Crossing Guard

DISTRICT OVERVIEW

Holyoke Public Schools is a PreK-12 public school district serving nearly 5,100 students, of whom 80 percent are Latino/Latina, in 11 schools. We employ nearly 1,300 people who together educate and support a richly diverse community of learners. We are committed to recruiting and retaining top-quality educators who believe all children can and will learn and who strive daily to make school a joyful place of discovery, support, and belonging.

Holyoke Public Schools’ strategic plan, “Moving Forward Together,” builds on the strengths of our past while serving as a call to action to accelerate student learning by thinking differently about how we teach, how we work together, and how we support students’ well being. 

Our Equity Commitments are pledges we are making to address systemic equity challenges. 

• We intentionally build a community that is anti-racist, inclusive, and culturally responsive.
• We ensure that students, families, and staff get the support they need to be successful.
• We seek out and incorporate the voices of those impacted, with a commitment to include those who have been excluded in the past. 
• We promote access and inclusion for all students, staff, and families.
• We respect, embrace, and honor the diversity of our students, families, staff, and community.
• We reflect on our own behavior to minimize harm to others.
• We create a culture of acceptance and empathy so that everyone feels valued and is able to contribute to our community’s success.

Please visit the Holyoke Public Schools website to learn more about us as well as some of our recent accomplishments. 

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Spanish:

Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke son un distrito escolar público de prekínder a 12.° grado que acoge a casi 5100 estudiantes, de los cuales el 80 por ciento son latinos/latinas. Empleamos a casi 1300 personas que, juntas, educan y apoyan a una comunidad de estudiantes muy diversa. Estamos comprometidos a contratar y retener educadores de alta calidad que tengan la certeza de que todos los niños pueden y podrán aprender, y que también se esfuercen diariamente por hacer de la escuela un lugar alegre de descubrimiento, apoyo y pertenencia.

El plan estratégico de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke , "Avanzando Juntos", toma en cuenta nuestras fortalezas anteriores y al mismo tiempo sirve como un llamado a la acción para acelerar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes a través de una perspectiva diferente sobre cómo enseñamos, cómo trabajamos juntos y cómo apoyamos el bienestar de los estudiantes.

Nuestros compromisos de equidad son promesas que hacemos para abordar los desafíos de equidad sistémica.

• Construimos intencionadamente una comunidad antirracista, inclusiva y culturalmente receptiva.
• Nos aseguramos de que los estudiantes, las familias y el personal reciban el apoyo que necesitan para tener éxito.
• Buscamos e incorporamos las voces de los afectados, con el compromiso de incluir a los que han sido excluidos en el pasado. 
• Promovemos el acceso y la inclusión de todos los estudiantes, el personal y las familias.
• Respetamos, acogemos y honramos la diversidad de nuestros alumnos, familias, personal y comunidad.
• Reflexionamos sobre nuestro propio comportamiento para minimizar el daño a los demás.
• Creamos una cultura de aceptación y empatía para que todos se sientan valorados y puedan contribuir al éxito de nuestra comunidad.

Por favor, visite el sitio web de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke en www.hps.holyoke.ma.us para obtener más información sobre nosotros y algunos de nuestros logros recientes.

School Crossing Guards are part-time personnel (approximately 10-20 hours/week) employed and supervised by the Holyoke Police Department (HPD) to support the Holyoke Public Schools (HPS). 

Each Crossing Guard shall be issued and will be responsible for an orange reflectorized traffic vest and a handheld replica of a standard stop sign. The vest shall be worn at all times while on duty and the sign shall be used to signal traffic to stop. No other special uniforms are required. All crossing guards must familiarize themselves with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

GENERAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Report for duty at assigned crossing station every day that schools are in session. Duty hours are up to 2 hours in the morning and up to 2  hours in the afternoon.
• Be familiar with school schedules making special note of days when children will be dismissed early. Be prepared to adjust your personal schedules in order to be on duty at your assigned crossing guard station on these occasions.
• A Crossing Guard shall report daily to crossing stations as assigned.
• If unable to report for duty due to illness or other personal reasons, a crossing guard shall notify the liaison at the Holyoke Police Department no later than 2 hours before scheduled work time in order to give ample time for them to find a replacement. In cases of expected prolonged absences from duty, notify the HPD liaison as soon as possible.
• Reflective vests or reflective rain jackets must be worn at all times while at your station. In addition, you must remember to use your stop sign for the safety of the children as well as your own safety and well-being.
• Ensure that children use the proper crossing locations and that no children are in the street while traffic is moving.
• When stopping traffic to allow children to cross, ensure that it can be accomplished in a safe and orderly manner before signaling with the stop sign. Whenever possible, the use of walk lights is recommended.
• Instruct the children to walk (not run) across the street.
• Smoking during the shift time (AM & PM) is prohibited.
• Under no circumstances shall a crossing guard offer transportation to a student.
• The stopping of motor vehicles that commit violations and the confrontation of motorists are prohibited. However, if possible, try and obtain the make, color and registration (plate #) of the vehicle. This information should be forwarded to the Head Crossing Guard who will contact the Salem Police Department with the information.
• Report to the HPD liaison any questionable safety hazards that exist at or near their assigned crossing station. The types of hazards should include but are not limited to the following:

• Defective traffic lights or street lights
• Road defects
• Missing or obscured signs
• Improper snow plowing or snow removal
• Restricted motorist visibility due to foliage, fences, parked vehicles or other potential hazards

Qualifications

Reqiured:

• Social perceptiveness and strong eyesight
• Keen understanding of local traffic laws and regulations

Preferred:

• High school diploma or equivalent degree

• Familiarity with directing traffic using tools such as lanterns and hand signals
• Physical stamina

A school crossing guard should not direct traffic unless specifically trained as a traffic control officer.

Paper applications are available at the Holyoke Police Department and the Holyoke Public Schools Human Resources Department. HPD screens and hires crossing guards.