How are elementary school patrols chosen?

[Anonymous]

Our school (Wayside) had a long written test and oral exam. You needed 3 recommendations, and parents had to have contributed significantly to the PTA. It's considered an elite unit at the school, and many patrols have gone to do great things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school, interested kids got a copy of a patrol handbook and had to read it and pass a quiz on its contents before being accepted.

Our kids had to do this plus wrote a four paragraph essay. Each paragraph had to have a minimum of four sentences.

[Anonymous]

If you volunteer a lot, you kid has a good chance of being selected. This applies to a great many things at school because, you know, in the end, it's up to the teacher in charge. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they pass the drug screening, a comprehensive background check is conducted. If you have moved in from out of state it can prolong the process as other jurisdictions don't often have a smooth process for transfer of information to MoCo authorities. Once selected, there is a mandatory three-week camp over the summer (fifth graders may be exempt) that covers self defense, archery, and rudimentary firearm training. Children will receive a notarized letter from the Governor of Maryland that they can submit with their college applications.

It's a major award.

LOL. Not far off. But I was flabbergasted that the letter that came home with my daughter either about patrol or about patrol camp, can't remember, mentioned safety patrol as a resume builder. For what job exactly??

Seriously, though, my daughter and her friends had a blast at the one-week summer patrol camp. She wishes she could do it again. It seems very well run.

[Anonymous]

Our school has them write a couple sentences about why they want to be patrols. Teachers pick their favorite kids / best behaved kids. My child didn't apply -- teacher encouraged him to, and he told her "no way. patrols have to go to meetings during recess." Kids who go to before care / after care seem to get a little bit of preference since they are available to help with all buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they pass the drug screening, a comprehensive background check is conducted. If you have moved in from out of state it can prolong the process as other jurisdictions don't often have a smooth process for transfer of information to MoCo authorities. Once selected, there is a mandatory three-week camp over the summer (fifth graders may be exempt) that covers self defense, archery, and rudimentary firearm training. Children will receive a notarized letter from the Governor of Maryland that they can submit with their college applications.

It's a major award.

Since 9/11, they've added a polygraph also. Good luck to your kid.

[Anonymous]

My kids went different schools. At one the teachers nominated kids. At other other they volunteered from a choice of 5th grade jobs which everyone participated in. At that school the patrols had to memorize and be able recite an absurdly long list of rules.

[Anonymous]

I dunno, last year, at our bus stop, the patrols were the oldest boys with really big mouths. They kept everyone aboard the bus in fear. This year there is no patrol (our stop is first, and DD tells me the patrols get on the next stop).