Hillside Walks & Bikes to School

Hillside Walks & Bikes to School
Posted on 10/12/2018

kids on police segways
Students try out scooters of the Montclair Police Department.

It felt like summer on Wed., Oct. 10 as Montclair students and their families celebrated International Walk to School Day.

Hillside students, families and staff arrived on the front lawn on foot, bikes and scooters to kick off the day in a healthy way. A local fitness instructor led willing participants in dance exercises to get the blood flowing and the PTA had a welcome table filled with healthy snacks, water and a Hillside sign-in poster for students to sign as they arrived. Members of the Montclair Police Department who arrived on Segways were on hand to show their support and encourage students to be more active.

The Partnership for a Walkable America sponsored the first National Walk Our Children to School Day in Chicago in 1997, modeled after the United Kingdom’s walk to school events, and communities around the United States have been celebrating Walk to School Day ever since. The event was established as “International” in 2000, when Canada and the U.K. joined with the U.S. to celebrate. Communities and schools use this day as the first step to change community culture and to create options for getting around that are more inviting for everyone, both young and old. Some reasons to support walking and bicycling to school:

  • It’s fun — walking and bicycling bring a sense of joy and independence;
  • It encourages healthier habits — the trip to school is a chance for children (and adults) to get the physical activity they need;
  • It promotes a cleaner environment — Replacing car trips to school with walking or bicycling can reduce congestion and air-polluting emissions;
  • It promotes safety and supports neighborhood connections.

dad walks child to school

students excercise and sign banners

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