Safe Routes to School E-News January 2011
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, 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.
1. EVERGREEN’S WALK & ROLL PROGRAM MAKES THE NEWS!
2. BOOK A BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSEMBLY WITH THE IMAGINISTS!
3. HOW SAFE ROUTES INSPIRED ONE FAMILY TO ROLL TO SCHOOL
5. WATCH A FREE SRTS WEBINAR AND GET EDUCATED ABOUT SUCCESSFUL SRTS OUTREACH EFFORTS!
6. REGISTER NOW FOR THE ONLINE 511.org SCHOOL POOL SYSTEM (online car, walk, and bike pool matching)
7. FEBRUARY SRTS NEWSLETTER BLURB AND ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR ONGOING WALK/ROLL ENCOURAGEMENT
8. SAVEAGALLON.ORG CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO SAVE GAS & CO2 – REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM NOW!
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. EVERGREEN’S WALK & ROLL PROGRAM MAKES THE NEWS!
Evergreen Elementary School’s December Walk & Roll Day made the news on Rohnert Park's new online e-newspaper, Patch! A Patch reporter showed up at one of the Walking School Bus meeting spots - Big Daddy's Diner - and wrote an entire article about Evergreen’s Safe Routes to School program. The Evergreen program includes monthly Walk and Roll Encouragement Days and other SRTS education activities that improve safety and awareness of the benefits of walking and bicycling.
Check it out:
Evergreen Elementary School is in the Cotati-Rohnert Park School District, which is implementing a Safe Routes to School program this year with support from a federal Safe Routes to School grant. Schools in the district receive technical support and guidance from Amy Jolly, Safe Routes to School Program Manager for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. However, any school can start a Safe Routes to School encouragement program – all it takes is an enthusiastic volunteer and access to resources. Many resources can be downloaded for free at www.sonomasaferoutes.org, or interested parents/school staff may contact the Sonoma County Safe Routes to School Program at saferoutes@bikesonoma.org for more information about how to get started.
2. BOOK A BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSEMBLY – WITH THE IMAGINISTS!
Please read the recent Press Democrat article about our fabulous, 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
INTERESTED IN HAVING THE IMAGINISTS TO PERFORM AT YOUR SITE? The Imaginists are available to perform at local schools and events, 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.
3. HOW SAFE ROUTES INSPIRED ONE FAMILY TO ROLL TO SCHOOL
Vicki Vaughn, Lisa Nelson and their two children, Claire and Clayton (5th graders) were inspired by Walk/Roll Wednesdays at Pine Crest Elementary in Sebastopol to begin biking to school one day a week. They wanted to challenge themselves as a family, have fun, and truly participate in the event as well as doing their part to be environmentally aware. Because they live outside of town, 3 miles from school, off of Highway 116, they are thoughtful about how they ride their bikes to school, and they focus on being safe, predictable, and visible. They ride as a family with Vicki in front and Lisa in back with her bright yellow vest on so they can be seen by cars. If there is too much fog, rain or cold, they decide not to ride because braking is more difficult and visibility is low, although Claire says the weather doesn’t detour her desire to ride…she LOVES to ride! Claire and Clayton have many reasons why they enjoy riding to school: it’s all or mostly downhill and they love to go fast; the exercise and energy it takes; the feeling that they are contributing to being “green” by not using their car, and the expressions on drivers’ faces when they see a “bus” of bikes with kids riding along…many smiles!
Many smiles and thanks to the Vaughn-Nelson family for doing their part and going the distance on their bikes!
4. INSPIRING SRTS PROGRAM MODEL: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’S BIKE CLUB IMPROVES HELMET COMPLIANCE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND COMMUNITY
Excerpted from the National Center for Safe Routes to School E-News: Roger E. Sides Elementary School (R.E.S.) received a $1,000 SRTS mini grant from the National Center for SRTS to support the school's ongoing efforts to increase safe walking and bicycling to school. Read the interview with Joe Bishop, an R.E.S. fifth grade science teacher, to learn more about their Bike Club and to hear about some of its successes.
Q: What is the Bike Club and what is the purpose of it?
