LEEDS — What makes a hero? The students of Leeds Central School can answer that question.

They honored a young classmate’s rescuer with a surprise presentation at their afternoon assembly Thursday afternoon, naming Maine Game Warden Norm Lewis the first recipient of their “Soaring Above the Rest” award.

Several weeks ago, first-grader Liam Turcotte found himself in a terrifying situation. He had taken his regular bus from school, but he found no one home. Alone and scared, he headed down his driveway. He knew his mother’s phone number and he figured he could flag down a car and have someone call her.

That’s when Warden Lewis, who was off-duty, came upon the scene of a tearful boy in the middle of the road, talking to the driver of a stopped vehicle.

“It sure didn’t look right,” he said.

The car moved on and young Liam got into the Warden Service truck, which Lewis drove back down the Turcotte family’s driveway.

Lewis said the stopped vehicle’s driver seems only to have intended to offer assistance, but he said such circumstances could have led to a tragically different outcome.

He stayed with Liam in the truck for about half an hour until the boy’s parents arrived.

The mix-up occurred because Liam was supposed to get on a different school bus that afternoon with his brother, fourth-grader Aiden. They were both expected to go to the home of Lindsey Sawyer-Brown, president of the Parent Teacher Committee at Leeds Central School. Liam mistakenly got on his regular bus.

There was no reason for the bus driver to expect any change in Liam’s routine that day. Sawyer-Brown said the driver “was beside himself” when he learned what had happened.

Sawyer-Brown conducted the assembly, noting that Liam’s story presented an important learning opportunity. She said it was imperative that the first “Soaring Above the Rest” award go to Lewis. When Lewis, a Warden Service canine handler, entered the gym Thursday with his canine partner, Clyde, a black Lab, the students raised a chorus of “ooohs” and “ahhhs.”

“I was doing demonstrations with my dog today, and I thought that was why I had been asked to come here today,” he said.

With Liam’s assistance in holding signs for the students to see, Sawyer-Brown outlined the Leeds students’ thoughts on what a hero should be. The signs’ messages suggested by the students included helping others, standing up for someone who is disabled or being bullied, acting brave and kind, and having courage.

Lewis downplayed the label of hero, but he was pleased to take part in what he saw as a valuable teaching moment.

“If it catches the attention of any of the other kids here and teaches them what they should and shouldn’t do, that’s great,” he said. Holding the 8-inch crystal eagle symbolizing the school’s mascot, Lewis added, “I would have done it for nothing — and I would do it again.”

Liam’s parents, Travis and Jessica Turcotte, attended the special assembly and thanked Lewis for his role in the situation. His mother said Liam has “come out of his shell” that resulted from the traumatic experience, and Thursday afternoon Liam was all smiles as classmates applauded his warden friend.

Other representatives of the Maine Warden Service at the event were Lt. Adam Gormley, Sgt. Chris Barboza and Warden Dave Chabot.

Lewis said he would drop in at the Turcotte home for a visit with Liam.