AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – As students across the CSRA return to school, a crossing guard at Bel Air and Bayville Elementary Schools is reminding parents, drivers and children about the basics of staying safe near busy streets.
Penny Wesley works mornings at both schools, helping students navigate crosswalks each day.
She said her first priority is making sure children wait for her signal before stepping into the street.
“I make sure the kids stop. I tell them to stop and wait until I go out and put up my sign and then cross,” Wesley said.
Young children require extra attention
Wesley said younger students in particular need consistent reminders to hold their position at the curb.
“They always have to stop and wait for my signal because I have such small kids, they want to follow you,” she said.
Visibility and driver behavior
For students walking to school before sunrise, Wesley recommends wearing bright colors to remain visible to drivers. She also directed a message to motorists passing through school zones.
“Please slow down. When you’re coming through a school area, slow down. And it would be nice if you stay off your phones,” Wesley said. “Texting and driving and talking and driving, it distracts you from seeing the kids.”
Wesley said her advice for drivers and parents is straightforward: slow down, stay alert and make sure children use a crossing guard when one is available.
Wesley, who has worked as a crossing guard long enough to watch students progress from pre-K through fifth grade, said the work is personal.
“The kids. I love the little ones,” she said. “I get to see them grow up. I get to see them from pre-K until 5th grade and I just love watching them grow up.”
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
