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Partly Cloudy They're Brooklyn Avenue's finest
They can be spotted every weekday morning around Brooklyn Avenue School in their bright yellow sashes. They are the members of the school’s Safety Patrol, or as Principal Dr. Scott Comis likes to call them, “Brooklyn Avenue’s Finest.”
Third-grade teacher Susan Leggett said the school had a Safety Patrol about four or five years ago, and was asked by Comis to resurrect it this year. Now, she advises 10 students, all sixth graders, who are charged with keeping their classmates safe every morning.
Leggett said that the group started in October with three training sessions, then began patrolling the school grounds in November. She explained that the Automobile Association of America, better known as AAA, actually sponsors the school Safety Patrol program and provided her with various resources including the reflective yellow sashes and badges the students wear.
Safety Patrol member Brian Sterling said that the students report to Leggett’s room each day at 8 a.m. and are outside 10 minutes later. Each student is assigned a post around the school’s property.
Sha’lana Vaughn said the primary goal of Safety Patrol is right in the group’s name — safety. Often, she said, they are telling other children to stop running. “We want them to be really careful,” she said, “because we don’t want anybody to get hurt.”
Every Safety Patrol member has a rank and Sha’lana shares captain duties with Jason Bitetto. One of their roles is to give each member their post assignment for the day. Jason explained that theses assignments frequently change “so everyone has a turn at being at a position to see what it’s like.”
The Safety Patrol members held elections early in the school year to decide who would serve as the group’s leaders.
Cee Cee Caban said that being a member of Safety Patrol is an important responsibility. She has to set an example of good behavior for other students at Brooklyn Avenue. “I think they view us as role models,” she said. “They look to us to make the right decisions.”
