November 2013
Inside
The Educate & Communicate Newspaper
PAGE 3 • Chairperson's Message PAGE 4 • Environmental Initiatives PAGE 6 • School Garden PAGE 9 • Mandarin Program PAGE 10 • Students and Trades PAGE 12 • Lawyers In Training PAGE 14 • Grandbuddies Program PAGE 15 • RCMP Youth Squad Program
Also available online at www.sd38.bc.ca & www.richmond-news.com
Crossing guard program offers lessons in leadership Crossing guards have come a long way over the last few decades, in large part thanks to the British Columbia Automobile Association School Safety Patrol Program. First off, they’re called "patrollers" now so there’s that. Also, the vests are particularly reflective and the signs are light and made of plastic and wood; goodbye heavy, rusty, jagged metal octagons. Furthermore, now the patrollers come in teams of three, not two. There’s no getting by these kids. Aside from the obvious traffic safety benefits of crossing patrols, the BCAA program serves to teach elementary students leadership, which is exactly what’s happening at Manoah Steves Elementary school with the guidance of Principal Liz Taylor. The association sets out some prerequisites prior to schools implementing the patrol program, which also encompasses education on active modes of transportation and how to become a responsible leader in one’s community. Taylor needed to follow the training model set by BCAA. That meant having herself and the students watch a DVD about road safety, among other things. Also, the school needed to have a marked crosswalk close to it but not at a busy intersection which it does. Once the students were trained according to BCAA guidelines they received new crossing equipment, cones included. When one speaks to the patrollers it’s obvious that they enjoy taking part in the program. “I like the whistle. It’s fun,” said Justin Smith, a patrol captain in Grade 5 who guides the two sign bearers. What’s more is that Taylor has made her Grade 5 students the patrollers, not the Grade 6-7 students, which has typically been the standard. “For us developing leadership is really important. The sooner we can start kids on that the better off we are as a community,” explained Taylor. The crossing patrol program is part of Taylor’s broader strategy of advancing leadership values throughout the school. Manoah Steves has 63 Grade 6-7 students who are divided into leadership committees that then lead teams with students from all grades. The teams participate together during school events and leadership activities with social responsibility aspects, such as sports games, concerts and ceremonies. A recent example Taylor pointed out was "Fill your Bucket Day," which asked students to positively reinforce one another. The leaders had to explain to the primary students what that meant and provide examples of how to "fill another’s bucket."
Taylor meets with the Grade 6-7 students twice monthly to monitor progress. She says she follows the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, a leadership model developed by educators in the United States. The model values are known as MICEE. First, older students must "Model the Way" and develop standards of leadership. This means setting examples for younger students, for instance. Second, students must "Inspire," meaning they must enlist others to participate. Third, students are asked to "Challenge the Process" meaning they must improve upon their initial standards. Fourth, the Grade 6-7 students should "Enable Others to Act" so that the younger students participate equally in any given activity. Fifth, the students are asked to "Encourage the Heart." This last step means the students must always recognize the contributions of others. “We practice. We do little scenarios at lunch time and all of our Grade 6-7’s sit in on primary classes at lunch and help the little kids stay calm and relax,” said Taylor. “It’s about how can we be leaders and give back and how can we help,” she added.
PHOTO: Daniel Blackmore holds up the ‘stop’ sign as fellow crossing guard Justin Smith blows his whistle, indicating to cars that there is a pedestrian crossing the street out front of Manoah Steves Elementary school on Nov. 4, 2013.