Crossing guards help with safety at HES
Staff writer
Crossing guard programs at Hillsboro Elementary School continue to help insure students cross the busy intersections in a safe manner.
The student crossing guard program was implemented at the elementary in 1998 or 1999 according to Maura Wiebe, fifth grade teacher and sponsor of the program. It may have been in place earlier, but no one is quite sure when.
Each year fifth grade students have the opportunity to volunteer to be a crossing guard. Volunteers are required to sign contracts and promise to be present on their designated days to work.
After schedules are made, rules are taught and a training session is implemented.
According to Wiebe, students rotate throughout the year to be crossing guards. Each student will serve about three times for the school year. Students are given one warning if they are reported for misconduct on the job. If another report is made, the student is relieve of his/her duties.
The guards stand on the corner of A and Wilson streets. They are on duty from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and from 3:30 to 4 p.m. for one week. It is the student's responsibility to be on time.
"We spend one-half hour to an hour practicing at the corner and going over the students' responsibilities as crossing guards," Wiebe said.
Students are issued florescent-colored vests and stop signs. They are instructed to let cars proceed through the intersection, then hold up the stop sign to prevent other cars from coming through the intersection. The guards then escort students across the street in between the crosswalks.
"They really look forward to doing this," HES principal Evan Yoder said. "We have a big sign-up for it."
Wiebe reported of the 47 fifth graders attending school this year, 25 of them volunteered for the crossing guard job.
"They have some responsibility and some power," Yoder said smiling.
Wiebe agreed and added, "They find it to be a lot of fun."
The crossing guard volunteers are given an end-of-the-year culminating activity to thank them for their hard work during the year.
