Tuesday, May 27, 2014
More Ottawa students are walking or wheeling to school
Ottawa – More than 3,000 Ottawa students are getting active as part of Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) enhanced action plan for school active transportation.
During the 2013-2014 school year, OPH worked with 10 Ottawa elementary schools to encourage more students to get active as part of their daily routine. As a result of implemented school active transportation action plans identified in the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) strategy, Convent Glen Catholic School and nine other elementary schools are working towards increasing the number of children using active ways to get to and from school or to other destinations in their community.
“School-based active transportation is an affordable and convenient way for children to get more physical activity in their day,” said Councillor Diane Holmes, Chair of the Ottawa Board of Health. “National and provincial reports, including the 2014 Active Healthy Kids Canada report card, show that school is the ideal setting to bring healthy habits into children’s lives and I congratulate all Ottawa students who are getting active on their way to and from school.”
Numerous studies have shown that when children walk for all trips that are less than one kilometre rather than being driven, they have increased academic achievements, experience reduced stress and have more opportunities to socialize with their friends. Parents at Convent Glen Catholic School identified safety issues as one of the main barriers to getting their children active to and from school. As such, the Orléans school set goals to increase students’ physical activity and safety by introducing a Walking Wednesdays project, starting a walking club and providing helmet and pedestrian safety information to students.
“Physical activity is essential to the health of children in our community,” said Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health. “School based active transportation contributes to a scholar's daily activity levels, and so can be a major contributor to wellness and readiness to learn. In Ottawa, close to one quarter of Grade 7 to 12 students report they are overweight or obese, and only 24 per cent meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. The work and support of parents, school staff and students are laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits for children in Ottawa.”
"Our school has been very involved in improving healthy living by offering quality physical activities and opportunities for students. We know active students are better able to listen and focus in school,” said D’Arcine Thompson, principal of Convent Glen Catholic School. “We feel very fortunate to be able to work with our public health partners and families in our community to promote safe active alternatives to driving to school.”
For more information about school active transportation, visit ottawa.ca/health, or call the OPH Information Line at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook, Twitter (@ottawahealth), Tumblr or Pinterest.
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