School Bus Driver Knits More Than 7,000 Winter Hats For Every Student Who Has Ridden Her Bus

Feb 21, 2023 by apost team

Every child who went to Harris Hill Elementary in the Clarence Central School District in New York and took the bus to school has met school bus driver Patricia Reitz, who has knitted over 7,000 winter hats for the students. 

Reitz, who is more affectionally called “Miss Patty” by the children, their parents and even the school staff, is so well-loved by the school community for her simple yet inspirational gesture. Most of the school kids between kindergarten to the fifth grade have ridden her bus and her handmade knitted winter hat has made her a friend to the children.

The school bus driver recalled that she started knitting a hat as a stress reliever as she was taking care of an ailing mother more than three decades ago. Studies have shown that the repetitive motions of knitting or crocheting may calm and soothe the body and brain similar to the effects of mindful meditation and breathing exercises. 

One day, she was knitting a hat while waiting for the students and a boy came onto her bus and asked what she was doing. The kid told Reitz that a knitted hat would be great to wear for skiing down the slopes during the winter break and that started everything after Reitz asked the child what color of winter hat he’d like to have. 

Some 7,000 hats later and Reitz has been gifting mostly Santa hats to the children as she believes not a lot of kids own one. However, she also knits winter hats shaped like potato sacks with two tassels on both sides with the children’s favorite colors. 

Wesley Kwiatek, a fifth grader, has kept the knitted Santa hat gifted by Reitz when he was in kindergarten.

“It just stands out because it’s like knitted. It’s just knit in like a good way. You just can’t lose it,” the boy said. 

Deborah Bosworth, a third-grade teacher, said that the school bus driver’s knitted hats show the kids that she cares about them so it’s not a surprise that she is the children’s favorite. On the other hand, Reitz’s daughter, Bridgit, who works as a school monitor, is naturally proud of her mother’s hat project and she often gets compliments when she also wears the knitted hats because it’s really eye-catching. 

Reitz uses her own money for the materials but then again she’s lucky to get a lot of gift cards from the families of the students. However, she uses these gift cards to buy more yarn to knit. 

Apart from winter hats, Reitz also knits blankets and scarves to give to friends or family. She also donates her work to charitable organizations that need to distribute items to keep the needy warm amid New York’s harsh winter weather. 

On her 29th year as the bus driver, the school district recognized Reitz for her admirable connection to the kids and she said has no plans of slowing down yet in her early 60s. She has already started knitting hats for next winter’s bus riders.  

The school bus driver hardly took a sick day in all those years of work because she wanted to be always there for the children. Driving for them has helped her feel youthful as well, she told WGRZ-TV.

apost.com

Isn't Miss Patty amazing? What do you think of her commitment to the kids? Do you know someone who knits? They might love this story so pass it along!