Travelwise is an innovative programme to make school travel safer, healthier and more fun.

The programme works with primary, intermediate and secondary schools to:

• encourage and increase use of active travel modes and public transport.
• provide safer facilities for all road users.
• reduce congestion around schools.

The programme at Silverdale School is led by Alex Franklin and her team of Year 5 and 6 student leaders. The Travelwise student leaders help encourage safe and more environmentally friendly travel to school by running Wheels Safety Day, Car Free Day and Road Safety Week.

Travelwise – Walking School Bus

Silverdale School currently offers walking school bus routes starting from:

1. Bankside Road/Percy Greens junction
2. Skipjack Pass
3. If you would like to start your own route, please reach out!

We strongly encourage children to walk to school as it promotes healthy living, provides opportunity to make new friends, and helps reduce chaos at the school gate.

What is a Walking School Bus?

A walking school bus is just like a school bus except children walk to school under the supervision of adult volunteers, creating a safe and social journey to school.

Children are collected from stops along a planned route and dropped off at the school gate. Along the way they learn how to safely negotiate the road and have an opportunity to socialise and share stories with friends and neighbours. What a great way to travel to school!

Walking school buses also make a contribution to reducing the amount of traffic around schools – in Auckland there are more than 200 active walking school buses, with over 4,000 children regularly walking to school. That’s a lot of active feet on the street.

How do I join?

Email: alexfranklin@silverdaleprimary.school.nz

What are the benefits of the Walking School Bus?

Health and fitness – for children and parent walkers alike

A big time saver as you don’t have to negotiate the slog to school, traffic at gate, etc – the bus does it for you

Great socialisation – lasting friendships for the kids, and parents get to meet fellow members of the community

Promoting independence in our little ones

Kids get great rewards, including: fun bag tags, certificates, and choices of goodies when they finish ‘bus tickets’. Exclusive special events at school, like free sausage sizzle, milo and muffin mornings, summer lunchtime swimming in the pool 

Safety. As it’s a supervised group, you know your children will benefit from the presence of adults.

What parental commitment is involved?

The WSB works thanks to parents like you. One morning a week you ‘drive’ the bus, the other four mornings you’re freed from the school run. Of course, you can ‘drive’ more often if you’d like.

What happens if you can’t make it one morning?  We all have times when sickness, work or other commitments mean we need help, and WSB parents support each other through them. Just shout out to fellow bus drivers on your route, and arrange for a swap or if someone can help out.