Takanini School’s Clarice Route – A Family Affair

Knowing your neighbours has certainly helped with getting this Walking School Bus running. Most of the children on the walking bus live in Clarice Place, and Walking School Bus Coordinator Sandra Reti is very popular with all the children on the bus.

Sandra acknowledges the benefits of walking to school and remembers her own school years, having walked to school, like everyone did. These days everyone seems to be dropped off to school by car.

Clarice Place is located off the busy Porchester Road in Takanini. Trucks and high speed are common and safety is a big deal. When Sandra is the driver, there are a number of messages emphasised all the time to children about walking on footpaths, keeping away from the kerb and not playing with balls, particularly as Porchester
Road is really busy and they could go onto the road.

The children love it and so does she. Sandra doesn’t drive a car and has always walked and is helped by members of her family as drivers and conductors.

Takanini School Principal Linda Kelly has been truly supportive of walking buses and tirelessly promotes walking and the Walking School Bus in school. Takanini School applauds Sandra and her helpers for making a difference to the community.

Another Takanini school route is currently trialling on busy Manuroa Road. The great promotion of Walking Wednesdays through the school is bringing parents and their children out to walk together.

Go Takanini!