In the bustling hallways of East Side Intermediate School, Mr. Bob Smith starts each morning with a simple philosophy: "Skin to get in." Every student must give him a high-five or receive a hug before entering the building—a small gesture that sets the tone for the entire day.

"Sometimes they get out of the car with sleepy eyes or crying, not wanting to go to school," Mr. Bob explains. "After you give them a high-five or a hug and tell them to go on in, usually the rest of the day starts out pretty good. If we can start the day off right, then we have less trouble throughout the day."

As one of the School Safety Officers for Harrisburg Unit 3 School District, Mr. Bob brings 26 years of law enforcement experience to the position, including eight years as Harrisburg's Chief of Police before his retirement in 2016. After several years of retirement, he joined the school district in December 2022 when Scott Isaacs, the district's safety program administrator and a former colleague, suggested he would be a perfect fit for East Side.

"I just felt like maybe the Lord was leading me in that direction," Mr. Bob reflects. "I wanted to go somewhere else, and the Lord said no. So I get to pour into these 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders every day."

While his official job description focuses on keeping intruders out and maintaining a safe environment, Mr. Bob sees his role as far more comprehensive. "I just feel like, especially at this age level, there's so much more that needs to be done to prepare them for middle school and high school, and not only to prepare them for school but prepare them for life."

This philosophy manifests in countless small acts of kindness—from just sharing a joke or a smile to prevent teasing from classmates, to helping secure alarm clocks for students who struggle to arrive on time, to working with the school nurse to provide clothing for children in need.

"I tell these kids all the time that I love them, because I don't think some of them hear that at home," Mr. Bob says. "We can provide a stable environment for them here—not just a learning environment—we want them to know that we don't only care about their education, we care about them."

Rather than sitting at a desk monitoring security cameras, Mr. Bob logs between 10,000 and 20,000 steps daily as he patrols hallways, checks classroom doors, inspects the school grounds for safety hazards, and most importantly, interacts with the students.

"They tell me I'm the biggest kid in the whole building," he laughs. His playful rapport with students includes good-natured teasing about sports team loyalties and affectionately calling them "knuckleheads"—all part of building relationships that foster both security and belonging.

The entire East Side staff shares this commitment to student welfare. "The administrative staff in here, Assistant Principal Varner and Principal Mrs. Stone, they're just amazing people to work for," Mr. Bob emphasizes. "Whatever you want to do to help a kid, I have never come into either one of their offices one time, and they went, 'Not today.' It just doesn't happen."

Mr. Bob acknowledges the unfortunate reality that makes his position necessary in today's world. "The absolute worst thing about my job is that it's needed," he admits. But he takes pride in the district's comprehensive safety protocols—a program so effective that other schools seek to learn from it.

For all the security expertise he brings, Mr. Bob measures his success in smiles rather than statistics. "The smiles that they give you back are really worth more than the paycheck," he says. "You know you made a difference. That's the big thing."

As he reflects on the unexpected joy his role has brought him, particularly after coming out of retirement, Mr. Bob confesses, "During this snow break we just had, I missed them—I missed them little knuckleheads every day. I think I get more out of it than they do."