Press release

9/29/2015 –Bishop Elementary, Big Pine, and Lo Inyo will join schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on October 7, 2015.

Crosswalk and crossing guard

 

As many as 1700 students from three elementary schools in the valley will be walking to school along with parents, teachers and community leaders. Participating along with the teachers and parents are Bishop High School student volunteers, Toiyabe Indian Health Project staff, Bishop Tribal Members, Inyo County Sheriff Deputies, Bishop Police Department Officers and Reserves, Bishop City Council Members Pat Gardner and Laura Smith, Inyo County District 5 Supervisor Matt Kingsley, the local California Highway Patrol Office and local school administration.

Each school site is holding their specific event a little different, due to their needs, location, and time constraints.

  • Big Pine Schools are providing safe routes to school during this Walk to School Event by posting teachers at each of the ‘park and walk ‘locations. Have your child meet his classmates at the following locations to walk to school, or bring you child to the location and enjoy a morning stroll. Meeting locations include Mendenhall Park, the parking lot of the former Chevron station, the Big Pine Tribal Office, the Big Pine Tribal Education Center, and the Big Pine Shell. Parents are encouraged to walk with their children if at all possible. If you wish to volunteer for the Big Pine walk, contact Ana at 938-2222
  • The Bishop event will begin at 7:20 with kids, parents and community leaders walking from a variety of ‘park and walk’ locations. Bishop Elementary has official designated ‘Safe Routes to School’ for their students to walk and so all the event meeting locations are connected to those routes. Students living on the east side of Bishop can meet at the following locations and all walk to school together: the parking lot on the corner of 395 and Short St (Brewery parking lot); the corner of East Line St. and Hanby (Pioneer Home Health Haven parking lot); and the grass area in front of the building that was formerly Whiskey Creek. Parents interested in driving from their home to park and walk to schools are encouraged to meet at the corner of 395 and West Yaney (Schat’s Roadhouse parking lot). School staff has arranged to drop all their bus passengers off in the parking lot at the corner of West Yaney and Home Street (Catholic Church), so that even students bussed to school will get to participate in this event.
  • Toiyabe Indian Health Project is holding special event for the Bishop Tribal Members. Children living on the Reservation are invited to meet at the Cultural Center at 7:00am and enjoying a light breakfast, before beginning their walk down the COSO trail to school. Parents are urged to attend and walk their student to school.
  • Lo Inyo is participating as a way to kick off their monthly ‘Healthy Hike’ campaign. Continuing for the second year in a row, Lo Inyo will be organizing monthly walks, starting at 9:00am, in a loop around town for all their elementary and middle school students. This year, they will begin by joining in on the countywide walk. Their walk will begin at 9:00am on October 7 on the front lawn on Lo Inyo. Parent and community participation is encouraged.

Walk to School Day events raise awareness of the need to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion and concern for the environment. These events build connections between families, schools and the broader community.

If you are interested in volunteering to help walk students to school, or if you would like more information, please contact Karen M. Kong at 760.873.3262 ext. 412

For additional information, please visit these websites:

Walk to School Day in the USA www.walkbiketoschool.org

National Center for Safe Routes to School www.saferoutesinfo.org

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