School crossing supervisor Lee Beljon has helped thousands of children cross the road safely at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School for more than a decade.
Lee takes her job very seriously but always has a smile to greet commuters along Woondooma Street.
The Bundaberg Region has more than 40 school crossing supervisors who ensure the safety of school students and their families every morning and afternoon during school terms.
Lee cheerfully acknowledges every car as it passes, and she ensures the safety of students is her number one priority.
She said the smile is her way of thanking drivers for stopping and letting children cross safely.
“I’ve been here at St Joey’s for nearly 12 years,” Lee said.
“I’m known as the lollypop lady to the kids, one little preppie calls me Lollypop my Lee.”
From cleaner to school crossing supervisor
The 63-year-old great-grandmother said she landed the school crossing supervisor position by chance and it was never really a career she sought.
“I moved to Bundaberg from Townsville and I was looking for work,” Lee said.
“My next-door neighbour was a crossing supervisor and she asked if I would like to be a crossing supervisor and I said no, no. She asked me three times and because I was still looking for work, I thought I’d give it a shot.”
Lee said she never liked being in the spotlight and thought she would dislike the job because she would be seen by hundreds of people every day.
A cleaner by trade, Lee said as the children and their families grew on her, she knew she had landed the perfect position.
“After that, no way was I leaving!” Lee said.
“These are my kids and my school. I am glad I am here.”
Lee said in the past 12 years she had seen hundreds of students start and graduate from the primary school and each time it never got easier to see them move on to high school.
“It’s like leaving my own children; a lot of them come back to see me when they are in high school,” she said.
With fond memories, Lee said being St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School’s crossing supervisor was an honour, and another positive was that it gave her a lot of exercise crossing the road back and forth hundreds of times a week.
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