Helen Keller Middle School will participate in Walk, Bike and Roll on Oct. 4, a national event where students and adults ditch the car and walk, bike and roll their board or chairs to school.
School students and their families will have the opportunity to walk to school together using the “snake path” that leads students from Ridgedale Road to the middle school in an easy trail-like path in hopes of promoting students to get more active and reduce traffic in Easton by walking to school. The Easton PD will be at the middle school to ensure everything runs smoothly. The school has partnered with Jesse Lee Methodist Church at 25 Flat Rock Road to allow families to park in their lot and walk to school.
“We are trying to promote a healthy lifestyle for kids,” said Steven Clapp, the principal of Helen Keller Middle School. “It’s a great way to start the day getting your body energy up a bit.”
The Walk, Bike and Roll website currently lists 2,417 events registered nationwide including 35 schools registered across Connecticut.
Easton’s has fews sidewalks, so the “snake path” at the middle school was designed for students to walk to school and gives them a fantastic alternative to using buses or cars, ultimately improving traffic conditions and safety and giving the community a chance to see how beautiful the campus is, said Clapp.
The middle school’s participation in the Walk, Bike and Roll event might seem counter intuitive to the school’s ongoing effort to get students to ride the bus to school. But the ride the school bus effort is aimed at students who don’t live within walking distance to the school. Instead of taking the bus provided for them, those students are driven to school by their parents, creating parking nightmares and traffic congestion for morning commuters on Sport Hill Road.
This is the third year the middle school has participated in the Walk, Bike and Roll event. In previous years, music was played for everyone to enjoy their morning. Families brought coffee, hot chocolate and egg sandwiches as they walked to school, making it a memorable time for each other.
Families are asked to fill out a sign-up form to give organizers an idea of how many people will attend the event and ensure there’s enough parking space. Contact the school at 203-268-8651 for more information.
