Brockport's Walk to School Day gains momentum

Brockport's Walk to School Day gains momentum

Students and their parents in the Brockport School District will be asked to lace up their sneakers and walk to school on October 3 as part of the National Walk to School Day program.

The program is a national one aimed at raising the awareness of childhood obesity. While walking a child to school one day won't address the problem of obesity, it could be the first step in a life-long healthy habit - at least that's what the organizers are aiming for.

Dr. Jim Goetz was pleased with all of the on-campus walking activities that were planned around the walk to school day. "We have such a small percentage of the students that walk to school, having activities in and around the day itself is a great idea," he said.

The 2006 walk was rife with heavy downpours, thunder and lightning but one of the organizers, Goetz has high hopes for good weather on the morning of October 3. "We had a lot of students and parents out there even with the inclement weather last year so this year we are hoping for better weather and more walkers," he said.

Walk to School Day has grown substantially in the last couple of years in the Brockport area, Goetz said. "The first year we ordered a couple of hundred bracelets to hand out to the walkers when they arrived at the school campus, this year we ordered 3,000 and the individual school buildings are participating in various ways."

Deb Moyer, communication specialist in the district, says the staff and Walk To School volunteers make a "big deal" out of it as the students walk up to the buildings.

The middle school has a plan for students and teachers to participate in Walk to School Week (Octboer 1-5) by walking a combined total of over 2,500 miles. Students who ride the bus are encouraged to walk at least one lap around the track prior to the start of the school day. During the lunch periods, students and teachers are encouraged to walk additional laps around the track. Throughout the week, students will learn about the advantages of regular exercise. Teachers and students will also talk about nutrition and how to eat healthier to reduce a person's likelihood of developing a variety of diseases including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

By the end of the month, the students and staff of Oliver Middle School have the goal to walk a combined distance of over 5,500 miles or a distance greater than a trip from Brockport to San Francisco and back.

Individual schools/classrooms will be walking throughout the day. Moyer said Barclay Principal Rhonda Steffen will be wearing a carrot costume to greet students as they walk to the door. At 9:40 a.m., Walk to School As A School for all Ginther children and staff will begin out the front door, walk up next to the tennis courts, around central office and back to Ginther; each child will receive a sticker to remind them that walking is good for their bodies and heart.

There will also be a fun run for the students on October 4.

To conclude the week, the focus will be on health and wellness of the staff - the topic for the October 5 Superintendent's Conference Day.

Walk to School volunteers will be posted at various locations throughout the village to offer brochures with maps of walking routes and to help with getting the students across the roads. Parents are urged to walk the route with their students before October 3 so they can gauge the best route and know how long it will take them.

The district will be sending information home with all students that will offer maps of recommended walking routes.