With the first full week of school now underway, one of the activities students are participating in is the safety patrol program.
Fort la Reine School principal Matt Harkness says the program is for Grades 5 and 6 students, who are trained to help other students, staff, and parents use crosswalks safely.
“We have a captain that goes around, and they take turns, making sure everybody shows up for their shift. There's a schedule, and it's something that our Grade 5s and 6s look forward to each year. They love being on patrol. There's also a lot of rewards and fun things attached to it because it is a hard job, and we want to reward our students who take on that task. It's a lot of responsibility.”
He notes that CAA is involved, sending emails to the schools periodically throughout the year, along with updates.
“They'll send us little incentives or prizes to hand out to patrols. We have vests for patrols to wear that are provided by CAA. Last year, they also provided brightly coloured toques with ‘Safety Patrol’ written on them, along with the CAA sponsor logo.”
Harkness mentions that the rewards given out each year include tickets to the cinema or swim passes provided by the Portage Regional Recreation Authority.
“The division covers half the cost, and PRRA covers the other half for swim passes to use throughout the summer. That's a big incentive for many of our students; they really like those types of rewards. Being in Grade 5 or 6 gives them a sense of responsibility, wearing the vest and participating in the program. They enjoy that feeling. It's a great program, and we want it to continue here for safety reasons. It’s another way students can be part of the school community.”
Harkness adds that the more students, the better, noting they have many shifts to cover.
“We do it in the morning and in the afternoon. Normally, we get between 25 and 30 students, which seems to be the perfect number.”