By Special to the Town Crier

Organizers hope three-quarters of the Oak Avenue Elementary School student body will participate tomorrow in Walk to School Day, the last such event for the current school year. Students and teachers are encouraged to walk or cycle to school that day, or to carpool if they must drive.

“Nationally, it’s estimated that only 13 percent of all trips to and from school are by foot or bicycle,” notes PTA Walk to School Committee Co-chairwoman Renee Lewis. “With so many cars on the road, we urge everyone not to rush to school, but to take the time to walk, cycle, drive and park safely.”

“We’re encouraging everyone to call your neighbors and form walking school buses for your block,” added Co-chairwoman Merry Ann Moore. Walking school buses (WSBs), in which one parent in the neighborhood serves as the “driver” escorting a group of students, have proved successful in many communities in reducing pollution, improving children’s fitness and promoting a safer commute to school. For example, a WSB consisting of nine families in Toronto kept over 2,200 pounds of greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere during the year, and saved a collective $230 (Canadian) in fuel costs.

Oak Principal Leslie Crane, who lives in Sunnyvale, will walk the several miles from her house to school that day. “Creating a school culture that values walking and cycling is a long-term goal for Oak, with many benefits for kids and parents,” she notes. “It increases youngsters’ independence; it’s an easy form of exercise; and it puts them in a great mood to tackle the academic day.”

Research has found numerous other advantages from such physical activity:

Improved concentration, memory, creativity and problem-solving ability.

Reduced traffic congestion and air pollution. To calculate the pollution you can prevent and the calories you will burn by walking to school, visit www.climatechangesolutions.com/english/individuals/tools/transport/atob.htm.

Strengthened communities. Parents and students get to know one another better when they walk together and work together for a common good.

Better ’street smarts.” Kids can learn how to keep themselves safe.

Oak PTA’s Walk to School Committee has already begun planning for the school’s participation in International Walk to School Day Oct. 2.

Crane invites students to accompany her on the homestretch of her walk to school by joining her on Truman Avenue near Havenhurst Drive at around 7:50 a.m. on Thursday.

Better “street smarts,” so kids learn how to keep themselves safe.

More fun, as students travel to school with their friends, not just boring mom or dad.

Oak PTA’s Walk to School Committee has already begun planning for the school’s participation in International Walk to School Day this coming fall. Mark your calendars for Oct. 2.

Students can accompany Crane on the homestretch of her walk to school by joining her on Truman Avenue near Havenhurst Drive at around 7:50 a.m.