Bus safety and artistic expression can mix, according to students from Southwestern Central School District.

For bus safety month in November, around 80 Southwestern Elementary School students competed in a schoolwide bus safety poster contest and six students were recently declared the winners.

One winner was selected from each grade level by a school vote where students could select their favorite posters.

Kristen Meier, assistant principal, said the students worked on their poster which featured minions from “Despicable Me” and “Minions” the movie. The theme of the contest was “minions” of reasons to stay safe on the bus, she said.

“For the month of November, we focused on bus safety (and the rules on the bus),” Meier said, adding there were many presentations and the bus drivers also came in to talk with the students.

She said the poster contest was a way to get the students involved and interested in the bus rules.

“We had 80 participants total, and then we hung up five posters from each grade level. All the students had the opportunity to vote on the best poster,” Meier said. “Amanda Lauren, our art teacher, led the poster contest in her classes for kindergarten- through fifth-grade students.”

The winning posters were announced over the loud speaker on Thursday afternoon and the winners were called down to the office. Each were given a certificate and a gold medal for their artistic work.

The posters will be hung throughout the community, Meier said. Locations will include: Jamestown Pediatrics; Southern Tier Pediatrics; Tim Hortons in Lakewood; Jamestown YMCA; at the Home Depot on the community board; James Prendergast Library; and McDonald’s in Lakewood.

“I was surprised by how many students participated,” Meier said. “The students did a great job participating in the contest and we are proud of them for their good work.”

Contest winners include Emma Harrington, third-grader; Emma Lewis, first-grader; Hannah Dearman, fourth-grader; Michael Butterfield, fifth-grader; Charlotte Beaver, kindergartner; and Katelyn Casel, second-grader.