Safe Routes to School E-News October 2010
Welcome to the first issue of Sonoma County Safe Routes to School (SRTS) e-News. In this monthly e-news update, we will keep you informed about resources and support available through the Sonoma County Safe Routes to School program.
We will also utilize the e-news to inform you about logistics regarding upcoming or prior events and share any other ideas and inspiration for keeping children motivated to walk and bicycle to school safely year round, whether you are doing one encouragement event per year or multiple encouragement events and/or SRTS education for your students, parents, or community members.
SRTS Team leader action items which require a reply will always be listed first. Click on the below headings to go directly to that section of the E-News.
2. INTERNATIONAL WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY NOTABLE NUMBERS & STORIES
3. SEND US YOUR iWalk/Roll STORIES AND PICTURES!
4. LINKS TO IWALK/ROLL PRESS COVERAGE ACROSS THE COUNTY
5. APPLY TO RECEIVE A FREE “CAPTAIN BICYCLE SHORTS” BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSEMBLY!
6. REGISTER NOW FOR THE ONLINE 511.org SCHOOL POOL SYSTEM (online car, walk, and bike pool matching)
7. NOVEMBER SRTS NEWSLETTER BLURB AND ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR ONGOING WALK/ROLL ENCOURAGEMENT
8. LIMITED # of STICKERS & SMALL PRIZES AVAILABLE FOR NOVEMBER EVENTS!
9. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING MEASURE W
10. BECOME OUR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL FACEBOOK FRIEND!
11. CHECK OUT THE SONOMA COUNTY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WEBSITE
12. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SRTS CITY/AREA LEADS
1. WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR BANNERS AND LEFTOVER PRIZES (TEAM LEADERS PLEASE READ & RESPOND)
BANNERS: Since every school that participated in International Walk & Roll to School Day 2010 has indicated that they plan to participate again next year, team leaders have two options for their SRTS banner(s). Team leaders, please send an email to tinap@bikesonoma.org indicating your preference by Friday, October 22nd :
· KEEP IT: If you have a safe place to store your banner at the school site or someone’s home, you are welcome to hang onto it until next year’s event, or for other Walk/Roll Days you plan on your own this year. Please notify your school principal AND office manager of where the banner is stored. We have a record of which banner each school received and will be tracking returns, therefore if you keep yours, you will not receive one next October.
· RETURN IT: If you do not have a safe place to store your banner on site, or are not sure who will be next year’s Team Leader, please arrange to have the banner returned to the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition for safe storage until next year’s event. To arrange to return your banner, please contact the SRTS Area Lead who arranged for your registration. Contact information for each area lead is at the end of the E-news. If you cannot get a hold of your area lead, please contact Tina Panza at Tinap@bikesonoma.org.
LEFTOVER PRIZES: If you have leftover prizes, you may keep those for use next year, or for another Walk/Roll encouragement related event you choose to plan this year. You are also welcome to return them so we can make them available to other schools who may be able to make use of them this year.
2. INTERNATIONAL WALK AND ROLL TO SCHOOL DAY NOTABLE NUMBERS & STORIES
2010 has been Sonoma County’s biggest International Walk and Roll to School Day yet. 73 schools registered to participate, and over 10,600 students walked or rolled to school! Over 43% of Sonoma County students at participating schools walked, biked, scootered, or skateboarded to school. The average number of students who walk/bike on a typical day in Sonoma County is about 15% - what a difference! At schools where significant numbers of students participated, traffic jams were eliminated, and in many cases, huge groups of kids and parents met up at designated locations to walk or bicycle together. By all accounts, experiences were positive and encouraging for school staff, parents, and kids. Thanks to all the team leaders who sent in their counts!
Area/City Notable Participation:
· Rohnert Park: At Evergreen Elementary School in Rohnert Park, they established 8 Walking School bus meeting locations – at one location, there were over 50 children. 71% of enrolled students walked or biked that day. At Waldo Rohnert, 72% of the students participated, and the average for all five Rohnert Park schools was 56%!
