Active mornings: Loudon students walk to school together

Loudon school nurse Heather Mason organized students walking and riding to school together as part of National Walk and Roll to School Day.

Loudon school nurse Heather Mason organized students walking and riding to school together as part of National Walk and Roll to School Day. Rachel Wachman—Monitor staff

Duke and Lily Stone ride scooters while Kelsea Moore walks alongside them as part of Loudon's Walk and Roll to School Day.

Duke and Lily Stone ride scooters while Kelsea Moore walks alongside them as part of Loudon's Walk and Roll to School Day. Rachel Wachman / Monitor staff

Loudon students walk and ride to school together as part of National Walk and Roll to School Day.

Loudon students walk and ride to school together as part of National Walk and Roll to School Day. Rachel Wachman—Monitor staff

By RACHEL WACHMAN

Monitor staff

Published: 10-02-2024 2:19 PM

Children and their parents gathered outside the Loudon Police Department on Wednesday morning in anticipation of Loudon’s Walk and Roll to School Day. Some brought their bikes, others boasted scooters, and the rest wore their best walking shoes for the event. Parents chatted while kids greeted their friends and several school buses dropped off students from around town.

Loudon school nurse Heather Mason addressed the group of kindergarten, first-, and second-grade children before the 0.4-mile walk to Loudon Elementary School commenced.

“We’re going to get our heart rates up and get our minds going,” she told the kids. “It will help us throughout the day.”

Mason organized the event for the third year in a row as part of Loudon’s participation in a national Walk and Roll to School initiative.

“I just want people to continue to think about the benefits walking can bring you,” Mason said. “I’m very interested in the health aspect of it. It gives you both physical and mental health benefits.”

To kick off the walk, Loudon Police Chief Dana Flanders pulled out of the station and began leading the way. Teachers organized their students and any participating parents into lines. With the police cruiser flashing its lights and blocking traffic, the group of over 140 students, teachers, and parents set off.

“We love being involved with the schools,” Flanders said. “I have a child there and my officer on duty has a child there, too. It’s a nice way for us to have a community aspect to the police force and be involved.”

The number of students who walk or ride bikes or scooters to school has decreased in recent decades, Flanders added. 

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Last week, Loudon Elementary hosted a “bike bus,” which organized groups of students from around town to bike to school together.

Jenn Pihl, whose seven-year-old son enjoyed participating in the bike bus, said she thinks events like this one provide exciting mornings for kids.

“It’s great for them to get out, be active, get exercise, and be able to get energy at the start of the day,” Pihl said. “It’s nice to be able to do something like this with him.”

Christina Moore, who works as a special education teacher at the school, said she has participated for the past three years with her daughter, Kelsea. This is her first year participating as a teacher.

“It’s a great way to get them out there,” Moore said of the students. “The teachers actually parked at the school and walked here together, and then we walk back with the kids, which is fun.”

The Wednesday walk included the younger half of the school. On Thursday, the third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students will walk or roll in the same route. Mason hopes the two events will bring attention to the importance of walking in town.

“I would like to advocate for sidewalks in Loudon, but I’m not a Loudon resident, so that’s a little bit hard for me to do,” she said. “When people see how much the community members enjoy actually walking, hopefully they’ll see that there is actually a benefit of having some sidewalks.”

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com