Poly's First-Ever Walk & Roll To School Day a Success

On Wednesday, October 12, Poly hosted its first-ever Walk & Roll to School Day encouraging commuters to ditch their cars for the day and enjoy the benefits of green commuting. Participants were welcomed to Poly with much fanfare and were served special peach, raspberry, and mint refreshers on ice crafted by Information Systems Associate Jill del Mar. 

Individuals in all three divisions participated in the event with student walking pools from Shoppers Lane, from neighborhoods starting at Oakland and Filmore, and another from San Pascual and Ninita and groups of cyclists. Upper School Mathematics Teacher Jill Bush may have had the longest walk with a total of six miles.

“We are trying to break the habit of automatically getting in your car,” said Dave Yamaoka, Safety and Sustainability Manager and organizer of the event. “These days when we are stressed and busy there is value in walking or biking and getting to experience the outside and fresh air.”

Upper School Physics Teacher Craig Fletcher is a model of rolling to work. During his many years of service at Poly he has chosen to ride his bike to school. When asked why he chooses to bike instead of drive, he boiled it down to saying that he likes the quiet of the morning and removal of distraction from electronic devices. He enjoys the calm of the morning before he starts his class.

The Walk & Roll to School Day is also in line with Poly’s sustainability efforts by decongesting freeways and areas around the school. Dave hopes the event can become a monthly occurrence breaking our dependence on fossil fuels. It is also worth noting that Poly subsidizes those who participate in the green commute.

“There are a lot of people that are motivated to do this,” said Dave. “If we give them enough time to talk among themselves, they will create walk pools and figure it out together. Sometimes all you need is one simple reason to walk.”