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Pupils are such a merry band [Herald, The (Plymouth, England)](Herald, The (Plymouth, England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) PUPILS at a Plymouth primary school have been donated high-vis bands by a house builder in a bid to encourage them to walk to school safely. Taylor Wimpey has donated 182 high-visibility 'slap bands' to pupils at Dunstone Primary School as part of Walk to School Month. The building company has given out the slap bands to encourage children and even their parents to get a little exercise in the morning and to keep them safe from passing vehicles. Janine Coppleston, regional sales and marketing director for Taylor Wimpey, who are currently building new homes in the Dunstone Gardens area in Plymouth, said: "It's astonishing that a third of Year 6 schoolchildren nationally are considered over weight or obese, yet just a small amount of activity, like walking to school, can make such a difference. "We are committed to supporting the communities in which we build our high-quality new homes, which is why we have donated slap bands to Dunstone Primary School. "We understand that family life can be busy, but we hope our contribution will help inspire families to swap the car for a safe walk to school instead." The building firm are also offering parents little games to play with their children on their walk to school, such as playing I Spy to encourage their children to take notice of their surroundings, invite children to spot a street name for different letters of the alphabet, challenge children to spot as many animals or birds as possible or help children draw a map of their route to school. Julie Jane, headteacher at Dunstone Primary School, said: "We encourage the children to walk to school to promote a healthier lifestyle and reduce traffic outside the school. "We are very grateful to Taylor Wimpey for this generous donation which will help raise the profile of Walk to School Month among pupils and parents alike." (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |