Safety Patrol

In Katy ISD, 5th grade is the last year of elementary school, and it's an incredible year of growth for these kids as they begin gaining newfound independence. The 5th graders at WoodCreek are given lots of extra freedom as well as responsibility to prepare them for the big jump to junior high the following year.

For YEARS, Connor has talked about how cool 5th grade seemed and how excited he was to experience all of the perks associated with being the oldest kids on campus. One such perk that is reserved for 5th graders is Safety Patrol. The Safety Patrol is a select group of 5th graders, hand-picked by the teachers, that arrive early before school and stay late after school to help all of the children out of and into their cars in the drop-off/pick-up car rider line. These "safeties" have been assisting Connor and Kaitlynn for years as we've used the car rider line, and they are always so welcoming and polite. Safety Patrol kids will safely usher children to/from their car, open the car door, make sure the child is safely in/out of the car, and always close the door with a polite greeting to the driver.

Two weeks before school started, I got a call from the elementary coach requesting that Connor join the Safety Patrol for the beginning of the school year. It brought a huge smile to my face, because I knew Connor would be SO excited to have that responsibility, but also because he had been highly recommended by his teachers for this important role. So proud of him!

So, on the 1st day of his 5th grade year, Connor arrived to school ready to take on the Safety Patrol! He was pumped for this job as well as the fact that he was now the "big man on campus" at the elementary school.

The special gym entrance for safety patrol kids.

After I had walked Kaitlynn into her classroom, I came back out to find my little "safety" in action. He was opening car doors, ushering the little children safely, and greeting the parents cheerfully. It was so fun to watch!

Connor's first day of safety patrol

LOVE my little man on safety patrol!

I learned later that Connor and his friends on Safety Patrol quickly decided that the kindergarten children were the most fun to usher to and from their cars. Connor told me that he and his buddy would playfully fight over the youngest kids because they were "just so cute and little!"

A friend texted me this pic of Connor helping Kaitlynn's friend, Dominique, into her car after school. Love seeing my "safety" in action!

My favorite member of the safety patrol!

I am so proud of my little man on Safety Patrol and how eager he was to take on new responsibilities in 5th grade. We were off to an awesome start to his last year of elementary school!