National Walk To School Safely Day: The Most Important Steps We Could Take For A Brighter Future

Links: https://www.walk.com.au/pedestriancouncil/page.asp.

https://www.walk.com.au/WSTSD/

On Friday the 19th May, 2023 Hammond Park Primary School participated in a national incentive to walk to school safely. This day is a special day supported by the Pedestrian Council of Australia.

The National Walk Safely to School Day is an initiative that aims to raise awareness of the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits that come with regular walking or alternative active transport such as riding or scooting to school.

On National Walk Safely to School Day primary school-aged children are encouraged to walk with an adult to school to help teach road safety skills and discuss the physical benefits that regular walking has on both our mental and physical health to create a healthier, safer future.

Hammond Park prepared for the event by placing the event on their School calendar at the beginning of the year as part of the Your Move whole school activities for 2023.

One Month Before The Event:

Our lovely Educational Assistants created banners and posters promoting the event.

These were placed around our school to generate excitement for the upcoming event.

Two Weeks Before The Event:

HPPS sent a Connect post to our school community with the details and benefits of walking to school to promote the event.

Teachers also promoted the event in their classes.

One Week Before The Event:

Teachers sent home a reminder note in tour weekly Connect note to parents. Teachers placed posters outside their classrooms to advertise the event.

Vouchers for walking to school were sorted into bags to give out at school gates by our Your Move Champions. These vouchers are exchanged for tokens in the classroom which are linked to our whole school Positive Behaviours System.

A playlist was organised by one of the Your Move teachers for the ‘open air’ school community disco that students can join in as they arrive to school.

During a recess break, Your Move teachers met briefly with Your Move Champions to go through running order of the event.

Day Of The Event

Your Move Champions and teachers met prior to the start of the event to hang banners on the school gates and set up the sound system for the open air community disco. Your Move Champions then collected bags of vouchers and moved to allocated gates with a supervising Your Move teacher.

Your Move Champions handed out vouchers to students who participated in National Walk To School Day.

As students walked through the school gates, they were also invited to join our open air disco on the grass area outside the front of our library. The disco was included in this event to promote a fun, festive atmosphere to this activity and strengthen our whole school community ties.

Our amazing PE teacher Mrs Hadden lead the school in ‘Jump Jam’ dances the students have been learning in PE. Some of the Your Move Champions stood at the front of the disco and helped Mrs Hadden lead the dancing. Your Move teachers moved through the crowd and gave out National Walk Safely To School Day tattoos to great dancers.

Reflection:

Some of the Your Move teachers asked parents and students how they felt about the whole school activity, and this is what they had to say:

“I love these days. The disco was epic! It was awesome walking to school today with my dad. We saw a bandicoot run into the bush!” Year 3 student.

“What a lovely way to start the day! The disco is so much fun! I love it!” Year 1 Parent.

National Walk To School Safely Day is an annual fixture on the Hammond Park Primary School Activities calendar.