· Sebastopol/Forestville: Children from four schools; Parkside, Pine Crest, the Sebastopol Independent Charter School, and Brook Haven Middle, met at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall where the local police chief gave a safety talk, and others congratulated and encouraged families before they split into walking school buses/bike trains to each school. 40% of district students participated, with 56% at Pine Crest and 47% at the Independent Charter. Also, At Hillcrest Middle School in Sebastopol, two students rode over 12 miles to school that morning, and at Forestville School 34% of the students participated! In West Sebastopol, over 150 children from Apple Blossom, Sunridge, Orchard View, and Treehouse Hollow walked or bicycled together down Watertrough Rd, with support from the CHP and some amazing parent volunteers! Finally, El Molino and Analy were the only two county High Schools that participated – and El Molino had week-long Walk/Bike encouragement event!
· Windsor: Students from Brooks Elementary, Cali Calmecac, Windsor Creek, and Windsor Middle School met at the Windsor Town Green and formed Walking School buses and bike trains to each school. Windsor Creek – a grade 2-3 campus – had 25% of students participating in their first year!
· Cloverdale: Jefferson & Washington School participated, with almost 30% of students walking or bicycling!
· Healdsburg: 89% of the students at the Fitch Mountain campus of Healdsburg elementary participated, the highest percentage of any school in the county! Healdsburg Junior High had 64% of their students participating, the highest of any participating middle school. Other participating schools were Healdsburg Elementary, Live Oak Preschool, and St. Johns.
· Petaluma: 61% of students at registered schools participated, with the highest rates at La Tercera (86%), Corona Creek (80%), Meadow (70%), and Miwok Valley (65%). Other participating schools were Valley Vista, and River Montessouri Charter.
· Santa Rosa: A record number of Santa Rosa schools participated this year – 27 schools! The two schools with the highest participation were Lincoln (80%) and Proctor Terrace
(74%), Binkley, Monroe, and Jack London Elementary, tied for third with 65% participation! At Strawberry, Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter, and Santa Rosa Educational Cooperative, almost 50% of students participated! At Sheppard Elementary, students “zumba’d” down West Avenue in a Walking School bus led by local fitness and marshall arts instructor Gerardo Sanchez.
· Sonoma: 60% of students at registered schools participated, with the highest participation rates at Sonoma Charter & Prestwood (both 70%), and St. Francis Solano (67%). At Woodland Star, 50% of the students participated in “Danny’s Walk” honoring a dedicated teacher that was killed riding his bike a number of years ago. At Sassarini, 43% of the student body participated!
· Monte Rio – the only school participating in the River/Guerneville area, had over 55% of students participating!
It is important to note that many schools with lower participation rates saw SIGNIFICANT increases from the typical number of kids who walk/roll – so EVERYONE should be congratulated for the efforts you’ve made to get children moving on human power! For a list of all participating schools, email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org.
Also – in 2009, 50 schools and 6000 children participated, so we’re thrilled to see such an increase in 2010.
3. TEAM LEADERS: SEND US YOUR iWALK/ROLL STORIES AND PICTURES!
While we received some wonderful, positive feedback on your Walk/Roll Count Sheets, we only have specific “stories” and pictures for a few schools. We would love to hear your stories and we would love to have your pictures as well. Please email to saferoutes@bikesonoma.org. When it comes to stories, the information we are most interested in is:
· What specifically did you do to make your event a success? How did you let students know about it and get them excited to participate? This question is particularly for schools who saw significant increases in the number of kids who walked/biked vs. a normal day, regardless of participation rates.
· What are you most proud of this year?
· Have you been inspired to continue to encourage kids to walk/bicycle on an ongoing basis? If so, what are your plans this year? If not, why not?
· Do you know of a student who has changed their behavior as a result of walking/bicycling that day?
· Have you noticed any increases in the number of kids who bike or walk now?
· Are there any parents/children who have shared personal stories with you, who would be willing/able to share their stories with us and the community at large? For example, a parent who started leading a walking school bus, or a child that started walking more frequently as a result of school encouragement?
4. LINKS TO IWALK/ROLL MEDIA COVERAGE ACROSS THE COUNTY
We had fabulous coverage in the local media this year, from The Press Democrat, to local papers in almost every town. Please click on the following links to access stories and pictures of iWalk/Roll events across the county, as well as about the Safe Routes to School Movement. We understand there may have been articles in the Healdsburg Tribune, Cloverdale Reveille, and Windsor Times, but could not locate those articles online. If you have access to a print version that you could scan and/or send, we would love a copy.
