The Massachusetts Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, a free service of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) that promotes healthy alternatives for children and parents in their travel to and from school, held a forum at the Sheraton Framingham on March 13, 2013 to celebrate a historic milestone. The 500th Safe Routes Partner School was recently enrolled, making SRTS the first statewide SRTS program in the country to achieve this level of participation. Fall River School Wellness coordinator Marcia Picard was also acknowledged as the only school sytem in Massachusetts to get 100% of elementary and middle schools participating in the the Massachusetts Walk to School Day, over 5,000 children! She was also praised for her professional development efforts with the Fall River school physical education teachers, encouraging them to "walk across America", form walking clubs and encourage their students to walk or bike to school. The Forum inculded presentations on the connection between exercise and academic performance and how school administrators can build in time for physical education and SRTS activities without foregoing academics. SRTS educates students, parents and community members on the value of walking and bicycling for travel to and from school. Click here for the MA SRTS Facebook page. Click here for photos of the International Walk to School Day in October 2012. For more information about the program, contact School Wellness coordinator Marcia Picard at 774-319-0107.

(Top row, left) Kristen Slaton, Director of the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Program, welcomes participants to the Safe Routes to School Forum held at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference Center. (Top row, center) Ned Codd of MassDOT reads a certificate presented to Fall River School Wellness coordinator Marcia Picard for her work to get 100% of elementary and middle schools participating in the Massachusetts Walk to School Day. (Top row, right) Sarah Peteraf, Co-Founder of the South Lawrence East 5th Grade Academy in Lawrence, gave a keynote presentation on her school's innovative model for incorporating 120 minutes of physical activity into classroom curricula. (Middle row, left) Panelists, including Marcia Picard, present "We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends: Meet the MA SRTS Alliance. (Bottom row) Award recipients Christian Copeland, Health and Wellness Teacher at theW.S. Parker Middle School in Reading, the staff of Healthy Bedford and Bedford in Motion, Kara Showers, Program Coordinator for Mass in Motion Melrose & Wakefield, and Heather Drake SRTS Outreach Coordinator accepting on behalf of Ann Pirone from Stratton Elementary School in Arlington pose for a group photo at the Forum.. 

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