Smith School Breakfast Celebrates Success of “Walking School Bus”

New Britain, Conn. (May 30, 2014) – Smith Elementary School families and staff took time out on Friday morning, May 30, with a special breakfast to celebrate a successful first year using the “Walking School Bus” concept to get children to school safely.

The Walking School Bus is a concept rapidly gaining favor across the nation. A group of children walk to school together in an organized fashion supervised by parent volunteers. The volunteers then meet up with the children in school at the end of the school day for the return trip home.

As simple as the concept sounds, it can have a profound impact. The Walking School Bus not only ensures that children get to school safely, but promotes more regular attendance as well as increased engagement among parents, teachers, staff and students.

“This concept is a winner across the board for all parties involved, and is yet another tool in the school district’s successful efforts to curb chronic absenteeism – an initiative that the Community Foundation is proud to support,” said Jim Williamson, president of the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, who took part in the festivities.

Parents who took part in the program were thanked for their support and volunteer efforts by Smith School Principal Christine Bruemmer, Consolidated School District of New Britain Attendance Officer Joe Vaverchak and Chief Operations Officer Paul Salina. Breakfast was provided by Whitson’s Culinary Group, and all parents were provided with free passes to Lake Compounce courtesy of Lake Compounce General Manager Jerry Brick.

To view photos of the breakfast, please click here.

To view WTNH TV-8’s news report from October, 2013 about the Walking School Bus phenomenon, featuring an interview with CSDNB‘s Joe Vaverchak, please click here.

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain connects donors who care with causes that matter in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. It does this by raising resources and developing partnerships that make a measurable improvement in the quality of life in each of these communities. For more information, visit www.cfgnb.org.