October 6, 2021 is Walk to School Day – what better time to start a walking school bus? Walking school buses are a safe and fun way for children to get physical activity as they travel to and from school with adult supervision.
A walking school bus isn’t actually a bus – instead, it’s a group of students and parents walking to school together. They can be as simple as families taking turns walking their children to school or as formal as a structured route with a timetable, designated stops, and assigned adult volunteers. Each “bus” walks along a predetermined route with one or more adults leading it, picking children up at designated stops along the way. A school can have multiple “buses” originating from different neighborhoods.
Several schools and communities in Somerset County are hosting walking school buses for this Walk to School Day: North Plainfield Middle School, East End School, West End School, Somerset School and Stony Brook School in North Plainfield; Smalley Elementary in Bound Brook; Amsterdam Elementary in Hillsborough; John F Kennedy Elementary in Raritan; Marion T. Bedwell Elementary in Bernardsville; Robert Morris School in South Bound Brook; and Roosevelt School in Manville.
For more assistance with setting up a walking school bus, you can contact RideWise at staff@ridewise.org. To learn more about International Walk to School Day, visit the Walk & Bike to School website.
