VIDEO: SBS Students Make Effort to Walk to School

About half the students at (SBS) live outside the designated walking zone, yet Principal Ralph J. Pesapane said about 70 students made an effort to .

The wet weather abated Tuesday, and teacher Mark Stevens said he noticed traffic was "much lighter. ... [Monday] it was normal because of the rain," he said.

Final numbers for how many students participate in will not be available until after Friday, but SBS employees, including nurse Karen Leister, noticed a big increase after the rain ended.

Stevens was working in the schooll parking lot Tuesday to ensure student safety among the cars. He said, "My hope is these kids can walk me out of a job."

Employees at SBS set up speakers and dance music, and a special appearance by the Chatham Cougar, portrayed by Doreen Kish, also got kids energized and excited about walking to school.

Suzanne Di Turi, like other parents at SBS, said she commutes past the school to work each day. Though she and her son Dante, 6, walked to school together Tuesday, Di Turi said since the school is a convenient stop along her commute, it makes sense to drive her son.

Dante said, "If the school was made out of candy, I'd want to walk every day."