Schools

Annual Terra Centre Walk to School Encourages Kids to Get Outdoors

Walk to school decorated with student colored paw prints.

Four hundred students from Terra Centre Elementary walked to school on Wednesday in a PTA driven effort.

Children walked with their parents and their friends to the elementary, guided by two police officers helping them cross Burke Centre Parkway. The path from Marshall Pond was decorated with balloons, chalk, ribbons and tiger paw prints hand-colored by students.

"Parents stopped this morning on route to look at all the drawings and colored paws," PTA president Molly Field said. "It was really lovely; like an outdoor art gallery -- and one with a message: being outdoors and walking to school with your friends and the friends of your parents is fun, neighborly, safe, healthy and smart."

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Prizes were also given for the 100th Tiger walker and classroom prizes for the homerooms with the most submitted colored paws.

The walk is similar to iWalk, or International Walk to School, a day held in early October where children walk to their local school. The Terra Centre version started two years ago with the efforts of Field and then-president Terri Melone. The program is now run by Terra Centre moms Anne-Margaret Ashley and Karen Savell. Last year, 250 kids participated.

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"Our [2008] event was nowhere near as robust a program as Anne-Margaret and Karen have put together," Field said. "Each year they build on the previous successes and it has really taken off."

The program is independently run from FCPS, though the Terra Centre administration allows PTA volunteers to promote the event to parents through Thursday folders-home distribution.

"FCPS might have concerns regarding crossing Burke Centre Parkway, but people do it anyway on a daily basis without police coverage," Field said. "With the officers there ensuring our childrens' safety, I'm hopeful FCPS sees we are running a tight ship and that our childrens' safety is priority one."

Field also said that "the police officers from the West Springfield District station have always been empowering, top-notch and huge advocates for this program."

Terra Centre Elementary PTA president Molly Field kindly provided us with photos of and information about the event. Thank you Molly!


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