UGDSB participates in annual Winter Walk Day on February 2
January 26, 2022
These boots were made for walking, skipping, wheeling and rolling…to school.
Wednesday February 2 is the Ontario Active School Travel’s (OAST) annual Winter Walk Day (WWD). Winter Walk Day is an annual celebration of winter walking that takes place on the first Wednesday of February.
Schools across the UGDSB with the help of the Active and Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) Committee will be participating in WWD. Schools that rely on bus transportation are encouraged to hold walking events at their school.
There are so many benefits that comes from walking:
- Increased physical activity
- Reduced traffic congestion
- Improved air quality
- Enhanced neighbourhood safety
- A greater sense of community
No matter how far the distance, when we walk to school, we’re contributing to a healthier, cleaner and happier school environment.
Despite all the positive benefits that come from walking/wheeling to school, there is an element of safety that’s involved since you and your child/ren are sharing the road with vehicles. Here are just a few tips on how to make your walk to school a safe one:
- Be a good role model. Demonstrate road safety rules with your child (e.g. looking both ways when crossing the street).
- Plan a walking or riding route. Assess potential hazards with your child. Encourage your child to stick to the route.
- Remind your child about personal safety. Point out the houses of people you know where they can go for help if needed.
- Adopt a buddy system. Walk with a “walking buddy” – a sibling or a friend.
- Ask that electronics like iPods and cellphones be put in their bag while walking to school. Pedestrian safety is compromised by texting, earphones and cellphone conversation.
- Talk about the rules of the road and pedestrian safety.
We hope to see our UGDSB community walking or wheeling February 2!
Categories: News Tags: Community • UGLearnGreen