Kerang South Primary School decorate their shoes to Get Active for Walk to School month

Throughout Walk to School month VicHealth are encouraging kids to put their creativity on show to make the journey to school even more exciting.

Kerang South Primary School teachers and students did just that on Friday 20 October 2017. There were some fantastic decorated shoes on display with the winner from each class receiving a toothbrush and toothpaste pack!

The school also went on a community walk to check out the Drop, Park, Walk Active Travel to School Route being trialled as part of the school’s participation in the VicHealth Walk to School program.

The Drop, Park, Walk concept is supported by VicHealth and is designed to encourage walking and riding to school throughout the year.

The route has been mapped out with footpath stencilling along the way. Families are being encouraged to drop their children off at the mapped out starting points so that they can walk to school with their friends. Better still, parents could get active and walk with their children to help achieve their own physical activity goals.

All ten primary schools across the Gannawarra Shire are participating in this year’s Walk to School program with students encouraged to ride, walk or scoot to and from school, the school bus or while at school, throughout October.

The Walk to School program promotes the importance of children being Active and Healthy in their communities and fitting at least 60 minutes of physical activity into their daily lives. Getting actively to school, the school bus, or while at school not only helps keep children fit and healthy, it also helps them to stay alert, to concentrate and improves learning outcomes.

The Gannawarra VicHealth Walk to School program is rolled out across the Gannawarra Shire as a Gannawarra Local Agency Meeting (GLAM) partnership project. This is a partnership between Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Kerang District Health, Cohuna District Hospital, Mallee District Aboriginal Service, Mallee Family Care, Victoria Police and the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership.

Walk to School is a VicHealth initiative. For more information go to: https://www.walktoschool.vic.gov.au/, https://www.facebook.com/HealthyGannawarra/ or our BLOG: http://gannawarrawalkstoschool.blogspot.com.au.