Celebrate Massachusetts Walk & Bike to School Day on May 2
The Dolbeare Elementary School will be celebrating the many benefits of walking and biking to school on Wednesday, May 2. Massachusetts Walk and Bike to School Day is organized by the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program.
The celebration is based on a simple idea—children and parents, school and local officials walking to school together on a designated day. It is an energizing event, reminding everyone of the simple joy of walking to school, the health benefits of regular daily activity, and the need for safe places to walk and bike. Schools focus on health, safety, physical activity and concern for the environment.
MassRIDES states in their website www.commute.com/schools: “In 1969, roughly 48% of students bicycled or walked to school. Today only 13% of children do so. And, travel to school can account for up to 25% of all morning traffic. That's why we work with schools like yours, to teach and inspire children to start walking and bicycling more often—to and from school, improving their physical health, safety, and community.
“The Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program promotes healthy alternatives for children and parents in their travel to and from school. It educates students, parents and community members on the value of walking and bicycling for travel to and from school.”
The opportunity to receive free incentive prizes, guidance and numerous resources was made possible by partnering with MassRIDES to run a Safe Routes to School Program. The Dolbeare Elementary School partnered with MassRIDES, along with Wakefield Climate Action Project and Wakefield’s School Health Leadership Team to pilot a Safe Routes to School Walking School Bus program in fall 2008. The program proved quite successful—in 2009 it garnered media attention at the local and national levels, including the Boston Globe, Fox 25 News, and Good Morning America. In 2009 and 2010 the Greenwood, Woodville and Walton elementary schools joined the effort and partnered with MassRIDES to roll out programs at their schools.
Please join the Mass. Walk and Bike to School Day celebration on May 2 by safely walking or biking to school that day. You may find you enjoy it so much you will want to walk and bike all year long.
For additional information, visit www.commute.com/saferoutes; and www.wakefieldcap.org.
Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts
Monday, April 23, 2012
Friday, October 7, 2011
International Walk to School Day a Success!
The Dolbeare Elementary School had a phenomenal turnout to celebrate International Walk to School Day on October 5. Approximately 293 students—77% of eligible walkers—joined the fun, along with special guest walkers Superintendent Joan Landers and School Committee Member Anne Danehy, MassRIDES representative Samantha Fonseca-Moreira, parents, babies, pet dogs and top supporter Nibbles the Guinea Pig.
Walkers held up colorfully decorated “Happy International Walk to School Day!” and “It’s Cool to Walk to School!” signs. Once at the school, students were given a big cheer and a wave of pom-poms by Principal Beth Yando and teachers Anne Corbett, Alyce Jordan, Kristin Collins and Paula Curley. Next, participants signed a poster with the help of teachers Andrea Cosentino, Suzie Harte and Leslie Roberto, and teacher Jennifer Gallant handed out blue “Safe Routes to School” shoe lace tags as a prize. The Golden Sneaker Award goes to Mrs. Livesey’s first grade class for having the most walkers, 22 total. Coming in second was Mrs. Cosentino’s third grade class with 20 walkers, and Mrs. Uva’s third grade class took third place with 19 total walkers.
Ahead of the event, PE teacher Maria Caruso encouraged students to participate and gave out “Stop. Look. Listen” bookmarks with safe walking tips. Art teacher Frank Marino assisted with promotion by giving the students pictures of sneakers to colorfully decorate and hang in the school entrance.
This event helped families experience the many benefits of walking to school, including the simple joy of walking, energizing the day, focusing better in school, socializing with friends and neighbors, saving money on gas, avoiding traffic jams and helping the environment. Visit www.iwalktoschool.org, www.walktoschool.org, www.saferoutesinfo.org, www.commute.com/schools and www.wakefieldcap.org for more information.
Walkers held up colorfully decorated “Happy International Walk to School Day!” and “It’s Cool to Walk to School!” signs. Once at the school, students were given a big cheer and a wave of pom-poms by Principal Beth Yando and teachers Anne Corbett, Alyce Jordan, Kristin Collins and Paula Curley. Next, participants signed a poster with the help of teachers Andrea Cosentino, Suzie Harte and Leslie Roberto, and teacher Jennifer Gallant handed out blue “Safe Routes to School” shoe lace tags as a prize. The Golden Sneaker Award goes to Mrs. Livesey’s first grade class for having the most walkers, 22 total. Coming in second was Mrs. Cosentino’s third grade class with 20 walkers, and Mrs. Uva’s third grade class took third place with 19 total walkers.
Ahead of the event, PE teacher Maria Caruso encouraged students to participate and gave out “Stop. Look. Listen” bookmarks with safe walking tips. Art teacher Frank Marino assisted with promotion by giving the students pictures of sneakers to colorfully decorate and hang in the school entrance.
