Lakewood Elementary. (Photo by Rasy Ran)

Lakewood Elementary. Photo by Rasy Ran.

The crossing guards at Lakewood Elementary don’t just make sure kids are safe while walking to school.

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Marian Jones greets children by name as they cross Sondra Drive and Hillbrook Street. She’s been working at Lakewood since 2008.

“Some people, you don’t know what they’re going through,” Jones told The Hub. “I try to make them feel good and keep hope alive and inspire them. Whatever you’re going through, from the house to here, it’s going to be OK. That’s why I like to learn the children’s name, to let them know that they’re special and they are somebody. It’s something I enjoy doing because kids have bad days as well, and I want them to have a good day when they walk into their school.”

When the community found out that Jones was dealing with kidney failure, they stepped up to help. Parents volunteered to drive her to and from dialysis appointments. Through it all, Jones kept showing up to work, and sometimes parents offered to lend a hand with her crossing guard responsibilities.

Jones received a kidney in 2019.

Another familiar face is Rose Mosco. She has only been at Lakewood for about a year and a half, but she’s been a crossing guard for more than 14 years.

“Being a crossing guard came as something for me to do while my kids were in elementary school,” Jones told The Hub. “Then I kept doing it through middle school, and then high school. I like doing this because I see kids smile every day. It’s easy to love a job like that.”

G.P. Theriot, the president of Friends of Lakewood, also helped out. The group of Lakewood Elementary dads raises funds for the school and volunteers at the school each week.

“It’s a great way to start my Friday morning, seeing the kids’ faces and helping them start off their day,” he told The Hub.

Earlier this year, we wrote about a Lakewood teacher, who was also spotlighted by DISD.