WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) - Wausau school district students will be taking part in International Walk To School day today.
Marathon County health educator Destinee Coenen says the Walk To School Day is a chance for parents and students to leave the car at home for their trip to school. "What the Wausau school district is trying to do is get families to rethink their method of transportation to school and hopefully use an active form of transportation such as bicycling or walking." A large contingent of families will be leading kids on a trip to Franklin Elementary, while a Walking School Bus will be picking kids up for trips in to GD Jones Elementary.
It's a chance to get out and leave your car behind, but Coenen says letting your kids walk to school can take some getting used to for some people. "It's something that's not always very comfortable for parents which is something we understand, and so having students walk with their friends or even having their parents walk with them, you know it's a time to converse, it's a time to unplug a little bit."
Coenen says drivers should take it easy near schools. "Not all children know to look for cars or make sure a car sees them or to make eye contact with the driver. So it's really important as drivers we slow down and we pay careful attention when we're in those school zones."
You can learn more about the program and the event online at http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/