‘WALKING SCHOOL BUS’ HITS THE STREETS
OF REDWOOD CITY JUNE 8
Go to Walking School Bus Event Coverage on this Website
REDWOOD CITY — In the face of a childhood obesity epidemic that hits Hispanic children hardest, Redwood City 2020, the Sequoia Healthcare District and the Redwood City School District will launch a major initiative Tuesday, June 8 to get Fair Oaks Community School children out of their rides and onto the sidewalks to and from school.
National studies show that one in three children are overweight or obese; the figure for Hispanic children is close to one of every two. The K-5 children at Fair Oaks School are almost all of Hispanic ethnicity and are a prime candidate for a wellness initiative such as the Walking School Bus.
The entire school — staff, teachers, children and parents — have been mobilized to participate in a safe, healthful program that will have them walking the last few blocks to school. The Walking School Bus is part of Redwood City 2020’s community health strategy and is being funded by Sequoia Healthcare District.
Those participating will receive a big welcome at the school as they arrive on foot from three directions exactly at 8 a.m. Sequoia Healthcare District Board of Directors member Katie Kane, school district Superintendent Jan Christensen, school principal Lupe Guzman Larios and supporters will herald their arrival.
Accommodations have been made for media; parking is limited in the area and interested media will be provided maps and materials in advance of coverage.
FAQ
What is a “walking school bus”?
A group of children walking to school safely with one or more adults instead of riding in a car or bus is a walking school bus. It can be as informal as families taking turns walking their children to school, or formally structured. Structured walking school buses can have an identified route with meeting points, a timetable and a regularly rotated schedule of volunteers. The Fair Oaks Community School Walking School Bus pilot program is structured, with gathering points several blocks from school, students and faculty with assigned roles, walking routes and walking times.
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Why is a walking school bus a good idea?
Fewer children are regularly walking to school and more children are becoming overweight, studies show. A walking school bus can be a regular daily activity that promotes good health for children and adults. In addition, reducing the number of auto trips to and from school increases safety around the school site, reduces congestion and stress and contributes to improved air quality.
Who sponsors the Fair Oaks Walking School Bus Pilot?
Redwood City 2020 (www.rwc2020.org) and Sequoia Healthcare District (www.sequoiahealthcaredistrict.com) are working with the Redwood City School District to implement the walking school bus model as a component of a community wellness plan. Fair Oaks School also has been working with the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol to make safety improvements around the school. As a Community School, Fair Oaks has been very active in implementing a number of health and wellness programs that support RWC 2020’s Wellness Goals.
Sequoia Healthcare District is testing the concept of a Walking School Bus or similar youth wellness program for all of the school districts in its service area, which extends from Belmont to Menlo Park and Skyline to San Francisco Bay. Sequoia Healthcare District’s experience with the Redwood City School District may be extended to other locations as part of its Youth Health Initiative.
What happens after this pilot program?
The goal at Fair Oaks and other Redwood City School District schools is to devise walking school bus programs tailored to the specific needs of a school site, apply the resources needed to create and maintain safe routes to school and actively involve adults to be a continuing part of the program. The hope is that within two years every school will sponsor a walking school bus, or in some cases a “bicycle train,” where adults supervise children riding their bikes to school at least once a week.
Safe Routes to School
The Walking School Bus adheres to strategies established by National Center for Safe Routes to School, a federally-supported center and clearinghouse for assistance to communities seeking ways to encourage children to walk or bike to school, to improve the safety of walkers and bikers and facilitate projects that reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution near schools.
Next Steps
Redwood City 2020 and the Sequoia Healthcare District will lead the effort to implement the walking school bus program in the Redwood City School District and intend to expand the program to additional schools. Each additional school site will require: an assessment of interest and need, access to funds to make safety improvements, a structure to support the program and documentation to track its success. Through a partnership with Stanford University Urban Design students, a model assessment has been completed at Hawes School in Redwood City and plans are underway to implement the walking school bus model there early next school year.
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