By Aneeka Simonis
COURAGEOUS and thoughtful are two words that would aptly describe this special nine-year-old.
She’s worked hard to make sure her school is a safer place.
In front of her entire school, year 4 Berwick Chase Primary School student Elysse Hughes handed City of Casey councillor Mick Morland a 20-page road safety petition she had spent weeks preparing.
Since July, Elysse has gathered close to 400 signatures in support of a pedestrian crossing out the front of her school in Skyline Way.
All eyes were on her as she made her brave address to the councillor at the Friday 26 August assembly.
But Elysse’s will to improve her peers’ safety outweighed her nerves.
The community-minded student visited the school’s 36 classrooms in the past few weeks to ask students who use the crossing to raise their hand.
More signatures were generated on behalf of students at the nearby St Catherines campus as well as residents in the neighbourhood.
The dangers of the road are all too well known to Elysse who crosses it to get to and from school each day with her mum Jacki, brother Owen, 12, and sister Bethany, 5.
“Once I literally had to jump to the side of the road because a car came zooming around the corner. It gave me too much of a fright and I started to cry,” Elysse said.
Jacki said her daughter has worked tirelessly on the campaign since coming up with the idea.
She and Elysse gladly accepted Cr Morland’s invitation to present the petition to other councillors at their upcoming September council meeting.
“It’s most important we make Casey a safe place to live,” Cr Morland said as he accepted the petition.
He said Elysse had the makings of a future politician and joked that he should watch his back on the council.
But Elysse said a life of politics is unlikely for her as she explained that she is just someone who wants to help.
“I like to stop and help people even if I don’t know them. It’s better to be in a community that is safe and happy, not upset or hurt,” she said.
Elysse added that a pedestrian crossing at Skyline Way might encourage more parents to let their kids walk to school, reducing traffic during drop-off and pick-up times.
The signatures come not only from students at the school, but those at the nearby St Catherines campus.
Elysse even asked people around the neighbourhood to support her petition.
