Newtown’s ‘Walk To The Stop’ Campaign

Continues To Promote A Healthy Stroll To The Bus

By Eliza Hallabeck

It has been two years since the school district’s Walk To The Stop campaign handed out key chains and started promoting the practice of walking to the bus stop rather than being driven by parents to wait for the school bus.

The Walk To The Stop campaign was sponsored by the Newtown Public Schools Wellness Committee and began in September 2008. Flyers were printed and passed out to students to bring home to parents, and Newtown’s bus drivers handed out yellow school bus key chains to students who walked to their bus stops.

In November 2009, the campaign was recognized for its effort by the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. This year the campaign continues again, but, without funding; only the flyers will be sent home.

Newtown Public Schools Health Coordinator Judy Blanchard said this week that the intent of the program is to promote a healthy alternative to driving a child to the bus stop, not to guilt-trip parents who do drive children to meet the school bus.

“The reason it was such a success was hugely due to our bus drivers,” said Ms Blanchard. “They were the ones who were passing out the key tags, and it certainly is helpful to them when kids are ready to go without cars lined up as well.”

The response from parents, she said, was generally positive, but some of the responses were a little defensive.

“The intent is not to criticize,” said Ms Blanchard. “The intent is to make sure people understand that every step counts to cumulative exercise. Almost 40 percent of all our children are either over weight or obese right now, and those rates continue to rise. So I think we have to look at the kind of example we are setting for kids for their general activity.”

Between sitting at desks, in cars, and on computers, Ms Blanchard said society is not getting the movement it needs.

“And I think we have to differentiate between movement and exercise,” said Ms Blanchard, “because exercise does not have to be rigorous sports. It is all of the movement that you do during the day.”

The Walk To The Stop campaign, she said, also promotes restricting the amount of fumes produced from driving multiple cars to a bus stop and keeping them running.

“Role model it. Enjoy the walk to the stop,” she said, adding walking in the morning jumpstarts the metabolism and provides a jump of energy for both parents and their students.