BOROONDARA PARK PRESS

Walk to School

Walk to School October

Every October, Walk to School encourages Victorian primary school children to walk, ride or scoot to and from school. Boroondara Park PS is participating in Walk to School 2019 as we are a school that promotes active travel to and from school through-

  • Walk and Wheel Wednesdays every Wednesday of each school term,
  • participating in National Ride2 School Day,
  • running a Bike Education Program in Grades 3 and 4.

 

During Walk to School 2019, every student who rides, walks or scoots to school will record their walk, ride or scoot to or from school each day from Monday 7th October through to Friday 1st November.  They will tick off the chart in their classroom.

 

Each week I will send classroom level data through to the Boroondara Council (Sustainable Transport). They promote active travel and support school participation through providing schools in the Boroondara Council area with weekly prizes.

 

We may also win a Footy Clinic hosted by AFL players as promoted by Walk to School (an initiative of Vic Health).

 

At the conclusion of the 4 weeks, certificates and stickers will be given to all students who participate in Walk to School October.

 

Walking or riding to school has many benefits including –

  • participating in regular exercise,
  • developing active routines and good habits for life,
  • traffic congestion being reduced around the school, and
  • those who do ride, or walk will be creating good endorphins that boost general wellbeing.

 

At BPPS we promote active travel and we are trying to encourage students to walk or wheel to school as there are multiple benefits (as listed above). It also begins to develop their confidence and independence which are two important factors that they need at the end of their primary schooling to move forward into their chosen secondary school.

 

Our current Walk and Wheel Wednesday data that is collected each week, shows our numbers have dropped this year to only 45% of the community regularly walking or wheeling.  Last year we were at 50%.  It would be great to see more students walking and wheeling to school.

 

As a parent I know it is difficult to coordinate the morning drop off and pick up. Many students live some distance from the school and a car is the best form of transport, or time is an issue with your commitments. With these issues in mind, it may be possible to drop your child/children a little further away from school, allowing them to walk the extra distance. This will also free up traffic congestion around the school and enable you to get on with your day quicker.

 

I look forward to letting you know how we go over the month of October. When your child/children walk, wheel or scoot over the first 4 weeks of term, remind them to record their walk, wheel or scoot on their classroom calendar!

 

Happy Walk to School October,

Julie Tainsh.