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A walking school bus approaches Briar Glen Elementary School as the Wheaton school marks Walk to School Day 2005. (photo: Jim McDermott)

Principal: ‘We Had a Horrendous Traffic Problem’
Trying to extend benefit of Walk to School Day through the school year

By Ana Martinez

Chicagoland Bicycle Federation Safe Roues to School is promoting International Walk to School Day Oct. 4. The event is an excellent entry point for schools that want to begin encouraging their students to walk or bike.
Briar Glen Elementary School in Wheaton last year participated for the first time. It was so successful that the school scheduled another Walk to School Day in the Spring.

We spoke with Briar Glen principal Dr. Jackie Strum, who was behind the program:

BT: Why are parents and children responding so well to this initiative?

JS: It’s a chance for the community to get together, for the school community to get together for a common cause. Secondly it’s an excellent exercise and people enjoy walking to school. In addition, both times we’ve participated we’ve had a breakfast in front of the school and once everyone arrives there is juice and bagels and it gives the students and parents a time to interact before the bell.

BT: Has it changed travel habits for your students?

JS: Not as significantly as I would have hoped; but last year was our first year and this year our district has introduced a wellness policy and wants to link it to the kickoff of this walkathon, which the staff will encourage throughout the year. The formal walk begins in October and another in the Spring. We’ll be encouraging walking and biking to school from that first point on, from October … to the end of the school year.
It all started because we had a horrendous traffic problem, with many cars transporting children who only live a block or two from school.

BT: Does Briar Glen use classroom instruction on safety, walking, school buses, etc?

JS: We have three imperatives in the school: be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. We have a whole list of things that we tell the children to practice and we give strategies and techniques on that. These include not talking to strangers and all the general types of things. There is a lot of general classroom instruction on safety since it is one of our major school imperatives. We are always stressing safety.

BT: What are some of the outcomes? Are children better focused in class, for example ?

JS: Absolutely. There is research that supports that children who engage in activity before school tend to do better and focus better than kids who just leave the house, into the car and are dropped off.

BT: What do the children tell you about having an opportunity to walk/bike to school?

JS: They love it. They have their backpacks and are walking with their friends. The idea is so new to them because the majority of them have never had an opportunity to walk to school since they were always driven or dropped off or car-pooled. So the kids love this new program.

Ana Martinez is a volunteer Bike Traffic contributor