Thirteen students from the Six-to-Six Magnet School in Bridgeport were uninjured when their bus was struck by a tractor-trailer owned by Road Scholar Transportation near I-95's exit 35 northbound just before 8 a.m.

After a quick checkup at Milford Hospital, the students and their teacher went on to an academic competition at Manchester Community College, where they won four gold medals.

The students now head for the July nationals in various divisions of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competition in Anaheim, Calif.

"Something like that would have thrown my whole day off. They just shook it off," said Christopher LaBelle, principal of Six-to-Six Magnet.

After the 7:50 a.m. accident, all 13 students were taken to Milford Hospital as a precaution and given a clean bill of health. Their bus driver, Joseph Dicks, 72, of Bridgeport, and teacher John Valus also were checked at the hospital.

The truck driver, George Alexander, 39, of Blackstone, Mass., was cited by State Police for following too closely. Alexander struck the bus in the rear as it slowed down for traffic ahead, police said.

The truck, owned by Road Scholar Transportation of Clarksville, Pa., had to be towed from the highway, said Lt. Paul Vance, State Police spokesman.

LaBelle was also on his way to the competition, driving ahead of the bus.

"I got this call that the bus had been hit by an 18-wheeler. It was scary. Your heart drops," he said.

An assistant principal, also en route to the competition but closer to the accident scene, reached the site first and assured LaBelle by cell phone that everyone was fine.

LaBelle met the group at the hospital, as did Nancy Cetorelli, director of Cooperative Education Services, the agency that oversees the regional magnet school.

Cetorelli said she got the call about the accident just after 8 a.m.

As many of the students' parents who were able to showed up at the hospital.

The students were uninjured and remained anxious to compete. After a phone call explaining the situation, event organizers agreed to juggle the competition schedule so that the Six-to-Six kids could compete last, Cetorelli said.

"They literally got there, walked off the bus an hour and a half late and performed," LaBelle said. "They did a phenomenal job. I can't believe how composed they were."

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America encourages students in middle and high school to become engaged in community service projects.

The Thurgood Marshall Middle School component of Six-to-Six Magnet School has participated in the competition for several years and walked away with top prizes in the past. So Tuesday's recognition was not the result of sympathy votes, LaBelle said.

In most cases, the students must present their projects to a panel of judges who look for factors such as eye contact, clarity and a sense that students did all the work themselves.

"Our kids are strong presenters," LaBelle said.

Six-to-Six students received four gold medals, and their teacher won state adviser of the year.

The winners include: Caroline Proto, of Stratford; Julia Mateusiak, of Trumbull; and Danielle Rooney, of Monroe, who won gold medals in the National Programs in Action category for making and selling scarves to raise money for St. Jude's Hospital.

In the Chapter Service Project Manual category, Emily Rooney, of Monroe, Jaida Craddock, of Bridgeport, and Sade English, of Bridgeport, won for a project that focused on teaching fitness to elementary school students.

In the Chapter Service Project Display category, Melinda Freund, of Trumbull, Sarah Littlefield, of Fairfield, and Katherine Larson, of Trumbull, won for a project that involved making "Feel Good" bags of crayons, makers and bubbles for area hospitals.

Also, John Valus Jr., of Stratford, won a gold medal in the Focus on Children category for organizing the school's Trick or Trunk project, a safe way for students at the school to celebrate Halloween.

Valus' dad, the family consumer science teacher at the school, won the adviser of the year award.