Introducing: ‘Staff Spotlight!’ Meet Bus Driver Lisa Yodice

Staff spotlight art

Welcome to 2021 “Staff Spotlight!”

Every Wednesday, you’ll meet one of our wonderful Minisink Valley staff, who work in a variety of departments,  and learn more about their important work!

Lisa YodiceToday, Feb. 24, meet bus driver Lisa Yodice!

What’s your favorite aspect of your job?

I personally feel that if you truly love your job, and I do…then it is really never work. I enjoy the fact that I am able to get to know the students in our community and watch them do well. I have seen Kindergarten children now in middle school and have watched middle schoolers graduate high school. I am happy for them when they accomplish their goals. I am also happy that they have a safe ride to and from school every day and that I can be a part of that process.

Why do you believe in and support the work of the Minisink Valley School District and what it does for the community?

I have lived here for a good portion of my life. The school and our community have always seemed to me like a great team to be a part of. We have an amazing team at the bus garage. Best group of people I have ever worked with. I am also part of the snow removal team…..that is made up of quite a few drivers and the mechanics. It is a lot of hard work but we work together to get the job done every time it snows. I am proud to be part of that team! I was a proud Minisink Valley student and now a proud parent of Minisink Valley students and very happy to be here as an employee as well. Go Warriors!

How has this pandemic refocused the work you do every day?

Well, being a bus driver, you get to know many of the students. You know their names, who their friends are and while waiting for other students to get on I always say hi and ask how their day went. We laugh and joke and talk about the day. Some even ask for advice or just have questions about an assignment.

We (as drivers) wear many hats…we are a temporary mom, dad, friend, teacher, etc. for anything they need. Most importantly we are the bus driver, so safety always comes first! Because of COVID, things of course have changed a bit but we are still there for our students. Of course,  all safety guidelines are still there…that always takes priority, but we are definitely doing everything we can to make things as normal as possible for them. Of course, we can still chat and ask how there day went.

What do you want to say directly to the community about the importance of your work?

I would like to think that I speak for all of us drivers when I say that we treat your children like our own. We make sure your most precious cargo gets to school safely every day. We take our job seriously and we love what we do! We take them on their sports trips and yell: “Go Minisink!” We talk to them about their good or bad day at school.

The kids in this community (our community) are very important to us. Because of how important they are we ask this of our fellow community members: Please, when you see us driving, be cautious. Pretend that every child getting on or off our bus is your child. Please give us that extra 30 seconds to make sure they are ok. Most importantly please stop when our “reds are out.” Whether it is a stop sign on a pole in the ground or on the side of our bus,  a “stop” is a “stop.”  It is so important…please help us keep all of our children safe! They are the heart and soul of our community and future!