Press Democrat “Kids ‘Walk and Roll’ to School” 10/7/10
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101006/ARTICLES/101009683
Press Democrat “Hundreds of Rohnert Park Children Participate in International Walk and Roll to School Day” 10/6/10
Kerry Benefield’s blog, Extra Credit. Press Democrat.
Photos and stories from Windsor Creek, Helen Lehman, Waldo Rohnert, Valley Vista, Healdsburg Junior High, Sassarini, Pine Crest, Binkley, and Kawana.
http://extracredit.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/
Sonoma West Times and News “International Walk and Roll Movement has Deep Roots in Sebastopol” 9/29/10
Argus Courier “Schools Ready to Walk and Roll” 10/5/10
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101005/COMMUNITY/100939979
The Community Voice “Final Parking Spot” 10/8/10
http://thecommunityvoice.com/archive_article.php?id=1876&articleType=news
Sonoma Family Life Magazine “Walk and Roll to School Day 2010” and “How the Panza Family Rolls” October Issue, pages 22 and 23. (note: this link may not be active after the month of October, but hard copies of this magazine are available for free at locations across the county)
http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=48598
Sonoma Valley Sun “Walk and Roll” 10/6/10
http://3hmm.com/thesun/?p=18911
Sonoma Index-Tribune “Rolling to School” (subscribers only) 10/7/10
http://www.sonomanews.com/news/article_c8e7611e-d285-11df-b7d4-001cc4c002e0.html
Chris Smith Opinion Piece- Zumba to School at Sheppard Elementary (2/3 into article). 10/4/10
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20101004/NEWS/101009766
5. APPLY TO RECEIVE A FREE “CAPTAIN BICYCLE SHORTS” BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSEMBLY!
You may have read the following recent Press Democrat article about our fabulous, new Safe Routes to School Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Assembly, performed by the Imaginist’s Theater Collective and entitled “Captain Bicycle Shorts or How I Became a Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Superhero:
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100929/ARTICLES/100929388/1350?p=1&tc=pg
The Imaginists are available to perform at local schools and events, for a fee. Performances can be requested by emailing Tina Panza at tinap@bikesonoma.org. The fee for the performance is $350 for one performance, $500.00 for two back-to-back performances at a site, and $600.00 for three back-to-back performances at a site. Additional travel fees may apply in certain locations.
We are pleased to announce that Kaiser Permanente and State Farm Insurance have donated funds to enable two local schools to receive assembly performances. The Kaiser funding is for two performances at one site, and the State Farm funding is for one. If you are interested in bringing the performance to your school but do not have the funds to pay for it, you may apply to receive either the Kaiser or State Farm sponsored performances. Please read on for application details:
1) Email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org for an application no later than Friday, October 22nd
2) Safe Routes will send applications out via email no later than Monday 10/25.
3) Applications will be due no later than 3pm on Friday 10/29.
4) School awardees will be announced no later than Friday 11/5.
All future opportunities to receive free Safe Routes to School education services, such as assemblies , bicycle rodeos, teacher trainings, etc. will be announced through the e-news forum, so keep your eyes out for those opportunities!
6. REGISTER NOW FOR THE ONLINE 511.org SCHOOL POOL SYSTEM – (online car, walk, and bike pool matching)
Please consider enrolling your site in the 511.org online school pool system and then, once you are registered, promoting the system through your parent communication channels. This is a fabulous opportunity to facilitate parents connecting with one another to form walk, bike, and carpools to/from school. The system is safe, protects privacy, and is completely free to users. It was developed by the regional Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which also operates the 511 Traveler information program which provides free traffic, transit, rideshare, and bicycling information.
To register, please send an email with your school name, school district, and school address to Tina Panza at tinap@bikesonoma.org. The school principal must either initiate the email, or be copied on the email, to indicate that the request has been approved by school administration.
Marin County was the first county to implement a school pool system last year, and now every school in Marin is registered in the system. So far, only a few Sonoma County Schools have registered! Please send an email today with your school name & address so that we can enter your school into the system.
