Student patrol fosters safety, education in conflict resolution

Kids at Wengert Elementary School are taking the law into their own hands.

Students appointed as safety officers patrol the playground at the school at 2001 S. Winterwood Blvd. and resolve problems among their peers.

Principal Suhaila Mustafa started the Wengert Safety Enforcement Officers Club in September to promote safety and anti-bullying at her school.

Mustafa selects 30 students at a time from the third, fourth and fifth grades to serve in the club. Students don orange vests and carry clipboards with citation slips during recess. The most common offenses are name-calling and fighting, Mustafa said.

The club has a motto: Conflict is to be expected, but violence is not an option.

Students have a script they are supposed to follow to help them resolve any issue. If the officer feels he can peacefully resolve an issue, he does not need to issue a citation.

"Instead of just having adults always intervening and trying to resolve their problems," said Mustafa, "we thought, 'What if we create our own club and empower the students themselves to be responsible and brainstorm peaceful solutions?'

"When kids themselves try to brainstorm, when they grow up, they'll have the skills to resolve their own problems later on in life, especially in junior high or high school."

If a situation warrants a citation, Mustafa will follow up with the students in question.

About 90 students have been named officers so far this school year, and Mustafa expects all 300 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders to have graduated from the program by May. She said she hopes students will develop better self-esteem and leadership skills by participating.

Officers who misbehave or do not perform in the classroom can be fired from duty. Some students have cried because they were discharged, Mustafa said.

Students serve as officers for one month, then spend a week training the new enlistees and acting as mentors. Students are sworn in by a Clark County School District Police Department officer and receive a certificate upon completion of their term.

Fourth-grader Zaira Lopez said she has used her experience as an officer to resolve conflicts outside of school.

"I like that we get to spend time with our principal and help kids solve their problems," Zaira said. "I think it's going to help me because if I get in an argument, I'll probably think about it and how to resolve it."

Mustafa meets with the kids every Friday to discuss that week's citations and to brainstorm effective ways of handling those situations in the future.

The students enjoy those meetings, too, in part because of the pizza and ice cream. "I like that we get parties a lot," fourth-grader Antonio Arellano said.

"You mean meetings," Mustafa said.

Contact View education reporter Jeff Mosier at jmosier@viewnews.com or 224-5524.