Mayor John Marchione has proclaimed Wednesday October 7^th to be Walk to School Day in Redmond. Redmond students, their families, teachers, and the community are invited to join schools from around the nation to celebrate walking to school!

There are a number of reasons Go Redmond and the Redmond SchoolPool program are focused on getting our students out of the car and onto the sidewalks:

Why Walk to School?

1. It's good for student's academic performance!
   Studies suggest that students who walk or bike to school get more physical activity in through the day, and this activity lead to higher academic achievement.

2. It's good for the environment
   Vehicles emit a variety of air pollutants, resulting in increases in ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter such as particles of dust, soot, smoke, dirt and liquid droplets. When families choose not to drive to school, they are helping reduce these pollutants near our school zones! 
    
3. It promotes safety
   By practicing safe walking skills with our students, we are not only teaching our students the importance of road safety but building healthy habits.  For tips on talking with your students about the importance of safe walking skills, visit the Safe Routes to School website.
    
4. It's fun!
   Walk to School Day brings a lot of energy to our school neighborhood and is a great way to kick off your day!  You and your student may notice things you normally wouldn't notice when driving!  You may see your neighbors, get a few extra minutes talking with your students distraction free, and swap the stress of sitting in traffic with a healthy walk.  

Walk to School Day is expected to take place in all 50 states this year, encompassing over 5,000 schools across the country and more than 40 countries around the world.  

Seven Redmond Schools will promote walking to school through the Redmond SchoolPool Program throughout the month of October.  The goal of the Redmond SchoolPool is to reduce traffic while giving students a healthy, fun, and safe way to get to school. Families are matched with other students through an online system so they can travel together via “walking school buses,” or by forming multi-family carpools in order to earn rewards.