WORCESTER, Mass. - The local school bus provider, AA Transportation, hosts an annual open house for incoming kindergarteners and their parents in the East Brookfield area for a chance to get familiar with riding the school bus.

The bus company hosted their "First Ride for Safety" on Wednesday where families get the chance to learn all about the busses their kids will be riding on.

Incoming kindergarteners are taught how to safely wait for, get on and ride the bus; and meet a lot of the local drivers.

The community day also features local first responders and their trucks.

AA Transportation provides school bus services to 18 towns in Central Mass and one town in Northeast Connecticut.

Melody Moody is a manager for the company in the Leicester, Spencer and East Brookfield area.

She said she's been bussing for nearly 30 years and getting students familiar with riding the bus makes a huge difference.

"The classic lessons are to stay in your seat and listen to the instructions from the bus driver," Moody said. "Let me tell you, this makes a big difference for the children that show up. Some of the children that don't show up, they're very anxious getting on the bus. But the children that are here, now they know what to expect so it's not so bad. Every new school year, we look forward to meeting all those little kindergarten students and introducing them to the bus and hopefully getting everyone to ride the bus."

AA Transportation said heading into this school year they are still hiring for a few bus driver positions, but they confirmed all of their routes will be covered.