All aboard Lausanne safety train
Lausanne Collegiate School’s JK train project experienced a whole new level — a real train came to campus.
The PK3, JK and SK classes all jumped on board and rode “Little Obie,” the miniature Canadian National locomotive, flat car and caboose around the grounds of Lausanne. “Operation Lifesaver” is a nationwide safety program dedicated to heightening awareness around trains, especially railroad crossings. Little Obie was created by Memphian Paul Rose, a mechanist for the Illinois Central Railroad. While working there, he realized many of the collisions were at railroad crossings and involved a vehicle, so as a response he created Little Obie to draw attention to the dangers of railroad crossings.
Canadian National began this special event for Lausanne’s students with the viewing of a safety video followed by a question-and-answer session. Then the littlest Lynx cruised around on Little Obie who played music and blew bubbles along the way.
Bringing the train to the students is part of Lausanne’s integrated project work using teaching strategies that guide children through in-depth studies of real-world topics. This allows teachers and children to apply all of the classic learning processes while researching a particular subject like trains, bees, rocks or bicycles. Projects have a complex but flexible structural framework with features that characterize the teaching-learning interaction.
Lausanne parents Orville and Kesia Nevels (daughter Aliyah ’ 24) work for Canadian National and were gracious to share part of their everyday world with the small learners. It was a special way to understand more in-depth about trains and train safety ... as the little Lynx said, “LOOK! LISTEN! LIVE!”
It’s education, the Lausanne Way. Carrie Linder Lotterhos is director of communications for Lausanne Collegiate School.