Beloved school bus driver Randy Centeno often would tell older students on his bus what to do and how to act if there was a bus emergency, but he never envisioned he would become that emergency.

On the morning of Feb. 20, Centeno had 13 students on his bus, and was backing out of the dead-end Mello Drive, when his chest and upper body became racked with stabbing pains. He quickly stopped the bus, slammed on the emergency brake and screamed for someone to call 911.

Five middle school students, stunned and frightened for a second, sprang into action. Seventh grader Ava Boenig, 12, called 911 to summon emergency crews.

Everyone was scared, the middle school students said, and several of the nine younger elementary school students were crying. Seventh graders Sadie Daniewicz, Amani Mercado and Daniel Parashini and sixth grader Kiera Aanerud gathered the younger students and brought them to the back of the bus as emergency crews arrived to assist “Mr. Randy,” as their beloved driver is called.

Other bus drivers heard radio chatter about the incident and came to assist.

The five students were honored at the March 9 Board of Education meeting and will receive certificates and plaques of appreciation, Superintendent Roy Seitsinger said, and Centeno — who has not yet returned to work — surprised the group by attending the meeting and presenting flowers to the four students in attendance at the meeting as they received applause from the Board of Education and audience.

“I always taught some of my middle schoolers how to react if there’s a bus emergency,” Centeno wrote in a letter Seitsinger read aloud at the March 9 meeting. “That morning, they took leadership and action. Everything came together and worked as it should. I received the help I needed. I personally wanted to thank every student that assisted that morning, because they are both brave and competent.”

He also thanked co-workers and bus supervisors, Fire Chief Tom Casey and others who assisted with his emergency.

“My family also sends their thanks and gratitude to everyone involved,” Centeno wrote. “To every student, take this as a learning experience and be very proud of yourselves and as you grow up, take every learning experience as a step up in life and you will excel.”

c.bessette@theday.com

Kindness in Real Life is a regular feature in The Times. To contribute, email times@theday.com.