Parsons students see some encouraging signs
Twp. employees make street signs with positive messages for hallways
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

Above (l-r) Bob Simon, Bob Selover and Denis Bagley, of the North Brunswick Department of Public Works, created street signs for Parsons Elementary School to enhance its character education project. “Courage Place” is one of the 16 street signs hanging in each of the school’s eight hallways to promote character education.

NORTH BRUNSWICK — To enhance Parsons Elementary School’s Character Education project, members of the township’s Department of Public Works created street signs to place in the hallways of the school.

As part of counselor Sandy Roberts’ Professional Improvement Plan last year, she created a program where teachers could nominate students who depict a designated characteristic each month, such as being caring, responsible, respectful or tolerant. The students would then receive a star on a bulletin board and a certificate to celebrate their positive attitudes.

“Character education is just as important, I believe, as teaching the students their academics because I think it’s connected ... because it encompasses different things,” she said.

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER AMATO

Although Roberts had originally designed computer-generated, laminated signs to increase awareness of the project, she decided to contact Bob Selover of the DPW to ask what company the township buys its street signs from so the school could have a more permanent representation.

“She was surprised [that we make them at the DPW] because she thought we bought them,” said Selover, the supervisor of the roads department. “I spoke to our director, Glenn Sandor, and we had some signs that we were phasing out. They would not be utilized on the street because we are moving towards a different style, so they were available. It was a good move because it wasn’t something we were going to use anyway.”

Sign maker and laborer Denis Bagley went to Parsons on his lunch hour after Selover’s conversation and asked Roberts the specifications for what she wanted. Within a few days, he and laborer Bob Simon completed the 16 signs, two for each of the eight designated hallways in the school.

“It took two days. I think if Denis wasn’t off that Friday they would’ve been done the next day,” Roberts said.

The sign-making process began with the print-out and cutting of the street names using a specific software program. The material, similar to Con-Tact paper, is peeled away and placed onto transfer tape where it is sealed with a squeegee. The entire street name is then placed onto the metal sign. The entire process takes about one hour per sign.

“If it was about each individual letter we’d probably still be doing it,” Simon said. “With this system we can print, cut it out, transfer it and do it.”

Although this is the first time the DPW completed a project outside of its township responsibilities, they decided to provide the materials and labor at no cost to the school.

“We felt it was important. It was different. It was the thing to do,” Bagley said.

“It was a really good project to do for the children, and the words they had ... are really good to see every day,” said Selover, alluding to Respect Road, Caring Court, Responsibility Avenue, Honest Highway, Cooperation Drive, Fairness Boulevard, Courage Place and Tolerance Street. “If one kid walks away and takes something with them, it was worth it.”

The following day from when the signs were delivered to Parsons, the township school district sent over maintenance workers who hung all of the signs within an hour.

“Although the students were aware of each word before when we had our own signs, now the younger ones ask their teacher, ‘What is that word? ... What does it mean?’ and they try to spell it,” Roberts said. “The older ones see the sign and it’s become more of their repertoire.”

The students, who were greatly impressed by the street signs, have already benefited from visually seeing the words as they stroll through the hallways.

“I think it’s nice because it helps students understand the definitions of certain words they don’t understand,” fifth-grade student and peer mediator Lyric Seymore said.

“I thought, ‘Cool, we’re going to have all of these signs here. We’re going to be like a real neighborhood,’” third-grader Shane Tieger said.

Throughout each month, students have a daily opportunity to be rewarded for their positive behavior. At the end of the month they receive a certificate, have their picture placed on the Wall of Honor and are commended at a breakfast.

“[The signs] help because people can know they can get a star on the bulletin board and get an award,” first-grader and Kind and Responsible award recipient Sairam Vinjamuri said.

Roberts is looking to expand the program next year to include more character education terms once the addition to the school is completed and more hallways are constructed.