A couple things.
The note idea came from Robby’s teacher. They aren’t in the same class, once they get to school. Whew.
The reason they ride the bus, is that the 4-K and Kindergarten students in our little town are all bussed 7 miles away to a little country school where they are alone. There are 3 classes this year, and one 4K class out there. I live right across the street from the School where my son will go from 1st through 12th grades, so he won’t be riding a bus after this year. Neither with the other boy.
There are usually 3 adults on the bus already which is great. The bus driver is a woman and starting to be a friend of mine. She is also a teacher’s aid and I have worked with her quite a few times. She didn’t see the incident. There is one other woman who rides to school with the kids and is a Kindergarten aid. I think she is the one who saw and reported the incident to Robby’s teacher. And there is one more woman who rides the bus with an autistic boy, who is his aid. I even rode that bus when I subbed one day, so sometimes there are more adults on there. But the bus is also jammed with kids, 3 to most seats, so stuff gets past them.
I really am considering martial arts for Orion. It would mean a long drive for us, but I am sure would be worth it in many ways. He already loves doing that type of thing when playing. He loves to play that he is a robot or transformer, or power ranger and do all the kicks and karate type moves.
I am also thinking taking him to play with the kid some more might help. We have played with that boy in the past, and as far as I know are the only ones in town who do. So that may be why Robby is singling my son out…he does want to be friends, but isn’t sure how to go about it. I suppose if his dad does stuff like that to him(which we know he does), he figures that means you like someone and it is how you act.
I have already had to reprimand Robby myself, and give him a time out at school when I was subbing. He was using some stick puppets as weapons and hitting everyone on the head with them. When I removed him from the group, he gave me a “teenager stare of death”. I was a little freaked out, and worried that he might be trouble, but didn’t think he would be trouble for my kid just 2 weeks later. UGH. I didn’t even know he was sitting with Orion until now.
Robby also has never gone to school before. My son and most of the other kids went to preschool at a local church, and then to two full days of 4K, last year, at the same school they go to now. So I am hoping that Robby will adjust.
I really just want to nip this in the bud, and not let it escalate until my son comes home with broken glasses/and or really hurt.
We will also up the role playing again. And…I am looking into finding him a playmate to rough house with that has more self control than Robby. I have a boy in mind, and need to talk to his parents.
My husband and I are older(44 and 47), and try and do it some, but are not doing it enough apparently. I have heard from Orion’s Dr. that it is very good for boys to do this, and she thinks he needs more of it too. I think our mistake, as well as a lot of parents today, is that we are always stopping any kind of play like that as soon as we see it for fear someone will get hurt! Now I am realizing that they need to do that, and probably need to get hurt once in awhile.
A pet is hopefully on the horizon too. My son has so many stuffed animals that he tends to daily, and makes homes for, and carts around, so we know he really would love a pet. Our beloved 16 year old beagle died when our son was 2, and we have just had a hard time thinking of another pet until now. We are thinking, Cat, this time however…so not exactly a rough and tumbly pet, but one that we think we could care for better. 
Thanks for the input…keep it coming. It really helps to see all the different perspectives, even if you aren’t a parent, I am sure you remember being a kid. Like Agent Towers said, kids take the business of being a kid very seriously. I remember that so well. Whatever age I was, I thought I was as old as I would get, and every bit as much a part of the world as anyone else. I was picked on a lot myself as a kid, but never at school. I was tortured at home for being the only fat kid in a family with 5 other kids. But at school, I was the funny kid who was friends with everyone, and if I was bullied, which I was a few times, I was able to stand up for myself and dish it right back. I even got in trouble for pushing snow in a girls face after she slapped me. I was 7. I remember the incident like it was yesterday, not 1972!
That girl is my friend now, and she has no recollection of hitting me, or me taking up for myself.