Dear Residents of both South Mymms & Ridge Parishes

Our first Walking Bus departed from the White Hart Pub car park back at the beginning of October 2007 and we are extremely grateful to Chris and Lorraine for allowing parents to use the car park.  In our Action Plan we had hoped to reduce the number of cars parked outside the school of a morning by 5 and we have achieved more than this on a regular basis.

We are pleased that local residents have experienced improved parking outside the school, however, the school continues to receive complaints of inconsiderate parking and this will continue to be monitored.

The Walking Bus has proved a huge success with the children and adults alike running in all weathers.  We have been very lucky to receive sponsorship from a local company with connections to the school in the form of our High Visibility jackets worn by the children to give awareness to passing traffic. This gives us team spirit and creates a wonderful vision. On rainy days the children are provided with ponchos to help keep them dry.

The Walking Bus provides an invaluable service to parents who need to commute to work and other destinations, it encourages children to socialize amongst their peers, helps prevent obesity AND enhances their Road Safety Awareness, all valuable lessons in life.

In line with all other local schools the Committee in conjunction with Highways is to secure St. Giles’ additional school warning signs to advise passing traffic of our village school, so keep a look out! Let’s hope this reduces the speed of traffic through our village.

Hertsmere B.C. are introducing “Traffic Regulation Orders” (TRO’s) outside every school in the Borough to prohibit parking on double yellow lines and school zig zag lines and Highways will be doing the necessary works in the not too distant future. These TRO’s will be enforced by patrolling Traffic Wardens.

To all dog owners, there has been an increase in the amount of dog mess left on the footpath from the White Hart pub up Blanche Lane to the school driveway which is giving the Walking Bus and the Dog Warden cause for concern.  Yellow ‘Dog Mess’ stickers have been placed on every lamp post to remind you so PLEASE clean up after your dog!

If you feel you could communicate the needs of the villagers to the committee or help us in any way possible, you would be more than welcome to come and join us.  Please ask at the school office for more details.

“Thank you”, School Travel Plan Committee.
 

Walking to school is really cool song

I don’t know but I’ve been told (repeat)

why St Giles’ kids get so cold (repeat)

we are made to walk to school (repeat)

but it turns out really cool (repeat)

we meet our friends on the way (repeat)

then we go to school and play (repeat)

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 (repeat)

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 (shout)

By Lydia Gillingham-Laine