Safe Routes to School Friends,

Thank you thank you thank you to the amazing staff and students at Transition Plus  who cleaned, tuned and fixed the MPS bicycles over the winter so that happy students can ride them once again this spring. You all are awesome. Thank you as well for the lovey Midtown Greenway & lake ride on Thursday. What a fine way to see the trailer off—some students discovering “the lakes” for the very first time. Said one newer student rider of the bike trip, “It was terrifyingly wonderful!” Indeed!

Kudos as well to the Lucy Laney Wellness Club that has 20+ Fitbit members. Each week they pass a trophy around to the Workweek Hustle Winner—the person who gets the most steps and “it gets pretty competitive, lol.” And their wellness enthusiasm extends to the students: Last week Lucy Craft Laney launched the Bus Stop & Walk, Walking Wednesdays. The staff’s love for the students and families filled the neighborhood as they cheered bus after bus (17 in all) of Laney students, buses dropping students off from school about a half mile so everyone could experience the joys and reap the benefits of walking to school together. Kudos to all the other Bus Stop & Walk schools as well (in order of spring appearance):  Northrop, Wenonah, Keewaydin, Loring, Seward, Bancroft, Lyndale and those in planning: Marcy, Hale and Sanford. Fingers crossed for good weather to South High for their all-day bicycle field trip on Wednesday. Awesome to the teachers from Nellie Stone Johnson, Webster and Anishinabe Academy who will attend Walk! Bike! Fun! training this week. And thank you also to the 30+ cool kids who have signed their schools up for Bike & Walk to School Day on May 4+. Last call to register: Bike/walk day prize packages are being assembled this week. 

Now for the really big Wellness Week Bike/Walk to School Day news: For the first time ever we are hosting a group bicycle ride, Let’s Roll MPS on Wednesday, May 4, in celebration of National Bike to School Day and MPS Wellness Week. Come bike with us! You will be inspired  by the amazing peddlers from Pillsbury, Bethune, Laney, and more who will help lead the way. Want to bike over with a group of students? Want to help with the ride? Contact Jennifer.bordon@mpls.k12.mn.us with questions and for assistance. Everyone is invited: students & families, staff, and community members. Hope to see you there!

MPS Safe Routes to School Email List

MPS Safe Routes to School (MPS SRTS) is part of Safe & Healthy Students and is located in Operational & Security Services (OSS). It is funded through the Statewide Health Improvement Program and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Safe Routes to School.

MPS SRTS sends occasional emails like this one to walk/bike friends, enthusiasts, and champions across Minneapolis Public Schools with bike/walk/wellness information, opportunities, and events. Please email Jennifer.bordon@mpls.k12.mn.us to be added to or removed from this list. Please share as you see fit.