NORFOLK, Va. - Teachers and staff at Tarrallton Elementary School are hoping to see the majority of the building's 340 students arrive to school on foot on Wednesday morning.
October 10 is National Walk to School Day, promoting exercise and year-round safe routes to schools across the country.
Theresa Pusateri, Coordinator for Safe Routes to School at Norfolk Public Schools, says the school division's 41 elementary and middle schools started participating in National Walk to School Day five years ago.
"We try to get them to walk to school, bike to school and to do it safely," she said. "In this day and age, walking and biking to school keeps these kids active. Studies have shown that it really gets them going for academics. If they have a test that day, walking and biking gets their brain moving."
According to staff, Tarrallton is a community where many students walk to school each day.
For Walk to School Day this year, Physical Education teacher Shannon Davis and School Counselor Danielle Rosso have come up with a way to add a learning element.
"We've combined the Walk to School and our Career Parade, so we're telling the kids they're walking to school and into their career," said Rosso, who tells News 3 the students are encouraged to walk to school dressed as what they want to be when they grow up. "We just decided it would be a cool way to combine the two efforts."
The students are expected to arrive to school at 8:30 a.m. with the Career Parade scheduled for 9:30 around school grounds.
