Sneakers and bikes get a workout as Morrisville participates in International ‘Walk or Roll to School Day’
MORRISVILLE BOROUGH – Morrisville schools had just a little less vehicle traffic Wednesday morning, as parents accompanied their kids who were walking or riding a bike to school as part of Walk or Roll to School Day.
Morrisville School District was among the many schools and communities across Pennsylvania participating in the program to highlight walking and bicycle safety.
Pennsylvania's event is part of the country’s 17th annual observance of International Walk to School Day. October is recognized as International Walk to School Month.
PennDOT promoted the event in Pennsylvania.
Todd DuPell, dean of students for grades 4-8 for the school district, said the students were enthusiastic about walking or riding their bikes to school.
“Today, we definitely had more bikes, but I would say the biggest trend today was an increase in the number of walkers,” DuPell said before school started at 8:30 a.m. “You could tell by the number that is still trickling in.”
He noted that Morrisville is a ‘walking district’. The school district does not provide school bus transportation, with many parents driving their children to school.
DuPell stressed that the program promotes exercise and teaches students that walking or riding a bike to school helps reduce air pollution and traffic congestion.
“I also think it’s a great way to help bring families and community members together, going with the idea that it really does take a village to raise our children,” he said.
DuPell said the program is “an excellent opportunity for stay-at-home moms or dads to make the connection with their neighbors and help their neighbors out the way we did 20, 30, 40 years ago.”
This year is the first time the school district participated. The total district-wide enrollment is 1,046. Of that, 207 children attend Grandview Elementary School (grades (K-2), 304 children attend the intermediate school (grades 3-6) and 378 are in the high school (grades 7-12), according to district officials.
“I think the event went quite well,” DuPell said in the afternoon. “Administration and arrival aides noted a marked increase in the number of walkers and bike riders. It was great to see the level of parent participation as well.”
Carl Swank, 11, enthusiastically and independently parked his wheels –- both of them -- in the intermediate school bike rack.
“I’m going to try to ride every day. That way I can preserve energy,” he said. “A lot of people do use cars. There’s a lot of gas for the trees to fight off. If everyone starts riding their bike, we don’t have to worry about harming the environment with poison gas.”
Third-grader Hailey Zavalick, 8, rode her purple bike and was accompanied by her foster-father, John Doeler, who often drives her to school. He also rode a bike to school.
“Hailey wanted to ride it today to participate, because it cuts down on pollution,” he said. “It’s healthy for them to ride the bike.”
Third-grader Julie Corcoran, 8, said it made her happy to ride her bike to school because she believes strongly in helping the environment and participating in the school-wide event with her schoolmates.
Like many of the Morrisville kids, Corcoran is determined to make a difference in her life and ride her bike to school more.
“My dad drives me sometimes,” she said, noting she will try to change that habit.
PennDOT shared safety tips and other information.
“Walking or riding to school may be a fun activity for students, but keeping them safe while they do so is very important,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “That’s why we partner with schools and communities all year to educate children, caregivers and the public alike about using our roadways safely.”
To exercise safety year-round, caregivers should remind students to walk on the sidewalk, or if there is no sidewalk, to walk on the side of the road facing traffic.
PennDOT also provided a list of suggestions to ensure safe arrival to school, including crossing streets only at corners or marked crosswalks, carrying flashlights if it is dark, wearing bright colors and avoiding distractions like cell phones and headphones. For bikers, PennDot suggested riding along the right side of the road with traffic, obeying all traffic laws and wearing helmets.
Groups of adults and children can make walking or bicycling to school safer by establishing a “Walking School Bus” or “Bicycle Train” to help reinforce safety in numbers. A structured route can be planned with meeting points, a timetable, and one or more adult “drivers,” escorting a group of children to school.
Information on developing these groups can be found at PennDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) website at www.SafeRoutesPA.org.
PennDOT uses a federal program to help schools and communities improve safety and promote walking and bicycling.
Over the past five years, 65 schools have received more than $350,000 for educational activities and aids such as walking programs, classroom curriculum materials, crossing guard supplies or training, and assemblies focused on bicycle safety.
In addition, PennDOT has awarded more than $18 million in federal funds to schools and municipalities for 34 infrastructure projects near elementary and middle schools. Project examples include sidewalk and curb improvements, updated signage or signals, and crosswalk or bike rack installations.
Morrisville School District was among the many schools and communities across Pennsylvania participating in the program to highlight walking and bicycle safety.
Pennsylvania's event is part of the country’s 17th annual observance of International Walk to School Day. October is recognized as International Walk to School Month.
PennDOT promoted the event in Pennsylvania.
Todd DuPell, dean of students for grades 4-8 for the school district, said the students were enthusiastic about walking or riding their bikes to school.
“Today, we definitely had more bikes, but I would say the biggest trend today was an increase in the number of walkers,” DuPell said before school started at 8:30 a.m. “You could tell by the number that is still trickling in.”
He noted that Morrisville is a ‘walking district’. The school district does not provide school bus transportation, with many parents driving their children to school.
DuPell stressed that the program promotes exercise and teaches students that walking or riding a bike to school helps reduce air pollution and traffic congestion.
“I also think it’s a great way to help bring families and community members together, going with the idea that it really does take a village to raise our children,” he said.