This event helped families experience the many benefits of walking to school, including the simple joy of walking, energizing the day, focusing better in school, socializing with friends and neighbors, saving money on gas, avoiding traffic jams and helping the environment. Visit www.iwalktoschool.org, www.walktoschool.org, www.saferoutesinfo.org, www.commute.com/schools and www.wakefieldcap.org for more information.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Successful Mass. Walk & Bike to School Day Celebration at Dolbeare
Successful Walk & Bike to School Day Celebration at Dolbeare
There was a wonderful turnout at the Dolbeare Elementary School for their Massachusetts Walk and Bicycle to School Day celebration on May 9, 2011. The weather was perfect after a postponement due to predicted rain (which never materialized), and hundreds of children, parents, dogs and even a hamster joined the celebration. Approximately 265 students turned out for the event.
Participating students were greeted at the Dolbeare by pom-pom waving teachers/cheerleaders and were handed Safe Routes to School stickers and bracelets. The students then signed a poster under their teacher’s name to win an award. The Golden Sneaker Award for most participants goes to Kathy Uva’s third grade class.
A large amount of teachers and staff pitched in to help, including teachers Jennifer Gallant, Erica (Nigro) Bibo, JoAnne Kenny, Ann Corbett, Paula Curley, Suzie Harte, Andrea Cosentino, Deb Lacey, Perry Pappas, Denise Yasi and Carol Willet, nurse Susan Siebeking and custodian Ken Malonson. Art teacher Frank Marino helped make the poster, and PE teacher/facilitator Maria Caruso, parent/Walking School Bus Coordinator Sherri Carlson, Principal Beth Yando and MassRIDES School Outreach Coordinator Anna Isaacson helped plan and execute the event. The event potentially inspired people to walk or bike to school daily instead of driving.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Mass. Walk & Bike to School Day 2011
Celebrate Massachusetts Walk & Bike to School Day
The Dolbeare and Walton Elementary Schools will be celebrating Massachusetts Walk and Bike to School Day on Tuesday, May 3 (Walton’s rain date is May 4; Dolbeare’s is May 9). The Woodville Elementary School put a unique twist on the event and will hold a series of “Woodville Walk to School Days” on April 29, May 20 and June 17. The events are in conjunction with the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School program.
Safe Routes to School is designed to address pressing transportation and public health issues. Many adults over the age of 30 remember enjoying walking and bicycling home from school: chatting with friends; taking a shortcut across a field; stopping at a friend’s house or the library; inspecting bugs; sloshing through puddles. But today it’s different.
In 1969, roughly 48% of students bicycled or walked to school. Today less than 15% of children walk or bicycle to classes. Nationally, 19% of children age 6-11 years are overweight, more than triple the percentages from 1969. In Massachusetts, almost one-third of high school and middle school students are overweight or obese. And in some communities, school-related traffic can contribute up to 25 percent of morning rush hour traffic volumes, as well as significant air pollution.
The Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools program can help change this. It promotes walking and bicycling to school, which helps reduce air pollution, fuel consumption and traffic congestion, while increasing the health, safety, and physical activity of elementary and middle school students. It also helps build connections between families, schools and the broader community.
Massachusetts established the Commonwealth’s Walk and Bike to School Day in 2007. Since then, partner schools have conducted over 600 walking and bicycling events to celebrate Walk and Bike to School Day. Over 380 elementary and middle schools across the state collaborate with MassRIDES, the state’s travel options service under the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, on the Safe Routes to School program to organize activities and events which encourage students to walk and bicycle to school.
The Dolbeare Elementary School partnered with MassRIDES, along with Wakefield Climate Action Project and Wakefield’s School Health Leadership Team to pilot a Safe Routes to School Walking School Bus program in fall 2008. The program proved quite successful—in 2009 it garnered media attention at the local and national levels, including the Boston Globe, Fox 25 News, and Good Morning America. Last year the Greenwood, Woodville and Walton Elementary Schools joined the effort and have partnered with MassRIDES to roll out walking programs at their schools. (The Greenwood celebrates International Walk to School Day in the fall.)
Please join the Massachusetts Walk and Bike to School Day celebration by safely walking or biking to school. You may find you enjoy it so much you will want to walk and bike all year long.
For additional information, visit www.commute.com/saferoutes (view the Fox 25 News story at this site) and www.saferoutesinfo.org
Friday, June 12, 2009
Festival by the Lake 2009
For the 3rd year in a row, Wakefield Climate Action Project had a display at the Festival by the Lake on the Lower Common in Wakefield MA, this year on June 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Along with our trademark WCAP Poster, we had a display showing what can and cannot be recycled via our town's recycling program, with actual sample items. In addition, there was information about our Library Lecture Series, the Walking Bus program, and actions/petitions you can sign to help combat climate change. Our sister project, the new Wakefield Famer's Market, was also featured at the Festival. They ran out of the 400 fliers they had printed up!
