AAA honors Sipherd fifth-grader for faithful safety patrol service

Safety patrollers, those largely unspoken heroes of the crosswalk, took a bow at Sipherd Elementary and applauded a colleague on her AAA School Safety Patrol Award.

Fifth-grader Angelina Yousif earned honorable mention as Safety Patroller of the Year for the Central Valley Region of AAA Northern California. The region covers 232 schools with 6,976 safety patrollers. Angelina took a bow with other AAA awardees before the Oakland A’s game May 13 at the Oakland Coliseum.

The auto club’s school safety patrol program dates to 1920. Along with instructions and safety tips, the website offers a list of famous safety patrol alums. The list includes former President Jimmy Carter, track star Edwin Moses, baseball great Joe Garagiola and Lee Iacocca, who went on to build many of the cars safety patrollers stop to let younger students cross.

Sipherd’s 22 safety patrollers got a pizza lunch and a hearty handshake from Principal Scott Scott Nicotero earlier this month. All got certificates from adviser Susan Lao.

“It’s really a big deal what you do every day.” Nicotero told the students before turning the mike over to Modesto AAA office Director Chris Williams and sales staffer Jessica Barocio. The two presented Angelina with a plaque and gift card, and donated $1,500 to the school safety patrol program.

Lao said the money will go toward new signs and vests for next year’s fifth- and sixth-grade patrollers.

“I like safety patrol and I sub every day,” said Angelina. The 10-year-old said she plans on being a doctor, and likes pitching in to set out safety cones before and after school at the crossings. As a sixth-grader next year, she will get to be a safety patrol sergeant.

Lao’s nomination notes Angelina is never late, never misses a day and always brings a great attitude. She shouts instructions loudly and clearly and makes eye contact with drivers.

“She is responsible and knows that being in the safety patrol team she has the responsibility to save lives and that is by helping students and parents cross the street safely every day,” Lao wrote.

Patrollers help roughly 100 Sipherd students cross a “T” intersection at Kathy Avenue and Lillian Drive before and after school. The east Modesto campus is part of the Empire Union School District.

Nicotero said there had been “a couple of minor incidents” this year with careless drivers but no injuries to crossing students or the safety patrollers.

“The service they provide every day to parents and students is critical,” he said.

This story was originally published May 20, 2015 at 3:01 PM with the headline "AAA honors Sipherd fifth-grader for faithful safety patrol service."