District 300 students gear up for walk to school

Tracey Perez walks her two young children to and from Westfield Community School in Algonquin until snow accumulates on the sidewalk, rendering the half-mile walk from their home treacherous.

The early morning exercise, Perez says, lets the youngsters burn off energy before classes start and helps the environment by taking one car off the road.

Next week, the Perez family will join hundreds of other students from Community Unit District 300 who are participating in the International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, Oct. 6. The event, which is part of the "Making Kane County Fit for Kids" project, encourages biking or walking to school to stay strong and healthy, as well as promoting a clean environment.

Students at nine District 300 schools will take part in the event: Carpentersville Middle School, Eastview Elementary, Neubert Elementary, Golfview Elementary, Hampshire Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Parkview Elementary and Perry Elementary. The students will wear green T-shirts to show their support of the environment.

"It is a great opportunity to get involved with something that is international to promote health and the environment," said Perez, president of the Westfield PTO. "There is an obesity problem in this country because kids are not getting sufficient exercise. This is a great way to address those issues."

Baylee and Bryce Vincent, 9, of Algonquin will be walking to school with their mother, Megan, and a group of neighborhood friends.

"It is good exercise and you get to stay fit and healthy," Bryce said. "It's fun because our friends walk with us.

For 9-year-old Kailey McNally, the morning walks jump start her day.

"It gets me going in the morning and gets me ready for the day so I have extra energy for the day," she said.

Students that live too far to walk are encouraged to start their walk closer to school or from a friend's house. A good drop-off point for Westfield students is Willoughby Farms Park, adjacent to the school, Assistant Principal Angela Reincke said. In addition, all elementary students will take part in a "walking bus," a 10-minute walk around the school's track after the first bell of the day rings.

"We have a lot of car traffic," Reincke said. "If we can cut the car traffic in half, I will be happy."

Thousands of schools in 40 countries from Australia to Iceland participated in the 2009 event.