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William Kinne followed a family tradition when he joined the safety patrol at Canterbury Woods Elementary School in Annandale. Now, the sixth grader has been named AAA’s Safety Patroller of the Year.
Kinne received the award Tuesday night, becoming the second Canterbury Woods student in two consecutive years to earn the honor.
His mother served as a patrol when she attended school in Fairfax County, and his older sister held the role at Canterbury Woods. Watching his sister become a campus leader inspired Kinne to apply with a teacher’s recommendation.
He joined more than 100 students who help manage morning arrivals and afternoon dismissals. Kinne supervised vehicle unloading, stopped traffic when children needed to cross and escorted students to their parents’ cars.
During dismissal, he called out numbers and notified staff when a student did not respond. Other patrols assist on buses, display signs showing bus locations and work alongside crossing guards.
“I get to know that I’m making a difference in my school and keeping people safe,” Kinne said.
Principal Leslie Malkowski said younger students listened to Kinne and responded naturally to his directions.
“You can tell that he is a leader because the way he can talk to the students and the way that they respond when he says something just shows that he has that natural leadership,” Malkowski said.
Kinne also handled difficult conditions during the school year. After a January winter storm left hardened snow behind, some students began throwing it at cars. He recalled jumping in front of one vehicle to stop it because the driver could not clearly see the children.
“That was kind of scary,” he said.
Another hectic dismissal followed an early closing prompted by strong winds, when patrols had to move students out of the building quickly.
The school’s safety patrol sponsor recommended Kinne for the AAA award, which was presented during the sixth-grade promotion ceremony. Although school leaders and his parents knew beforehand, the recognition surprised Kinne.
His classmates erupted in cheers as he accepted the award.
“You could tell that he’s very deserving, and all of his peers felt the same,” Malkowski said.
Kinne completed his final safety patrol shift Wednesday afternoon, calling students forward, walking them to waiting cars and wishing them a good summer.
His mother, Lauren Kinne, said the experience taught him the value of serving others.
“Being kind, being helpful, being empathetic are just some of the most important qualities you can have,” she said.