VERO BEACH — Students from four elementary schools took to the sidewalks Wednesday morning, including 45 from Vero Beach Elementary, taking part in International Walk to School Day and forming walking school buses.
“This is what my kids really wanted to do,” said Teona Mcrae, who walked to Vero Beach Elementary from the Vero Beach Boys & Girls Club with fourth grader Markiyah Chappelle, second grader Vincent Davis, first grader Tamia Davis, and her nephew, first grader Vincent Smith, and his mom, Chelese Smith.
Markiyah said she wanted to participate in the walking school bus so she could get some exercise in before school.
“I want to stay in shape,” she said, adding she has been learning about health in school and knows it’s important to be healthy.
Mcrae said that it means a lot to her that her kids wanted to walk to school, noting that many children these days don’t get enough exercise.
“It’s important,” Smith said of getting the kids outside and walking. “And it definitely saves on gas!”
This is the second year Indian River County schools have participated in International Walk to School Day by organizing walking school buses. This year, Vero Beach Elementary and Rosewood Magnet joined veterans Fellsmere Elementary and Dodgertown Elementary.
“I think it’s wonderful,” School Board member Claudia Jimenez said of the Walking School Bus program. “It gets kids excited about walking. It should be part of their day.”
Vero Beach Police Sgt. Ken Barrett helped to lead the students from the Boys & Girls Club to their school.
“This is an awesome, awesome thing,” he said while walking along 17th Avenue.
The sergeant added that children should get at least 60 minutes of outside play time – and walking to school helps get them to that goal.
Before the walk, Sgt. Barrett ran through pedestrian safety tips with the students, reminding them to look left, right and left again before crossing the street and to walk facing traffic when possible, “because you don’t know what’s coming behind you.”
Darlene Burton, regional coordinator for the Health Department, said the goal is to get more schools participating in the Walking School Bus program. The department works with schools’ Parent Teacher Associations to organize the “bus” and help parents connect with others to grow the bus.
The Indian River County School District’s policy is to not bus students who live within two miles of their school, relying on parents to transport their students.
Burton said the Walking School Bus targets students who live within one mile from school, what the Health Department considers “walking distance.”
For information about the Walking School Bus program, parents are encouraged to contact their students’ schools or the Health Department, (772) 794-7400.
