Last updated: 16th September 2005

All families attending Columbia Public Schools: Plan to walk to school with your children on October 5. If you live too far away, drive part way to school, park, and walk the last half-mile or so.

If you attend Grant, Russell, Ridgeway or West Boulevard Elementary School: Look out for flyers, announcements, and a special assembly. As part of Columbia's Active Living by Design grant, walk-to-school "staging posts" are being organized:

• Grant Elementary: Office Depot at 8:15am
• Russell Boulevard Elementary: The ARC at 8:00am
• West Boulevard Elementary: The ARC at 8:00am
• Ridgeway Elementary: The Public Library at 8:00am

If you are the principal, P.E. teacher, or P.T.A. leader at any other Columbia Public Elementary or Middle School: Here are some simple steps you can take to organize a fun and healthy event on International Walk to School Day:

Planning the event:

• Assemble a committee of PTA members and staff who are interested in helping to organize a Walk to School Day and register your school at www.walktoschool.org.
• Identify a suitable "staging post" about a half-mile from school, where parents can drop off children. This could be a church or business parking lot (if necessary, obtain permission) and should be connected to school by complete sidewalks or streets with low traffic speed. Contact pednet@pednet.org for advice on choosing a good location.
• Contact pednet@pednet.org with staging post details so we can create Walk to School Day flyer for you.

• Include an announcement about International Walk to School Day in school or PTA newsletter (if possible).
• Announce the plans for Walk to School Day at an assembly (if possible) and talk to the children about the health, environmental, and economic benefits of walking.
• Invite former teachers or local celebrities who are connected with the school to join you at the staging post for the walk to school.

• Send Walk to School Day flyer home to all children in Friday folder.

• Announce that tomorrow is International Walk to School Day and ask chidren to remind their parents about it.
• Purchase a healthy snack to serve walkers (please keep receipts). We suggest oranges (quartered), bananas (cut in three), bagels (sliced with bread slicer), cream cheese, and water in small "dixie cups."

• Designated PTA volunteers etc. set up tables in playground (inside if rainy) for serving snacks and conducting prize drawing.
• Designated teachers etc. gather at the staging post to meet children being dropped by parents, and walk children to school.
• As walkers arrive at school, ask each child to fill in a drawing entry before getting their snack. Conduct the prize drawing and distribute the prizes (free passes to the ARC and Empire Roller Rink).

• Email pednet@pednet.org to let us know the total number of children who participated and how far they walked (approximately).
• Celebrate!!!