Lower Moreland Principal FaceTimes Students Stuck On Bus In Snow

LOWER MORELAND, PA — A Lower Moreland School District principal got creative to help elementary school students pass the time when they were stuck on a bus in heavy traffic.

Like students at school districts across the region, the students of Pine Road Elementary School spent hours trying to make their way home during the snowstorm on Thursday.

Despite an early dismissal, motorists still had to fight treacherous conditions on the roads in the early afternoon, as the snow remained at its peak intensity.

With hundreds of accidents and hundreds more disabled vehicles, the going was very slow. Especially for school buses that took extra precautions to keep their precious cargo safe.

Recognizing the tough conditions the young children were facing, Pine Road principal Brian Swank FaceTimed a student to check in on them. Once he could see their faces, he reassured them, and even read them some books.

"They are warm and in good spirits," Swank reported back on Twitter. "I assured them that the grown-ups are working hard to get them home safely."

Swank told 6ABC that he hoped the call would helped comfort the children.

"I was hopeful that a familiar face would have a calming influence on them," he told the outlet.

Books he read included 'You Belong Here' by M.H. Clark and 'Oh! What a Suprise,' the report states.

They were fitting titles for the situation they all found themselves in: a sudden, unexpectedly powerful November storm, an hours-long bus ride, and their principal chatting to them through the screen of a phone.

All students arrived home safe.

Read more Patch coverage of yesterday's storm below:

• Spring-Ford Was The Only School District In The Region Not To Close Early Thursday
• WATCH: Camel Walking In Snowstorm On Route 309 In Souderton
• Eastern PA Snow Totals, Town-By-Town For Nov. 15 Storm
• 'Stay Off Roads' Montgomery Co. Authorities Warn

Image via Lower Moreland School District