Student leaders drive Walk Safely to School push at St Margaret’s

STUDENT leaders at St Margaret’s Primary School have led the charge in getting their peers to walk to school this Walk Safely to School Day.

The annual event encourages students and parents to ditch their cars in favour of walking to school, promoting pedestrian safety and personal wellbeing.

Principal Susan Perks has been a key driver in giving grade 6 students opportunities to take on leadership and responsibility roles within the school.

As part of that approach, house captains help choose an event to participate in each term.

Teacher Josh Wilson said students selected Walk Safely to School Day as their term 2 focus.

In the lead-up to the event, student leaders visited classrooms to promote safe pedestrian behaviour.

“The kids have been going around and doing presentations to the classes about the benefits of walking to school using the information that they learnt from the from the National Walk Safety to School day website,” Wilson said.

On the morning of Walk Safely to School Day, the grade 6 leaders will give out temporary tattoos and raffle tickets to each student who walks.

The winner will get an hour of free games run by the student leaders, a prize enough to make any student a playground legend.

Now in its 27th year, Walk Safely to School Day encourages positive environmental action, better use of public transport and encourages parents and carers to walk more, reducing dangerous traffic congestion around schools.

Pedestrian Council chief executive Harold Scruby said walking builds lifelong habits while improving safety and wellbeing.

“Walking every day builds confidence, improves concentration and establishes healthy habits for life while making our roads safer and our air cleaner for everyone,” he said.

“The day also encourages reduced car use, less congestion around schools and greater use of public and active transport.”

National Walk Safely to School Day is held on Friday May 22 in primary schools across the country.