Stoneleigh Elementary Takes a Few Steps Forward

If the buses arrived a little emptier and if slightly fewer cars clogged the driveway at Stoneleigh Elementary School on Wednesday morning, a cold epidemic was not to blame.

The school participated in its seventh International Walk to School Day, a way to encourage parents to walk with their kids to help build a habit of walking. Dozens of kids and parents showed up before class to enjoy snacks and take pictures as they began charting their mileage for "Walking Wednesdays."

Students count how far they walk each week and winning classrooms at the end of each month get to take care of Footsie the Millipede, a friendly stuffed bug.

"It's just a part of our health and safety efforts... and it's remarkable," said Christine Warner, the school's principal. "I think it's fun to see students emerge from the neighborhood."

Schools around the country held similar celebrations Wednesday, and October is International Walk to School Month. Students from more than 40 countries participated in 2009, according to the event's website. Warner said that about 65 percent of the Stoneleigh's students already walk every day.

Anneslie mom Rebecca Klein walks one mile with her kids, counted or not, to drop one child off at Stoneleigh and another at preschool. When she was younger, she was raised to walk often the same way.

"The thought to drive just doesn't occur to me," she said.

Walking also serves as an "energy boost" for her kids, who see friends and neighbors on the way.

"It helps me wake up too," Klein said.

It certainly worked for Beth Miller. The Stoneleigh parent started the tradition in 2004 and keeps joining the festivities long after her own children have moved on to middle and high school. Blame muscle memory. She thinks parents ought to instill walking habits in their children early, and initiatives like this are a great move towards that.

"I think adults have a lot of assumptions about how you get places," she said. "If you start with kids who have all those preconceptions and get them excited about it, they're going to challenge their parents in a way."

Her daughter, now in high school, still walks, and Miller says some parents have been encouraged to walk more through taking part in the program.

The walk serves a learning purpose, as well, with a new theme every year to help visualize students' progress. This year, students are walking the Silk Road to China.

"There's a geography moment that comes in conjunction with the walking to school and the having fun, so it's a joy," Warner said.

As for Warner, the principal lives in Cockeysville, but she contributes in spirit by walking the nearby NCR trail.

"I don't think I could work," she said, laughing.