DuPell said the program is “an excellent opportunity for stay-at-home moms or dads to make the connection with their neighbors and help their neighbors out the way we did 20, 30, 40 years ago.”
This year is the first time the school district participated. The total district-wide enrollment is 1,046. Of that, 207 children attend Grandview Elementary School (grades (K-2), 304 children attend the intermediate school (grades 3-6) and 378 are in the high school (grades 7-12), according to district officials.
“I think the event went quite well,” DuPell said in the afternoon. “Administration and arrival aides noted a marked increase in the number of walkers and bike riders. It was great to see the level of parent participation as well.”
Carl Swank, 11, enthusiastically and independently parked his wheels –- both of them -- in the intermediate school bike rack.
“I’m going to try to ride every day. That way I can preserve energy,” he said. “A lot of people do use cars. There’s a lot of gas for the trees to fight off. If everyone starts riding their bike, we don’t have to worry about harming the environment with poison gas.”
Third-grader Hailey Zavalick, 8, rode her purple bike and was accompanied by her foster-father, John Doeler, who often drives her to school. He also rode a bike to school.
“Hailey wanted to ride it today to participate, because it cuts down on pollution,” he said. “It’s healthy for them to ride the bike.”
Third-grader Julie Corcoran, 8, said it made her happy to ride her bike to school because she believes strongly in helping the environment and participating in the school-wide event with her schoolmates.
Like many of the Morrisville kids, Corcoran is determined to make a difference in her life and ride her bike to school more.
“My dad drives me sometimes,” she said, noting she will try to change that habit.
PennDOT shared safety tips and other information.
“Walking or riding to school may be a fun activity for students, but keeping them safe while they do so is very important,” PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch said. “That’s why we partner with schools and communities all year to educate children, caregivers and the public alike about using our roadways safely.”
To exercise safety year-round, caregivers should remind students to walk on the sidewalk, or if there is no sidewalk, to walk on the side of the road facing traffic.
PennDOT also provided a list of suggestions to ensure safe arrival to school, including crossing streets only at corners or marked crosswalks, carrying flashlights if it is dark, wearing bright colors and avoiding distractions like cell phones and headphones. For bikers, PennDot suggested riding along the right side of the road with traffic, obeying all traffic laws and wearing helmets.
Groups of adults and children can make walking or bicycling to school safer by establishing a “Walking School Bus” or “Bicycle Train” to help reinforce safety in numbers. A structured route can be planned with meeting points, a timetable, and one or more adult “drivers,” escorting a group of children to school.
Information on developing these groups can be found at PennDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) website at www.SafeRoutesPA.org.
PennDOT uses a federal program to help schools and communities improve safety and promote walking and bicycling.
Over the past five years, 65 schools have received more than $350,000 for educational activities and aids such as walking programs, classroom curriculum materials, crossing guard supplies or training, and assemblies focused on bicycle safety.
In addition, PennDOT has awarded more than $18 million in federal funds to schools and municipalities for 34 infrastructure projects near elementary and middle schools. Project examples include sidewalk and curb improvements, updated signage or signals, and crosswalk or bike rack installations.
10 comments:
Isn't everyday walk or roll to school day in Morrisville?
Yeah, but there's a lot of rolling of car tires.
It may be true that every day is walk or roll to school but it's still nice to encourage positive behavior, etc which is what this does. Kids look forward to special days at school. It's a good thing. Kudos to the folks to put this day together.
Thank you for that, and to the people who pulled it together. It's always nice to see positive newspaper articles with pictures and the kids quoted.
We are very proud to participate in this National event this year. First year out, next year will be even bigger and better and part of the Safe Routes to School Grant many have been working on this past year.
The Safety Advisory Board was formed to oversee the Safe Routes to School Grant. The Advisory Board members volunteer their time to the committee and all that goes into creating the Parent Resource Guide which will be distributed soon as well as the other activities surrounding the Grant.
Safety Advisory Chairperson- Wanda Kartal
Borough Council Representative - Fred Kerner
Community Representative- David Rivella
School Administration Representative- Todd Dupell
School Grant Representative- Darletta Berry-Johnson
Borough Police Representative- Officer Erica McIntyre
Parent/Child Representatives- Ann and Emma Perry; Jen and Eliza Holthenrichs; Kelly, Joe Jr. and Riley Gilleo; Tracy and Gabriel Kane
I guess that attept at levity went over like a lead baloon. Proof once again that tone, sarcasm and other inflexion driven meanings often fail to translate via this medium.
I agree that every "special day" is always a big hit with the kids. Having attended Cathlic school as a child, I recall those special days when we got wear our "play clothes." It was always like all-day recess.
Kelly • 23 days ago
Great program! My kids were very excited to ride their bikes into school, then my daughters bike was stolen from the school. I am very disappointed that one child's selfishness in stealing my kids bike destroyed my kids enthusiasm of ever wanting to ride a bike to school again.
To poster above.
Did you file a police report? or at least inform school?
______________________
Perhaps cameras are needed outside schools.
Did anyone's child come home with a bike that was not theirs?
If this is true, sSomeone must know where the missing bike is.
I'm sorry that happened. Please try not to let a bad apple's actions sour your or your child's enthusiasm. It doesn't seem that way sometimes but the good vastly outnumber the bad.
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