By Wright Montague 

4th Grade Campus Cub working in Lower School carpool.

Each year, Collegiate’s 4th Graders are entrusted as the leaders of the Lower School and serve as Campus Cubs. Campus Cubs work during morning and afternoon carpool in the Lower School. Their job consists of opening doors for younger students, helping with Kindergarten tote bags and backpacks, getting younger students out of cars, and keeping traffic flowing.  

Throughout the school year, every 4th Grader is placed into a rotation for Campus Cub duties. Students take turns serving in Green Carpool by Luck Hall, Gold Carpool by Centennial Hall, and Orange Carpool for JK students. Identifiable by their neon yellow safety belts, 4th Grade Campus Cubs can be found before and after school lending a helping hand to younger students.

The program is organized and led by Assistant Head of Lower School Christina Vitek. When I went to observe the Campus Cubs in action on a recent morning, Vitek remarked that being a Campus Cub “really develops leadership skills as they become role models for younger kids” and later added that the service “helps them practice responsibility.” 

While watching Lower School carpool, I was surprised at how much initiative Campus Cubs took in their work. I frequently watched kids hustle to open a door and greet their classmates with a smile. Vitek said that many Campus Cubs are motivated by “counting the number of doors” of people they helped. Many 4th Graders also find joy in being able to open the doors of cars they deem “cool.” 

Campus Cub William (‘34) said that his favorite part of the job is “getting to see my friends” as well as “seeing the dogs” in many cars. Another Campus Club excitedly told me that he loves “opening Tesla doors.” When I asked what the most important part of the job was, I was given a variety of answers, including “Saying ‘Hi!’” and “Not forgetting to close the door.”

The aspect of being a role model and leader truly plays into the importance of Campus Cubs. When he was a 4th Grader, Junior Parker Ruth (‘27) “looked up to the older 4th Graders who greeted me at my car each day.” Junior Beau Hurst (‘27) stated that, as a Kindergartner, he “looked forward to being greeted each day by older kids.” 

The Order of the Golden Paw.

While all 4th Grade students serve as Campus Cubs, only a select few earn the Order of the Golden Paw. The Order of the Golden Paw is an award given each month to Campus Cubs that best represent the values of safety and community. Throughout each month of the school year, Campus Cubs may be nominated for the award. Junior Freddie Reed (‘27) was a recipient of the Order of the Golden Paw. When I asked Reed about what he remembered from his time as a Campus Cub, he stated, “I took pride in my job as a Campus Cub because it was a big piece of the leadership aspect of being a 4th Grader.” He also went on to explain how the Order of the Golden Paw was something that he was able to earn through his desire to make a difference and his motivation to be a leader. 

4th Graders hold significant leadership responsibilities. As the oldest students of the Lower School, they take part in Envision Collegiate, part of Collegiate’s greater Capstone program. Along with Envision Collegiate, serving as a Campus Cub helps 4th graders serve the community. 

All photos by Christina Vitek.