A: The R.E.S. Bike Club is set up as a bike and community service club. Anyone in our school is welcome to become a member and the purpose of the club is to teach the kids safety, work ethic and responsibility. The Bike Club also gives kids a purpose after school, rather than just watching TV, and an opportunity to be mobile and exercise on their own. I believe that if we raise kids who are self-sufficient, they will be self-sufficient adults.
Q: How does the Bike Club program operate?
A: The Bike Club is set up so students can earn points by completing small tasks after school, such as beautifying flower beds or cleaning classrooms, which can be used to "purchase" bike parts, accessories and helmets at the school store. Once the students have earned the points and parts they need to repair their bikes, they can bring them to a free weekly bike repair workshop where I am joined by experienced students and other volunteers to help make the repairs.
A student can also earn a bike by writing a one-page letter to our school's principal describing why he or she would like a bike. The principal then talks with each student's teacher to determine where that particular student could improve in the classroom, i.e. grades, conduct or responsibility, and a contract is created between the student and the principal with that personal improvement goal in mind. If all requirements of the contract are upheld for a month, the student can earn a bike. To date, all 36 students who have written letters have upheld their contracts and earned their own bike.
Q: What or who inspired R.E.S. Elementary to create the Bike Club?
A: Many of the children that attend our school come from single parent homes, and often either the TV becomes the babysitter or they get into trouble because they have nothing to do after school. The idea for the Bike Club stemmed from seeing a need for a fun and safe way to keep kids entertained after school and the kids were really receptive to it.
Biking has always been a big part of my life so forming the Bike Club was the natural choice for me to get involved. I may have started the Bike Club, but lots of folks have pitched in by donating their time, money, and bikes and bike parts.
Q: Can you describe some of the results of the Bike Club?
A: Sure. There are four "results" of the Bike Club that are particularly impressive in my mind:
· We've empowered the kids to know that if they want something, they can earn it. We have also found that our students are now taking better care of their bikes and generally being more responsible.
· We have gone from less than five percent of the student bicycle riders not having or wearing helmets to now 100 percent of kids wearing helmets when they ride to school in our weekly summer bicycle rides and our monthly bicycle rides during the school year.
· We've also really impacted the sense of community in Karnes City. The Bike Club now leads a weekly bike ride for between 30 to 100 participants from all different walks of life who ride bicycles or walk together as a group.
· And last but not least, some Bike Club members have actually improved their overall performance in the classroom, even after their contractual agreements with the principal are met.
Q: In your opinion, what is most challenging aspect of the Bike Club?
A: Sustainability of the program is the biggest challenge. What will happen to the Bike Club when I retire? Do I continue running the Bike Club after retirement? Will a student volunteer be in charge? I am up for retirement in three years and there is a lot to be figured out before then.
Q: What have you learned that you can share with individuals who are involved with a SRTS program or individuals who are looking to start a SRTS program at their school?
A: We are too much of a give, give society. Kids will work and will work hard, if given the opportunity, especially if they can see what they are working for is tangible. Also, it's important to remember that safety is number one. Push all your students to wear bicycle helmets. And last but not least, when you start a program, get into it and never look back.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us about the Bike Club, Joe. We hope it's another great year ahead!
If there is an inspirational person/program in your community that you would like us to consider profiling in a future SRTS E-News, e-mail saferoutes@bikesonoma.org,
5. WATCH A FREE SRTS WEBINAR AND GET EDUCATED ABOUT SUCCESSFUL SRTS OUTREACH EFFORTS!
The National Center for Safe Routes to School & America Walks offers a series of SRTS-related Webinars on a variety of topics, which are designed educate individuals, schools, and organizations on topics that will assist with successful outreach efforts. These webinars are free and archived, so may be accessed at anytime. Past Webinar topics include:
· Top Ten SRTS Engineering Treatments for Walking and Bicycling
· Making New Places for Play: Joint Use Agreements between Schools and Parks
· Personal Security and Safe Routes to School
· Looking Both Ways: Helping Parents and Educators Support Safe Walking and Bicycling
· Safe Routes to School 101: Information and Resources to Jumpstart Your Program
· Safe Routes to School Mini-Grants: How a Little Can Go a Long Way
· Ensuring your SRTS Program includes Children with Disabilities
And many more (there are about 25 webinars archived at this time).
