Lake Anne, Forest Edge Elementaries Win 'Walk to School Day' Challenge

by Andrea Swalec October 9, 2014 at 11:00 am 5 Comments

Karleigh walked to Armstrong Elementary (Photo courtesy of Karen L. Sullivan)

More kids at Forest Edge Elementary walked to school Wednesday than at any other Reston school. (Photo courtesy of Jason Parish)

Karleigh, a student at Armstrong Elementary, traced her footprint when she arrived to school. (Photo courtesy of Karen L. Sullivan)

68 kids at Sunrise Valley Elementary participated in the event. (Photo courtesy of Steve Gurney)

Danielle, a sixth grader at Hunters Woods Elementary School, biked to class Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Melanie Colston)

County Supervisor Catherine Hudgins walked to school with some Forest Edge children and visited classrooms. (Photo courtesy of Raba Letteri)

Lake Anne Elementary students sign a banner. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Romano)

Lake Anne Elementary had the highest percentage of students who walked to school Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Romano)

Sunrise Valley Elementary students signed a banner after participating in the event. (Photo courtesy of Steve Gurney)

Sunrise Valley Elementary’s bike racks were crammed by students who opted to bike to class. (Photo courtesy of Steve Gurney)

More kids at Forest Edge Elementary School got moving Wednesday morning than at any other Reston school.

Students at the area’s eight public elementary schools got to class by participating in International Walk to School Day, created to promote physical activity and pedestrian safety.

Forest Edge had the most walkers, with 371 students participating, according to data compiled by Kelley Westenhoff, chairwoman of the Reston Association’s pedestrian and bicycling committee.

Lake Anne Elementary School was also recognized in the Reston Elementary School Challenge. The school had the highest percentage of students who walked to school Wednesday, with 364 of its 670 total students involved, for a 54 percent participation rate.

Thirty percent of Reston’s 5,583 elementary school students walked to school Wednesday, according to the data.

The winning schools will be awarded trophies at the November meeting of the Reston Association. A similar competition will take place in May, when kids will be encouraged to bike to school.

Mike M

I saw some parents walking their kids across the Hunter Mill – Sunrise Valley intersection at morning rush hour yesterday. I think they were taking crazy risks for the sake of this event. You can have the best of intentions in riding your bike or walking around Fairfax County, but there are some places that are just not safe for that. It doesn’t matter how PC or well-intentioned you may be. The laws of physics are mean indeed!
- Gurney
  
  That is a Sunrise Valley Elementary neighborhood and we have usually had police stationed at that intersection for this event. Agreed it is not ideal but ten cyclists or walkers crossing as a group are much safer than individuals.
Ken Plum

Congratulations to all who walked!
- Mike M
  
  Thanks for the smiley face, Ken. How’s that Richmond state gubmint stuff?
James Crockett

It’s also important to remember that – with about 4.5 million members – the highly politicized teachers’ unions are among the most powerful special interests in the US.

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