SUNRAYSIA students will get on the move and soak up the fresh air next Friday as part of National Walk Safely to School Day.
St Paul’s Primary School will take part in the annual event, which promotes the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits of regular walking.
walking from Number 1 Oval to the San Mateo Avenue school next Friday.
The school hoped about 30 to 50 kids, along with their families and friends, would join the walk from Mildura Recreation Reserve to the school.”
You need to get moving as we spend so much of our day sitting in school,” student Olivia Prescott, 12, said.
“The fresh air is really good as well.
“If more kids walked to school there would be less pollution as there will be less cars on the road.”
St Paul’s Primary parent Rachel Slimmon said teaching children safety an early age was crucial.
“By encouraging them to walk to school from an early age they can develop confidence and road awareness,” she said.
“It is also a great and easy way to include some physical activity into the children’s day.”
Learning Support Officer Narelle Simpson said schools should be encouraging students to walk safely to school.
“The more schools can get students involved with walking to school can lead to additional benefits, such as, reduced traffic congestion on our roads, which is obviously good for the environment, an increase in child physical activity and an increase in mental health as a result of the fresh air,” she said.
As a part of the walking school bus, students and teachers will discuss road safety and point out things they see along the way.
Once they reach the school, students will participate in the walking club, which is a regular feature of the school’s mornings.
The event, championed by the Pedestrian Council Australia, invites schools from all across Australia to participate.
Schools can get involved at www.walk.com.au/WSTSD/