Webinars can be accessed on the National Center for Safe Routes to School website at: http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/training/can_webinars.cfm
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. FEBRUARY SRTS NEWSLETTER BLURB AND ACTIVITIES IDEAS FOR ONGOING WALK/ROLL ENCOURAGEMENT/EDUCATION
By request, we are including newsletter blurbs for the month following our SRTS E-News:
February Newsletter Blurb:
Walk and Bike - it’s Good for Your Heart
Give your children’s hearts a Valentine this February by making sure they walk or bicycle on a daily basis. Happy feet make a happy heart. Make sure your child gets the minimum of physical activity required every day. Public health officials agree that everyone should accumulate 30 minutes of physical activity every day and children need another 20 minutes of vigorous activity several days per week. Yet 78% of young boys and girls fall short of this goal. Research demonstrates that children who walk or bicycle to school have higher daily levels of physical activity and better cardiovascular fitness than do children who do not actively commute to school. Those who walk and bicycle to school may be at a reduced risk for developing chronic diseases in adulthood.
Activities:
· Hold a Valentine’s Walk and Roll to School Day. Make signs and banners with healthy heart themes. Combine the walk with nutritional information. Work together with the Wellness Committee to plan the event. Have the kid make valentines that show kids walking and biking and ask them to brainstorm slogans to add to the card – like Walking is Good for the Heart – Happy Valentines Day.
· February is also Mardi Gras month and this theme can add a flare of flamboyance to your Walk and Roll to School Days. Give out Mardi Gras beads as a reward for walking and biking. Decorate your table with purple, gold and green streamers. Dress up your volunteers at the table with feathered masks and jester sticks. We would discourage having the kids wear masks as it makes it hard to see, a necessity for safe walking and biking, but they can decorate their bikes, helmets or sneakers. Play “When the Saints Go Marching In” or some lively Cajun music on CD, or better yet, with live musicians. At the same time, remind everyone how heart-healthy it is to walk and bike to school, while having a colorful Mardi Gras style parade.
· Start a weekly or monthly “Golden Sneaker Award.” To request a Golden Sneaker Award Guidebook, email saferoutes@bikesonoma.org or download at
8. SAVEAGALLON.ORG CHALLENGES STUDENTS TO SAVE GAS & CO2 – REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM NOW!!
Two innovative teachers from Davis, California have created a free online resource to challenge students to save a gallon through alternative transportation (walking, bicycling, scootering, skateboarding, or carpooling). Their theory is that micro changes in our daily lives can overall add up to significant reductions in Greenhouse gases, increases in personal health and real money in the bank. Through the free saveagallon.org site, students and teachers can log their non-Recreational miles, walking or biking to school or work, carpooling, taking the bus, train or simply walking to the store. Anytime one could drive in a single occupant vehicle but chooses not to counts as “SAG” miles.
Save-A-Gallon accounts can be created for individuals – or teams can be established for classrooms, an entire school and even for an entire school district! Once an account and/or team is created and miles are logged, the individual or team can view all sorts of reports showing things like total miles traveled, CO2 saved, gallons saved, and much more. This information can be used to promote your school or district Walk/Roll program and inspire more families to get involved, support school vs. school or classroom vs. classroom competitions, and more.
Check out the site at www.saveagallon.org
The site creators, Phil and Tim, can be emailed at info@saveagallon.org to answer questions and to establish a new team.
9. JOIN THE RODEO TEAM
Join the Rodeo Team
Safe Routes to Schools works with over 15 local schools providing education
that creates safer streets to walk or bike to school. Part-time, contract
instructors are needed this spring to teach children the importance of seeing,
being seen, and remaining in control, at all times when riding a bike.
Instructors are needed to lead elementary school students during our Bicycle
Safety Rodeo. This is a great opportunity if you are looking for
part-time, occasional work and enjoy working with students. Please send a
letter of interest to Tina Panza at tinap@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
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.
