Young leader wins prestigious school safety award

GUELPH, ON, June 20, 2016 /CNW/ - A Guelph student is doing his part in keeping his peers safe.

Today, 10-year-old Derek Winget received the CAA School Safety Patroller of the Year Award for thinking on his feet and acting quickly.  

As part of his role as a bus patroller, the École élémentaire L'Odyssée student is always the first one off the bus and ensures the safety of his bus mates as they disembark. Earlier in the school year, Derek was at his post, as his classmates were getting off the school bus, when he noticed that a Junior Kindergarten student had remained inside. Before he could confirm with the driver, the doors closed and the bus drove away. The Grade 5 student promptly notified a nearby teacher and the bus driver was quickly contacted and returned the young student to school.

"We are delighted that Derek is the CAA School Safety Patroller of the Year. He has done an outstanding job as bus patroller and is an exemplary leader to his peers. His commitment and dedication to the program are evident and he takes his responsibilities to heart," said Nicole Savage, Community Relations Specialist, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO). 

Since 1929, the CAA School Safety Patrol program, developed to protect and educate elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices, has run in partnership with police services, school boards, teachers, bus consortiums and student volunteers. More than 20,000 patrollers at 800 Ontario schools, volunteer over 3.45 million hours every year to help their classmates get to and from school safely.

As a leader and advocate for road safety and mobility, CAA South Central Ontario is a not-for-profit auto club which represents the interests of 2 million members. For over a century, CAA has collaborated with communities, police services and governments to help keep drivers and their families safe while travelling on our roads.

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SOURCE CAA South Central Ontario

CONTACT: Media contact: Silvana Aceto, Media and PR Consultant, CAA SCO, sace@caasco.ca, Office: (905) 771-3194, Cell: (416) 209-4930; or Jeff LeMoine, Communications Consultant, CAA SCO jlem@caasco.ca, Office: (905) 771-4709, Cell: (416) 254-0641