Many folks interested in signing up for the DPW rain barrel lottery approached the WCAP display seeking information. Along with directing them to the DPW display, we let folks know that our website will soon have contact info to purchase similarly priced rain barrels for those who didn’t get one of the 24 that our town has available for sale. (Rain Barrel Info Coming Soon - after July 4th weekend!)
The following organizations were publicized at our display and links to all are listed on our website: 350.org, Strengtheniup.org, 1Sky, Food and Water Watch, MassRecycle, MassRides, Walking School Bus, Mass Anti-Idling, and Mass Climate Action Project.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Join Earth Hour 2009
Join Earth Hour 2009 for Largest Climate Event in History
Sat. March 28 at 8:30 p.m.
The Wakefield Climate Action Project (WCAP) invites all individuals, schools, businesses and organizations in Wakefield to join millions of people around the world to switch off lights for one hour—Earth Hour—at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 and send a powerful global message that we care enough about climate change to take action. The Earth Hour event is hosted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
From Amman to Warsaw, city skylines will go dark for one hour as individuals, businesses, government buildings, schools and major landmarks turn off non-essential lighting in what will be the largest climate event in history. The list of participating cities in the US includes Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville with more signing up every day.
“As lights go out in cities around the U.S. and the world on March 28th, Earth Hour will provide world leaders with an unmistakable mandate to negotiate a new international climate change agreement,” said WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts. “The climate crisis threatens the ability of our planet to support its inhabitants, and it has never been more urgent that the voice of the people be heard on this issue. Earth Hour not only focuses global attention on the need to find solutions to climate change, but demonstrates the power that each of us has to make a difference in the future of our planet.”
During Earth Hour 2008, more than 50 million people in 400 cities on all seven continents turned off their lights as major icons also went dark, including the Sydney Opera House, the Coliseum in Rome, Stockholm’s Royal Castle, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Google turned its homepage black for an entire day in tribute.
WWF says per capita emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels in the U.S. are more than four times the world average and are increasing steadily. WWF says “Earth Hour may be just an hour, but it’s also an opportunity to make resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint—and put them into action. Every action you take to lower your emissions helps.”
WWF gives these action tips to save energy and help prevent climate change: 1) Turn down the thermostat on your water heater and central heating. 2) Conduct an audit. Look around your home for opportunities to insulate spaces and eliminate drafts. 3) Plant native deciduous trees on the south side of your house to shade it and reduce air conditioning use. 3) Replace incandescent with fluorescent bulbs. Remember to turn off when not in use! 4) Unplug electronics such as TVs, computers, stereos and even cell phone chargers when not in use. They still use energy if they are plugged in when turned off. 5) Contact your utility company and sign up for “green power”—electricity generated by sources with low or no routine CO2 emissions. 6) Replace old appliances with high-efficiency models. 7) Install low-flow showerheads—less hot water means less energy use. 8) Drive less. Resolve to use public transportation, join a car pool, ride your bike or walk.
What will your family do for one hour in the dark? This is a chance to shut off the TV and computer and do something different. Some ideas are to have a “lights-out” party, take the dog for a night walk, have a treasure hunt, tell stories, read or play games by candlelight, or check out the night sky. Take photos and share what you did at www.earthhourus.org .
Be flexible to make Earth Hour work for you. Families with young children should feel free to turn their lights off earlier than 8:30 p.m. and for those having too much fun in the dark during the hour, don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one hour and switch back on at 9:30 p.m. If you are already committed to another worthwhile event that night such as Blossoms at the Beebe, pick a different night to enjoy ‘lights out’ with friends and family.
Join this global effort to make an impact on climate change. Visit www.earthhour.org to register and see the difference you can make. Turn off your lights, celebrate the planet, enjoy the moment and cast your vote for Earth. For a fun challenge, check out www.carbonrally.com .
Sat. March 28 at 8:30 p.m.
The Wakefield Climate Action Project (WCAP) invites all individuals, schools, businesses and organizations in Wakefield to join millions of people around the world to switch off lights for one hour—Earth Hour—at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 28 and send a powerful global message that we care enough about climate change to take action. The Earth Hour event is hosted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
From Amman to Warsaw, city skylines will go dark for one hour as individuals, businesses, government buildings, schools and major landmarks turn off non-essential lighting in what will be the largest climate event in history. The list of participating cities in the US includes Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville with more signing up every day.
