The new school crossing supervisors Olsa and Rachel with Sharon Hawker, Canowindra Public School Principal.
After two decades of lobbying, parents, teachers and the Canowindra community were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief last week when the school crossing supervisors started their first shift at the Tilga Street crossing on Tuesday afternoon.
The announcement that the crossing supervisor was to be appointed was made in July with Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole saying the school crossing at Tilga Street was one of 80 locations across the state that would receive a new school crossing supervisor.
Sharon Hawker, Principal of Canowindra Public School, described a feeling of great relief at the sight of the crossing supervisors on Tuesday. Since then Sharon has reported that an additional 10 students have started walking to school on their own since, with parents feeling confident that their children are now safe to cross the busy street.
“Parents are now comfortable and confident to send their children to walk to school unattended knowing the supervisors are in place to accompany them across the busy road,” said Sharon. “We have plans to bring more awareness and lessons in term four to teach the children how to use the crossing with the supervisor and hopefully increase the amount of children walking to school safely each day.”
“I feel like I have a weight lifted off my shoulders,” continued Sharon. “I was able to hear the trucks coming down the hill from the office and people would call the school reporting near misses so I lived with the fear that someone was going to be seriously hurt. I wanted to do all I could to make sure that didn’t happen and I can sleep easier now knowing that the children are safe to cross.”
Louise Clulow, Teacher and Relieving Principal at St Edwards Primary School mirrored Sharon Hawkers comments saying, “The teachers and students at St Edward’s are excited to see the crossing supervisor this week. It is a relief to have an adult guiding the children before and after school, across our busy Tilga Street.”
The appointment of the school crossing supervisors has been a team effort between St Edwards Primary School, Canowindra Public School and the schools respective P&C and P&F committees and local government, with continual campaigning to ensure this fantastic result for the primary students of Canowindra.
By Roselea Rowston