ALBANY, Ore. — The South Willamette chapter of the Oregon Pupil Transportation Association will hold its 2011 Winter Workshop here on Feb. 26. The theme of the workshop will be responding to bullying. 

Allan Beane of Bully Free Systems is scheduled to speak to attendees during presentations titled “The Role of Bus Drivers in Stopping the Pain and Violence” and “How to Conduct on-the-Spot Responding to Bullying.”

The workshop will also feature a mock bullying/hostage event field exercise with state, city and county police, along with SWAT response.

Shifting gears, Mike Martin, executive director of the National Association for Pupil Transportation, will talk about the industry during his presentation titled “Bleeding Yellow – Passionate About School Transportation?”

Workshop registration is $25 per person. The deadline to register is Feb. 18, 2011, by 5 p.m.  Attendees will receive six hours of Oregon Department of Education-approved classroom credit.

For more information, visit www.optaschoolbus.org and click on “Trainings & Workshops” under the “Events” tab.