To demo the system, follow these instructions:
1) Go to https://www.schoolpool.511.org
2) Click on “Register Here”
3) Read/Agree to all the terms by checking all the confirmation boxes and clicking “I Agree” at the bottom of the page
4) Enter information into the “parent information” and “contact information” sections – you can use made-up names, phone numbers, etc.
5) In the “Home Address” section, use the following for your home address:
360 Palm Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
6) Add at least one child to the system (again, the information can be made-up) and agree to the terms again
7) For District: Choose the “Z-Test District”
8) For School: Choose the “Z-Test Elementary School”
9) Answer remaining questions (can be made-up) and continue
10) Select the child you want to get “matches” for
11) Click the “Match Request” box
12) Confirm/modify search
13) View your “match page”
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program is the sponsoring agency for the 511 School Pool system in Sonoma County.
7. NOV SRTS NEWSLETTER BLURB AND ACTIVITIES IDEAS FOR ONGOING WALK/ROLL ENCOURAGEMENT/EDUCATION
Every month, we’ll share ideas to encourage students to walk/bike to school on an ongoing basis. Here is a sample school newsletter blurb and some Walk/Roll encouragement ideas appropriate for the month of November:
November Newsletter Blurb:
International Walk and Roll to School Day on October 6th was great fun! (include a line about the participation numbers/effort you made, thanking volunteers). We hope it was inspiration to turn over a new leaf by continuing active ways to get to school. If you live within a ¼ mile to 1 mile of school, why not continue walking or biking at least one day a week; it’s fun and you can meet your neighbors and make new friends. Plus it’s a great way to start the day with a little exercise and fresh air. When you children arrive at school they are awake and alert, ready to start the school day. Studies have shown a significant relationship between fitness and academic achievement. If you live too far from school to walk the whole way, find a spot that is a 5-10 minute walk, and park and walk to school. If you live close but can’t walk regularly due to other commitments, communicate with other parents who live close-by about forming a Walking School Bus to share that responsibility.
Gearing up for Winter
As the season grows colder and wetter; it doesn’t necessarily need to be less active. Unless it is actively storming out, children can still walk and even bike to school. Make sure your child dresses properly with bright clothing and layers.
Here are a few tips for cold days:
- Wear bright colors
- Make sure your child has waterproof rain gear
- Dress in layers; you warm up quickly when walking and riding.
- Hats, hoods, headbands to cover the neck and ears (under the helmet too when biking)
- Carry umbrellas and wear rain boots
- Wear full-fingered gloves
- Wear a wind-proof jacket
- When riding a bike with your child, make sure to ride slower. The roads are slick and you need to brake sooner.
November Activity Ideas:
- Turkey Trot – Hold a special Walk to School Day where children get their reward if they bring a canned good for a Thanksgiving Food Drive.
- Giving Thanks - Did you recently receive new infrastructure near your school; are police patrolling more regularly, did you have a fabulous Walk/Roll Day in October? This is a good time to say “thank you”. Use this Walk to School Day to thank those who have volunteered their time. Have the kids write letters or sign a big letter saying “thanks”. Put up a thank you banner.
- Start a weekly or monthly “Golden Sneaker Award.” To request a Golden Sneaker Award Guidebook, email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org or download at
(note: an updated, simplified version of the Golden Sneaker guidebook should be posted by Friday 10/29)
8. LIMITED # of STICKERS & SMALL PRIZES AVAILABLE FOR NOVEMBER SCHOOL SRTS EVENTS
Holding a November Walk/Roll Day event at your site? The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program has a limited number of “Turkey Trot” stickers, plastic “Turkey Tokens” (for necklaces or keychains, keychains not available), and neon Walk/Roll pencils available on a first come, first serve basis, while supplies last. To request a supply, email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org. In your email, indicate what you have planned for November, and include your requested quantity of stickers and/or tokens.
Note: Supplies must be picked up at the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition offices at 750 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA.
9. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MEASURE W:
Safe Routes to School would like to draw your attention to Measure W, the Transportation Improvement Measure on the November 2nd ballot. Measure W would increase the Vehicle Registration Fee by $10, generating approximately $5 million per year that will stay right here in Sonoma County, $600,000 of which will go directly to Safe Routes to School.
Our 16 schools with federally-funded, short-term Safe Routes to School pilot programs have generated a lot of interest and success, and our current local funding enables us to support one countywide encouragement event per year, but Sonoma County has 179 public schools in over 40 school districts. The next phase of our outreach must be wider and include other components of SRTS such as bicycle and pedestrian safety education, engineering, and enforcement. We cannot count on continued federal funding. Local funds will be necessary to accomplish our long-term goals in Sonoma County.
Not only will Measure W provide local funding for Safe Routes to School, it will also relieve traffic congestion, repair roads, and encourage the use of public transportation—all of which will further empower children (and adults!) to walk and bike safely. Measure W funds will incorporate the “complete streets” practice that makes local roads safe for all modes, including bicyclists and pedestrians, and accommodates transit. To request a copy of the Measure W expenditure plan, email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org.
10. BECOME OUR FACEBOOK FRIEND
Did you know that the Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program has a Facebook page?
If you are a “facebooking person” please consider “liking” us to receive updates on SRTS related happenings in Sonoma County and beyond.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Sonoma-County-Safe-Routes-to-School/288911572777
11. CHECK OUT THE SONOMA COUNTY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WEBSITE!
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program also has a website where you can learn more about the five E’s of a comprehensive Safe Routes to School Program – Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation. There are downloadable resources available for each of the E’s, including lesson plans from our CA standards based K-6 SRTS curriculum guide. More information and links to specific web resources will be highlighted in future e-newsletters.
12. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR CITY/AREA SRTS LEADS
Cities/Area Leads:
Cotati: Tina Panza - tinap@bikesonoma.org
Cloverdale: Tim Gonzalez - tiburcio@sonic.net
Healdsburg: Tim Gonzalez - tiburcio@sonic.net or Lissa Beard - lbeard@husd.com
Petaluma: Becky Schuerman-Choi - bschuerman@juno.com
Monte Rio/River: Tim Gonzalez - tiburcio@sonic.net
Rohnert Park: Amy Jolly - amybjolly@yahoo.com
Sebastopol/West County: Steven Schmitz – steven@sctransit.com
Sonoma: Carole Latorre – latorrec@aol.com
Santa Rosa: Tina Panza – tinap@bikesonoma.org
Windsor: Laurel Green – lgreen@wusd.org
School Districts with Federal SRTS Grants:
Bellevue School District/Santa Rosa: Lacinda Moore – laci@bikesonoma.org
Roseland School District/Santa Rosa: Lacinda Moore – laci@bikesonoma.org
Sebastopol Union School District School District: Sarah Hadler – sjhadler@aol.com
Cotati/Rohnert Park School District: Amy Jolly – ambjolly@yahoo.com
Hope the remainder of October and month of November is a fabulous one for you and your students! Feel free to email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org at anytime with questions, concerns, or feedback about Safe Routes to School related issues. The November issue of SRTS E-News will be emailed in early November and monthly thereafter.
All the best,
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Team
Tina Panza
Director, Safe Routes to School
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
mobile: 707-799-3911
Office:
707.545.0153, fax: 707.573-0147
Mail: PO Box 3088, Santa Rosa, CA 95402-3088
Office: 750 Mendocino Ave. Suite 6, Santa Rosa CA
The Sonoma County Safe Routes to School program, funded in part by the Measure M transportation tax and in part by short-term federal grants to specific local jurisdictions, provides guidance and resources to schools interested in implementing at least one component of a Safe Routes to School program, as funding permits. The goal of Safe Routes to School programs is to encourage walking and bicycling where it is safe, and to make changes where it is not safe. SRTS programs do this through an integrated approach that includes five E's - encouragement, education, evaluation, engineering, and enforcement. However, a school can launch a SRTS program with just one component, and build from there. In doing so, SRTS programs address health and safety by reducing traffic congestion around schools, increasing physical activity, encouraging lifestyle changes for families, creating safer, calmer streets and neighborhoods, and improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition is the lead implementation agency for the county SRTS program.
