At Naomi Pasemann Elementary, safety is one of the top priorities throughout the day. By keeping the learning environment safe, students can take full advantage of what the school has to offer.
“Here at Pasemann, our Safety Patrol program assists students by providing leadership, citizenship and a safe environment for children in and around our school,” said Principal Felica Gibson. “Our Safety Patrol officers are fourth grade students that go above and beyond in academics and behavior. They are role models on our campus and help keep our campus safe.”
Gibson said she and counselor Marilyn Alvarez-Bryant wanted to take learning about safety to a higher level by involving students with hands-on duties and jobs to help reinforce the school’s safety rules. With three rules in mind, Nurture Responsibility, Practice Respect and Ensure Safety (NPE), they created a group of students called the NPE Safety Patrol.
The NPE Safety Patrol consists of ten fourthgrade students that take the oath of office given by a Taylor Independent School District School Resource Officer. At the beginning of each semester, a new group of students is selected, and they undergo the same training as well as being taught by their previous classmates.
“They are responsible for enforcing the expectations of the school,” Alvarez-Bryant said. “(These include) how we walk in the hallways, how we carry ourselves, and how we can keep ourselves safe while attending school. Overall, they help reinforce those expectations of school safety.”
Each morning, Safety Patrol students are positioned all around the school. Some are at the front entrance, or throughout the hallways, as well as being outside to open car doors as they greet classmates with a friendly “Good Morning” to help start their day.
“Every morning, as I walk around our building, I see our patrol actively greeting and reminding students of our NPE expectations,”
said Gibson. “I am reminded of how proud I am of our students.”
Other than contributing to keeping the schools safe, being part of the NPE Safety Patrol brings other benefits as well.
“It helps teach them about leadership, as well as teaching them how to interact with others in a polite manner,” Alvarez-Bryant said. “It promotes respect from the other students, where they have to be respectful back to their peers as well. The social aspect of it is very important in terms of learning how relationships work and how to be a leader.”
In addition to being a valuable learning experience, it’s also fun for all the participating students. Making new friends, making an impact on the school, and helping others throughout their day is part of the process.
“I enjoy being part of the safety patrol very much!” exclaimed student Kinsley Davis. “My favorite thing to do is help others.”
