Introducing our crossing guards for this year. Mr. Clennon Preston and Ms. Rita Culling. These are the first people we see at the school every morning and they are here to keep our children safe. They put their bodies between your child and a moving vehicle that’s in a hurry to get to work. They are important.
Mr. Preston is the oldest of 8, and grew up in LaGrange. He moved to Houston in 1965 and worked for Sears Automotive as a manager until he recently retired. He has been a crossing guard for 6 months.
Ms. Rita Culling is the youngest of 18 children and grew up in the Third Ward. She retired from the Hilton Hotels, where she was a cashier. She always wanted to be a crossing guard, because she loves children, but had to be a care-giver for her husband and sister first. After her husband passed, she applied to HISD and has been a crossing guard for 7 years. Ms. Rita is a lifelong Houston resident and is 83 years young. Somebody, please get me the name of her face cream!!!
Model good behavior and manners to your children by teaching them to say “Good morning, Mr. Preston,” or “Hello, Ms. Culling,” while looking them in the eye.
We are grateful and lucky to have two crossing guards, especially in the year of the Great HISD Budget Crunch. Please be respectful, kind and obedient. They are some of the people in our neighborhood.
