will be at the following department of defense dependents schools on dates indicated. A March 9 a Hanau High school Germany. A March 22 a Lakenheath High school England. A March 23 a Alconbury High school England. A March 24 a Croughton High school England. A March 24 a London Central High school England a March 30 a Frankfurt High school Germany. A March 31 a Gen. . Arnold High school Wiesbaden Germany. A april 13 a Livorno High school Italy. A april 15 lege night a april 15 a april 16 a april 22 a april 26 a april 27 a april 30 a May 3 a a May 4 a a May 5 a a May 10 a May 11 a May 13 a May 14 rear wheels then rolled Over him. Shambo often refers to this Accident to support his argument against a part time Monitor program. The Day Nicholas died was the one Day that week there was no adult supervision. This school year Vilseck has five paid safety attendants who supplement a team of volunteers. The hired attendants Only ride buses that carry children in kindergarten first or second Grade. Not All of the systems two dozen buses Are monitored by someone other than the bus Driver. Still complaints Are Down. Quot this is really a quiet year compared to previous years Quot said army capt. Bob Patton Supply officer for the 281st base support in in Vilseck. Quot we have parental support and command support. We Are fair in what we do and we try not to  Giordanom a group say they sometimes feel Shambo gives the Issue Low priority but he disputes that their concern is that the school year will end without a solution and the Issue will fade from thought until the first wave of complaints next school year. Quot we need action taken right now Quot air Force staff sgt. Chuck Morris said Quot because there Are kids who Are going to end up seriously  Morris who has two school aged children does not agree with Shambo on the Issue of part time monitors saying some supervision is better than nothing. Quot definitely without monitors i still see the situation getting worse before it gets better Quot Morns said. The military is responsible Shambo said for implementing and running a disciplined school bus program but it is the students and their parents who make it work. If there is a problem on a bus he said it should be reported. Quot we have a system that puts the Burden on the kids and parents involved a Shambo said. Quot that a where it  school visits a Frankfurt High school Germany. Col a Aviano High school Italy. A Vicenza High school Italy. A Naples High school Italy. A bad Kreuz Nach High school Germany. A Hahn High school Germany. A Bonn High school Germany. Heidelberg High school Germany. Mannheim High school Germany. Wurzburg High school Germany. A Pitburg High school Germany. A Baum older High school Germany. A Bamberg High school Germany. A Vilseck High school Germany