Hundreds of thousands of kids cross safely under watchful eye

“He gave me a flower and said thank you for being his crossing lady”: For 15 years lollipop lady Angela Blanchette has been a source of warmth and safety for school students in Moreton Bay. Here are some of her most gorgeous memories.

The lollipop lady or a school crossing supervisor is often the first person students and parents will see every school day and at Kallangur State School, Angela Blanchette has been a symbol of warmth and safety for 15 years.

Her service has been honoured with a certificate of recognition from the Queensland Government and a tonne of heartfelt thank you’s from the community.

Ms Blanchette said she’s been surprised by the recognition for doing her job but is over the moon to be acknowledged at this level.

“I have a lot of amazing memories, the one I mostly think about is when this little prep student was so excited to show me the Book Week costume, he was waiting for me at the crossing when I arrived,” Ms Blanchette said.

“Another time when a prep was crying on his first day of school, and when he came across the crossing at the end of the week he gave me a flower and said thank you for being his crossing lady!

“One of the admin ladies mentioned to me that a job as a crossing supervisor was coming available here at Kallangur.

“My kids attended Kallangur State School and after they left, I chose to stay on because it’s become a part of a life plan.”

Angela Blanchette after 15 years helping thousands of students cross the road to and from Kallangur State SchoolPicture: Contributed

Ms Blanchette puts out the children crossing flags, stops all traffic and allows students and parents to cross the road safely each and every day.

“I take great pride in what I do for the school and community and have become known and liked throughout my 15 years working here.

“I couldn’t put a number on how many students I have crossed in my 15 years of service.

“I would guess a couple of hundred thousand.”

Kallangur State School Principal Andrew Swales said the hundreds of comments on the school’s show how valued Ms Blanchette is by the entire community.

“Keeping our students safe is our highest priority every day,” Mr Swales said.

“Ange has done an incredible job ensuring the safety of our students.”