Whitefield fourth graders have an opportunity to learn leadership and responsibility through the Lower School safety patrol program. Students who express an interest in the program fill out an application with a parent’s approval and the safety patrol is then selected by fourth-grade teachers. Once chosen as a member of the safety patrol, the students rotate serving throughout the spring semester, usually serving one or two weeks of duty.
“Students have to get to school by 7:40 a.m. to participate,” said Beth Stockum, fourth-grade teacher, “so we look for kids who have already shown timeliness and responsibility.”
Members of the safety patrol serve in different roles every day to help ensure the safety of Lower School students as they arrive at school. The students rotate roles to help them understand the importance of each position and why working as a team sometimes accomplishes more than working individually.
The roles are curb duty (opening doors and greeting students), crosswalk duty (ensuring students safely cross the street), stair duty (reminding children to be safe by walking not running to class), and hallway duty (ensuring students make it safely to class and watching for outside visitors to ensure they have checked it).
“The program is a great way to begin challenging students to participate as leaders,” said Jeannie Brostrand, Lower School principal. “It helps students see themselves as valuable contributors and see the importance of giving back to a community, not just here at school, but wherever they may be involved. I love hearing students greet each other in the mornings as I see the older children care for the younger! Plus, it’s a whole lot of fun!”