Third Annual Founders’ Day Walk to School

On Friday, April 30th we will celebrate Founders’ Day with our third annual Walk to School for K-8 students.  This walk is a journey through history, starting at our original school building’s location in the village of Pacific Palisades.  Mr. Frost will lead the walk, which will begin with a brief look at the original site and culminate with a special all-school chapel service at Sprague.

All K-8 students and their parents are encouraged to participate in the walk.  We need parent participants to make this walk a safe, successful event!  Students in 3-8 may walk without a parent and will be supervised by faculty and parent walkers.  We ask that K-2 students are accompanied 1-to-1 by a parent or other adult.  Students may do the entire walk from the village to school or may join up at a halfway point at the parking lot of the Presbyterian Church on Sunset Blvd. Any student who does not walk  – including all of our Preschoolers  ¬– should come to school as normal (teachers will be at school to supervise) and will join the celebration at Sprague.  Parents and others are invited to join us for Chapel whether or not they do the walk.

Please contact Janet McKillop (jmckillop@stmatthewsschool.com) with any questions.

Schedule of Activities

7:00 – 7:15 am     Walkers meet at CVS parking lot at 864 Swarthmore Avenue

o    Park in CVS rooftop lot (overflow at metered spots in Palisades Park)

o    Student walkers may be dropped off in the CVS lot

7:20 am    Celebration begins!

Opening prayer and remarks from Mr. Frost

See map and route below (1.3 miles)

7:20 am    Halfway walkers (K-2 students) gather at the Presbyterian Church at 15821 W. Sunset Boulevard (route is 0.6 miles) where Jane Young and other faculty will be on hand to direct walkers and parkers

7:30 am    Walkers from village reach Presbyterian Church and full group proceeds to school

8:30 am    PS¬-8 Chapel and Celebration begin in Sprague Auditorium

9:00 am        Classes Resume

Passenger vans bring walkers back to their cars at CVS

Walking Route and Logistical Details
The walk begins on La Cruz in front of the Post Office.  We will proceed to Sunset Boulevard and walk on the south side of the street through the village and across Temescal.  At El Medio, we will cross Sunset and meet up with additional walkers waiting at the Presbyterian Church at 15821 Sunset Boulevard.  The whole group will walk along Sunset to Bienveneda, then walk up Bienveneda to Sprague.

Walkers will be in groups of 10-12, with at least 2 adults for every 10 students.  Pairs of older students will be grouped with younger students to assist in supervision.  We ask that all K-2 students, whether completing the full or half walk, be accompanied by a parent or other adult.

Parking
For walkers from the village, the entire roof lot of CVS is available from 6:30am – 10:00am.  Overflow parking is available in the metered spots for Palisades Park.  Halfway walkers may park at the Presbyterian Church.  Please be cautious and follow signs when driving and parking in the church lot, as they have a preschool on their campus.

Walkers who prefer to park on campus may arrive by 6:40, and passenger vans will shuttle them to CVS.  After Chapel, two vans will shuttle walkers back to their cars.

Non-Walkers
Carpool drop-off will proceed as usual for Preschool and K-8 non-walkers.  Teachers will be on duty to supervise.  Kindergarten students should go to their classroom; 1st through 4th go to blacktop as usual; 5th through 8th go to their regular morning area.  Supervising teachers will bring students to Sprague for Chapel.