On Thursday the Western Middle School community honored four students for their extraordinary response to happening on a lost little girl in Byram.
The four boys were on their way walking home and came upon a girl who happened to be new to Hamilton Avenue School and was unfamiliar with how to find her way home.
The boys walked the girl, 10, who was upset and crying, all the way back to Hamilton Avenue School, where police and the girl’s parents were contacted. The boys even stayed with her until a parent responded to the school.
Chief Heavey with, left to right, Owen Kennedy (brother James is not pictured), Tyler Hastings and Kai Marsh with Western Middle School principal Suzanne Coyle. May 2, 2204 Photo: Leslie Yager
During Thursday’s assembly of 8th graders in the auditorium, chief James Heavey talked about being the opposite of mere “bystanders.”
“A bystander is someone who stands by and watches something happen,” Heavey said.
He said words that conjured the opposite of bystander were “participate, involved, active volunteer, engaged, helper,” and he hoped that especially when the students get to Greenwich High School they would be leaders there.
On April 24 the four boys: James and Owen Kennedy, Tyler Hastings and Kai Marsh.
Chief Heavey presented the four boys a certificate of appreciation recognizing them for demonstrating care and concern for the lost Hamilton Avenue student.
“Your actions and willingness to help greatly reflects your concern for the welfare of others. You demonstrated leadership and effective actions that mitigated a dangerous situation,” Heavey said. “Your family and the WMS community should be most proud of your exemplary citizenship that you displayed on that day: Greenwich Police case # 24-12574.”
In addition to the certificate each boy received a “Chief’s award of excellence coin.”
“It is almost like having a police badge. It means they’ve done something exemplary. Police officers just get a few of these maybe in their whole career, and these guys haven’t even gotten to the high school and they already have one.”
Heavey described the four boys as heroes and noted there were also Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich kids.
Front row left to right Owen Kennedy (brother James is not pictured), Tyler Hastings and Kai Marsh with parents, Chief Heavey, and principal Suzanne Coyle. May 2, 2204 Photo: Leslie Yager