“As lights go out in cities around the U.S. and the world on March 28th, Earth Hour will provide world leaders with an unmistakable mandate to negotiate a new international climate change agreement,” said WWF President and CEO Carter Roberts. “The climate crisis threatens the ability of our planet to support its inhabitants, and it has never been more urgent that the voice of the people be heard on this issue. Earth Hour not only focuses global attention on the need to find solutions to climate change, but demonstrates the power that each of us has to make a difference in the future of our planet.”
During Earth Hour 2008, more than 50 million people in 400 cities on all seven continents turned off their lights as major icons also went dark, including the Sydney Opera House, the Coliseum in Rome, Stockholm’s Royal Castle, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Google turned its homepage black for an entire day in tribute.
WWF says per capita emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels in the U.S. are more than four times the world average and are increasing steadily. WWF says “Earth Hour may be just an hour, but it’s also an opportunity to make resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint—and put them into action. Every action you take to lower your emissions helps.”
WWF gives these action tips to save energy and help prevent climate change: 1) Turn down the thermostat on your water heater and central heating. 2) Conduct an audit. Look around your home for opportunities to insulate spaces and eliminate drafts. 3) Plant native deciduous trees on the south side of your house to shade it and reduce air conditioning use. 3) Replace incandescent with fluorescent bulbs. Remember to turn off when not in use! 4) Unplug electronics such as TVs, computers, stereos and even cell phone chargers when not in use. They still use energy if they are plugged in when turned off. 5) Contact your utility company and sign up for “green power”—electricity generated by sources with low or no routine CO2 emissions. 6) Replace old appliances with high-efficiency models. 7) Install low-flow showerheads—less hot water means less energy use. 8) Drive less. Resolve to use public transportation, join a car pool, ride your bike or walk.
What will your family do for one hour in the dark? This is a chance to shut off the TV and computer and do something different. Some ideas are to have a “lights-out” party, take the dog for a night walk, have a treasure hunt, tell stories, read or play games by candlelight, or check out the night sky. Take photos and share what you did at www.earthhourus.org .
Be flexible to make Earth Hour work for you. Families with young children should feel free to turn their lights off earlier than 8:30 p.m. and for those having too much fun in the dark during the hour, don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one hour and switch back on at 9:30 p.m. If you are already committed to another worthwhile event that night such as Blossoms at the Beebe, pick a different night to enjoy ‘lights out’ with friends and family.
Join this global effort to make an impact on climate change. Visit www.earthhour.org to register and see the difference you can make. Turn off your lights, celebrate the planet, enjoy the moment and cast your vote for Earth. For a fun challenge, check out www.carbonrally.com .
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Wind Week @ MIT
March 30-April 4 2009
An intensive week of immersion in wind energy:
technology, development, policy supports, environmental impact, and financing alternatives
Go to web site to register.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Parade info:
note prize for best environmental float!
Floats information and general rules:
*Non-profit: Groups or committees classified as "non-profit " by state and federal government.
*No Floats will advertise for any political Candidate
There is no fee for a float entry from a non-profit group.
The float coordinator reserves the right to remove any float that the Committee considers inappropriate or a danger to spectators.
No food, water, candy or any other item may be thrown off any float...for safety reasons. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed on any float or in any other vehicle on the parade route.
Please No Throwing Candy from Floats, No Passing out of any flyers or Advertising materials,
No Fundraising -
No fundraising or political soliciting by any organization will be allowed
All floats must assemble at 3:00 pm SHARP at Quannapowitt Parkway and North Avenue, judging of eligible floats will be conducted at this time. All persons, decorations and equipment that are part of the float must be ready for judging at this time. Due to the overall Parade schedule, floats must be on time. Any float not ready at 3:00 pm will absolutely not be judged.
Float drivers must be in float driving vehicles 30 minutes before the start of the parade. Please be ready promptly at 4:30 pm.
Floats will be assigned a place in the Parade’s line of march by a Parade Coordinator.
Two sponsor signs, naming non-profit group entering float will be displayed, one on each side of float (supplied by float builders)
Theme competition for float decorating
Only non-profit groups are eligible for awarding of prizes.
There are two float divisions: Large: 20 feet or more. Small: under 20 feet.
Prizes to be announced before parade so that floats may travel in Parade with award recognition.
****FLOAT PRIZES****
Small float division: 1st $600.00
2nd $300.00
3rd $150.00
Large float division: 1st $600.00
2nd $300.00
3rd $150.00
Best use of theme prize: $300.00
Judges prize: $100.00
The Spaulding Award: Commemorative plaque…. given for the float that best depicts environmental or conservation awareness.
Annual Mike LeDoux Memorial Award: Commemorative plaque
Parade will take place RAIN OR SHINE
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