While walking your child to school on October 4 - International Walk to School Day (W2S) - certainly won't cure childhood obesity, it could be a step in the right direction for both parent and children when it comes to learning about the pleasure of a stroll, whether to school or for enjoyment. Dr. Jim Goetz, a pediatrician with Oak Orchard Community Health and the school doctor for the Brockport Central School district, said the ultimate outcome of the Walk to School Day is to show parents, and students, that there are safe, walkable routes that can be utilized to get to and from school. "Obesity is an epidemic in this country and there has been a 20 percent increase in recent years," Goetz said. "Two years ago there was a meeting of pediatricians and a survey was done in which it was discovered that 25 percent of children live within a mile of their schools and only 10 percent of those children walk - that's nationwide." Part of the impetus for participating in the international walking day was because of Brockport's Walk! Bike! Action committee. "They helped generate early energy," he said. The Brockport school district has done its part in helping address childhood obesity, Goetz said. "They removed soft drinks from school and are now offering more healthy lunch choices. They have also embraced the walk to school day initiative." School Superintendent James Fallon said. "The International Walk to School Day is a great way for students to walk with their friends or family. We encourage walking and are raising awareness of the importance of physical activity through various activities this year." The physical education teachers will be educating students prior to the National Walk to School Day and all year about walking safety. There will be several building-wide walking activities on October 4 and a Fun Run for students in grades two through six is planned for October 5. These activities fit in well with the district's health and wellness efforts of providing healthy meal options and increased physical fitness for all students PreK-12. Dave Ball, a member of the Walk! Bike! and the W2S committee, said he has looked at maps of the community to make sure it was walkable before the group got on board with the project. "Most of the village is easily accessible," he said. "We looked for safe routes for the children - and the parent walkers - to cross the streets. We also established two sites where people who don't live in the village can park and walk with their children to school." The two sites outside of the village are in the Ryan's Big M parking lot and in the Bill Gray's parking lot. "For the children who are walking to school, there should be a parent along with them - depending on the age of the children," Ball said. "Once the walking groups enter the village or at various points throughout the village, they will be greeted by W2S volunteers and given maps." The volunteers for the W2S day will be retired teachers, individuals from various neighborhoods or PTSA members, he said. Goetz and Ball cautioned that the volunteers are not crossing guards. Parents are expected to guide the children safely through the intersections on their way to school. Goetz said that according to the school there are about 200 walkers daily, "But we are hoping to at least double that number on October 4." Sara Silverstone-Cardiel, a PTSA member, parent of two elementary school age children and a member of the W2S committee, said a letter will be sent out to village residents asking for individuals to volunteer to be neighborhood coordinators of the walking effort. "We're hoping the walking event will also help build cooperative neighborhoods and maybe this will be something that parents will continue to do, maybe even swapping off days of walking the children to school," she said. "The goal of this one day is to show people that walking is an enjoyable experience and to get them in the habit - for their health - of doing it more often," Goetz said. "This is not just about personal health, it's also about the health of the environment." The committee is seeking donations for the purchase of t-shirts or brightly colored vests for volunteers and to buy supplies for future walk to school days. Contact Goetz at 637-5546; Ball at 637-3295; or Silverstone-Cardiel at 637-3293. Checks can be made out to Village of Brockport, with Walk! Bike!/Walk to School in the memo section and can be mailed to Dave Ball, treasurer, 8 Cherry Drive, Brockport, NY 14420. BCSD's health and wellness initiatives over the past three years:
September 24, 2006 |
