OVERLAND, Mo. – On a Monday morning in April, a bus parked in front of Iveland Elementary sits empty while class is in session, but there's a lot going on inside.
Between her morning and afternoon bus runs, Ritenour driver Kathy Lamb transforms bus number 22 into a tropical paradise.
"It certainly stands out," Lamb said laughing.
The kids call her Ms. Kathy. She's known for her laugh and for her decorating touch.
"Kids get a kick out of it," Kathy said as she hung inflatable sandals and sand toys from the bus ceiling.
Decorating her bus is something she started doing several years ago when she was driving for the Hazelwood district. Now, in her first year with Ritenour, she's taken it to a whole new level. For her, it's all about the reaction she gets from the kids. Many of the students enter her bus with shocked facial expressions when they see the decorations for the first time.
Kathy believes the decorations help keep the kids well behaved. She also has an educational theme with her designs. Her latest creation is to encourage summer reading and it's complete with a mini library at the front of the bus.
Antonio Atkins said Ms. Kathy's style has really helped his daughter transition to kindergarten.
"She was scared to get on the bus and now she wants to get on the bus all the time," Atkins said.
That's the power of Ms. Kathy and her inflatable sandals.
