The Official Site of
Walter V. Long STEAM Academy
Walter V. Long STEAM Academy
2023-2024
SAFEROUTES
ATTENTION PARENTS...
Please click the link below to fill out the following parent survey about walking and biking to school. The school district uses this data to help create safe walking and biking programs.
Preventing Pedestrian Crashes
Below is a flyer from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with important information on how to prevent pedestrian crashes.
Click HERE to for more information.
Bike Safety: Balance and Control Skills
This video includes a clip with tips for bike riders how to do a slow race on a practice course to create balance and control skills.
Click HERE to see the video.
Bike Safety: Maneuvering Bikes in Tight Curves
This video includes a clip with tips for counter-steering and a practice course for students to better their ability when maneuvering their bikes in tight curves.
Click HERE to see the video.
Bike Safety: Shifting
The goal is for parents to be able to assist their students with the best practices for riding bicycles. The video includes tips and information about how shifting on a bicycle works and is crucial when out for a bike ride.
Click HERE to see the video.
Helmet Proper Fit for School Children
This video shows the correct way to properly fit bicycles and helmets for children. Many parents may not know that improperly fitted bicycles may be a safety hazard to their child, so at Safe Routes to School (SRTS), we would like to pass on some of our material to our parents. Even with distance learning, we need to be practicing diligence with keeping our students safe on their bicycles.
Click HERE to see the video of how children should be fit for bicycles and helmets.
Slow Down in Active School Zones
School zones around Clark County are in effect for food distribution. Please remember to slow down in active school zones. Many students are in those school zones, as well as parents, picking up meals.
Click HERE to learn more.
The Importance of Knowing Bike Laws
Did you know the law pertaining to the distance between motorized vehicles and bicycles is three feet, or what it means when a bike lane line turns into a dashed line? Please see the links below for more detailed information...
There are two types of bike lanes - click HERE to learn more. Para ver en español, haga clic AQUÍ.
Click HERE to learn more about the Three Feet Law. Para ver en español, haga clic AQUÍ.
Disclaimer: This is a Safe Routes to School activity. If your child participates, you acknowledge that the activity involves a risk of injury and hereby acknowledge that Clark County School District is not responsible for any losses, damages, harm, liability, costs, or expenses incurred by participation in any Safe Routes to School activities or programs.
Choose The Safest Route To School
Select a walking route with less traffic and intersections.
• Pick places where there are sidewalks or paths separated from traffic. If there are no sidewalks or paths, walk as far from the motor vehicles as possible and, if possible, on the side of the street facing traffic.
• Limit the number of street crossings. When available, cross at a location with an adult school crossing guard.
• Avoid crossing busy or high-speed streets.
For more safety tips, click HERE. Para ver en español, haga clic AQUÍ.
Disclaimer: This is a Safe Routes to School activity. If your child participates, you acknowledge that the activity involves a risk of injury and hereby acknowledge that Clark County School District is not responsible for any losses, damages, harm, liability, costs, or expenses incurred by participation in any Safe Routes to School activities or programs.
New Parking Lot Signs
When teachers, students and staff practice proper school parking lot safety, it makes it easier to keep everyone safe. School parking lots can be incredibly busy places in the morning when children arrive and in the afternoon when it’s dismissal time. Ensuring that no one gets hurt is a primary concern of the school staff but it requires everyone’s participation, including parents. This week, Our parking lot now has new signs posted that will ask parents to slow down, pull forward and have students exit on the passenger side. Please watch for, and abide by these new signs to help us help you keep your children safe.
Watch for walking and biking safety tips that will be posted weekly to the school website.
Cross The Street Safely
The most obvious rule to keep in mind when crossing a street is the “Look Both Ways Before You Cross.” Look left, then right, then left again. Wave or make eye contact with drivers. It’s their job to watch out, but if there is a collision between you and a car, the car won’t be the one to suffer any damage. Always use a crosswalk. Cross at stoplights whenever possible. Jaywalking can save you time, but it is also a ticketable traffic offense, as well as a safety hazard. Just Avoid It.
Benefits of Walking or Biking to School
Walking one mile to and from school each day is two-thirds of the recommended sixty minutes of physical activity a day. Students who walk to school have higher levels of physical activity throughout the day.
Studies show that students who walk and bike to school are more physically active, have lower body index scores and have lower obesity levels than students who are driven or bussed to school.
Walking and biking are better for the environment. It helps to reduce vehicle traffic caused by drop-off/pick-ups, and allows students a chance to socialize before and after school.
Did you know?
If the number of kids who walk and bike to school was restored to 1969 levels, our nation would cut 3.2 billion vehicle miles, 1.5 million tons of CO2 and 89,000 tons of other pollutants annually. This is the equivalent of keeping more than 250,00 cars off the road for a year!
- Margo Pedroso, 2008 Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Be A Walking Role Model
Children learn through experience. Walking with parents or another caregiver is an important way for children to practice crossing real streets. Parents, please be good examples to your children as you cross through our school parking lot. Please teach them how to do so safely. If you must cross through the school parking lot, before or after school, please teach your children to stop, look left and right, and catch the attention of the driver before crossing. Make sure the car has stopped for you before cutting through. Do not assume that the car will stop for you. Sometimes they may not see you. Drivers often do not expect you to walk out in front of them.
Bikes and Scooters
Walter Long Elementary encourages riding your bikes and scooters to school. Riding bikes to school is good exercise and fun. It also helps the environment by not putting out pollutants into the air when riding in a car. However, we would like to remind our bike riding and scooter riding students of one specific school rule that we have when it comes to riding bikes and scooters. The rule is this: Scooters and bikes must be walked while on school property. This rule can be found on page 8 of our 2019/2020 Staff/Teacher Handbook. This is a safety rule. Please follow this rule while on school property to protect all others who are walking to and from school.
