Walking School Bus

 I have blogged about this before, and written a handful of stories, but I think it is a topic worth revisiting.

The Walking School Bus, or Safe Routes to School, encourages kids to walk to school safely along routes determined by the police department as relatively safe. To be honest, I am not sure there are many routes that are unsafe, but having the best route pointed out to get to the four elementary schools is a good thing.

The routes don't begin until the public schools start — which is a bit of a slight to those with kids in private school, like me. But nevertheless, I think it is worth encouraging kids to walk to school and this year the plan is to go all year round. 

I love this idea. It is cold in the winter, but kids who live in the route zones don't live far from school. Encouraging them to use their own vehicles — their legs — to get themselves somewhere they need to go seems like a great lesson in independence and self-sufficiency.