Come join one of Elk Grove Unified School District’s 39 elementary school communities as they all celebrate International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 3!  Starting at around 7:30 a.m. schools students, staff, parents and community members across the district will celebrate with a variety of events and activities.

At Elitha Donner Elementary, students will to find a Farmer’s Market where they can buy fresh peaches, nectarines, pears and mini pumpkins from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.  The Farmer’s Market is being provided by EGUSD’s Food and Nutrition Services’ wellness educational program.  Donner will also have “walking school buses” comprised of groups of students and parents who will meet at “bus stops” throughout the neighborhood to walk to school together. 

Once students arrive on campus, leadership students from Laguna Creek High School, as well as parent volunteers and school staff will be on hand to greet them.  A Walk to School spirit rally featuring the Harriet Eddy Middle School band and Donner’s Spirit and Student Unity Rally Team with Splash – Donner’s mascot, will begin in the quad area at 8:15 a.m.  Following the rally, a health and safety fair will be held in the quad area until 11 a.m.  The health and safety fair will include booths emphasizing exercise, healthy eating, safety, community awareness, environmental awareness and entertainment.

Donner’s Walk to School Day event exemplifies EGUSD’s innovative approach to this international celebration.  EGUSD schools have taken the event from a walking program to combining it with nutrition education in an effort to teach children about the many components of wellness.  Many schools, like Donner, take this approach to the next level through the involvement of the middle and high schools that their students will one day attend.

Other EGUSD elementary school activities include: assemblies; raffles for students who walk or bike to school; walking the tracks at rural schools; safety fairs; presentations from local law enforcement and fire departments; class discussions about health, fitness and safety; and poster contests.

Elk Grove Unified’s first school to participate in Walk to School Day was Foulks Ranch Elementary School in 2002. The popularity of the event has grown over the years and all 39 elementary schools will participate in the event on Wednesday, October 3.

The first National Walk Our Children to School Day was started in 1997 by the Partnership for a Walkable America. By 2002, the second International Walk to School Day had nearly 3 million participants in all 50 states. 

Click here for more information about International Walk to School Day.

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