Small numbers have worked to the favour of Edi Upper Primary School in taking the title of highest participation for the annual Walk to School program in the North East region.
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A record 147,000 kids walked or rode to school in term four as part of the VicHealth initiative.
Principal Sarah Patterson said her students were excited about the potential of a footy clinic taking place for their prize.
“The winner is judged on the highest participation of students that walked to school in October, and we were at about 97 per cent for the month,” she said.
“We had 14 students last year, and they all participated.
“We have won it in the past before and last year were runner-up to Carraragarmungee.”
An independent report of the program found 52 per cent of children who took part were walking to school as part of their routine after finishing the program, compared with around 35 per cent of children who didn’t take part in the program.
“We know that parents are more likely to feel comfortable about their kids walking to school if the whole community is doing it and kids have the opportunity to learn how to walk to school safely,” said VicHealth’s Kirstan Corben.
Ms Patterson said the students enjoyed skipping the bus to walk instead to the school, on Edi-Cheshunt Road.
“It became a social event and the kids would chat as they walked along, and we would set different challenges for each walk such as an A-Z of what they could see,” she said.
“One day we walked ‘around the block’, which was six kilometres.
“There were eight families in the school last year, some of which have been connected with the school for 14 years, so it’s a really tight-knit community.”
Meanwhile, Ms Patterson is looking forward to more planning taking place this year on a sensory garden, which Edi Upper Primary School received $91,500 for from round four of the state government’s inclusive schools fund.
“We were successful in a grant last year as we have an autistic student,” she said.
“We’re hoping the sensory garden will be a good drawcard for the area.”