CJ Harris students serve as "star leaders" helping younger peers with supervision and routines

Students at CJ Harris Elementary in Pearland ISD are serving as "star leaders," assisting younger pupils with morning routines, cafeteria supervision and safety tasks, a school staff member and students said.

Teachers select the student helpers for displaying the qualities the school emphasizes, students said: being respectful, responsible and safe.

"Our teachers pick who's being respectful, responsible, and safe," said a Student (Pearland ISD). The school staff member leading the visit used the same three-word standard when describing how students earn the role: "Respectful, responsible, and safe. So if you match all those qualities, you get picked."

During a short visit to classrooms and common areas, student volunteers described specific duties. One student said, "Maybe kindergartners a lot need help, but not the big kids. Only if they need, like, utensils if they forgot them." Students said they walk up and down aisles to check whether peers need assistance, help open food packages using safety scissors when required and give reward stickers to encourage good behavior: "I like your Spider Man because you're sitting here reading. Would you like a robot sticker?" a Student said.

Students and the staff member listed program responsibilities that include crowd control for pre-K and kindergarten, library game supervision, car duty, sidewalk safety and managing flags. "Crowd control for kindergarten and pre k, game control for the library, car duty, safety on the sidewalk, flags. That's a lot of responsibility," a Student said. They described tactics such as having younger students walk on one side and reminding children to stay behind the leader when moving as a group.

The transcript of the visit records descriptions of the program and examples of the students' duties but does not include any formal policy action, vote or school-board decision about the program.