School Crossing Guards Deserve Our Thanks, Praise
Each of us who lives in Cherokee County should be able to agree on one thing: Our roads are busy and growing busier every day.
I hope we can agree on another point: Keeping these roads safe, especially around our schools, is an important priority.
We’re fortunate to have the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Frank Reynolds, that’s dedicated to serving and protecting our community. The Sheriff’s Office is an outstanding partner for our school district in times of crisis, but also every day by offering crossing guards.
The Sheriff’s Office employs crossing guards to keep our county’s roads safe for everyone by directing traffic at our most congested school entrances. Just like patrolling for speeders, careless drivers and stopped-school-bus passers, the office’s dedication to ensuring school entrances are safe is crucial to the safety of everyone on our roads.
There’s no more important person during the school rush hour than the crossing guard, as he or she is key to ensuring traffic moves through the school zones smoothly and slowly; that drivers – no matter how rushed – take turns; and that it’s safe for walkers and bicyclists to cross streets.
It’s important to remember to yield to crossing guards, so that everyone remains safe, and to be kind and courteous as they do their job. We also ask you to consider going one step further: please thank a crossing guard.
Serving as a crossing guard can be dangerous and thankless, and we all can do our part to make this job safer and more appreciated.
A “thank you” can be as easy as waving hello or giving a thumbs-up, or sending a personal note, a card made by your child or small gift to the school to pass along to the crossing guard. A $5 gift card to enjoy a hot cup of coffee makes a big impact after a cold or wet (or both) shift. A gift card for a frozen treat is just as wonderful on warmer days.
Please consider thanking Sheriff Reynolds and the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners for the investment of our tax dollars that employs the crossing guards. It’s good for them to hear your appreciation as well.
P.S. The fine for failing to obey a crossing guard directing traffic? It may end up costing you $1,000.
– Barbara P. Jacoby serves as chief communications officer
for the Cherokee County School District, and is a CCSD parent with four children.
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