Hi, we are the Step Up team from St Cuthbert's High School. We are an all boys school so you would think everyone is sporty and fit but this isn't true! We think we could all be fitter and healthier and walking more would help this. We are going to start our campaign with our Lower School because so many of them get lifts to and from school. Here's hoping we are successful! Visit our school website at http://www.st-cuthbertshigh.newcastle.sch.uk/

Team meeting, 12th Feb 2009

We've been working on our campaign plan. Take a look:

Here's the start of our plan. Watch this space for more details...

Year 7 open evening – 15/10/2009

As part of our step-up campaign, we decided to promote walking to school, at our year 7's open evening. We asked permission from our headmaster, to set up a stand and various displays to show to the new year 7's and their parents.

Sam at Living Streets lent us a step-up banner and gave us a lot of pedometers to hand out for free. We created a display featuring a map with St. Cuthbert's in the middle, and half a mile radius circled around here, along with two headings either side: why we love walking to school and why we hate walking to school.

We encouraged the pupils to write down their thoughts on a post it note and stick it under the suited heading. We handed out free pedometers to each student who participated and collected many thoughts on walking to school. We also kept a tally of how many people visited the stand.

Our team enjoyed the evening and will be continuing our work with the step-up campaign.

[p.s. The boys managed to get 24 adults and 40 young people to visit their stand. One thing they tried was offering a 'personalised travel plan' to each visitor, using 'Iwalk.com'. Well done lads! - Ed]

At their event, the students asked the new pupils what they liked and disliked about their walks. Here's what they found out:

Things we like

Things we don't like

The streets are nice and clean.

Lots of litter.

The residents are quiet and don't shout at us or spy on us.

Too many parked cars.

You get more exercise if you walk to school.

I do like our streets but dogs do their waste there which is disgusting.

Quiet and good.

I don't like the uneven paths.

I like walking, it keeps me fit.

Cars go too fast.

I like having a laugh with my mates on the way to school.

Sometimes there is bullying going on, on the way to school.

Nice scenery!

I hate stepping in dog pooh.

I like walking and going to the shop.

Fox and Hounds Lane is too narrow.

You get fresh air and beat the traffic.

Its horrible to walk in the rain.

I like exercise.

I hate running for the bus.

It's quicker to walk and it's good exercise.

There is name calling.

I like walking with my friends but not really long distances.

It takes too long.

Walking to school will, and does, invigorate the body thus giving a person extra energy. It is also a time to reflect and think about having a great day at school! (think this was a parent!)

The streets can be a danger to the new pupils.

I like the time with my friends.

I don't like speeders on the roads.

I like our streets because I play out with my friends.

The paths are slippy when its wet.

I like being out on my bike.

It's tiring walking to school.

I like everything!

Don't like dog muck (x3)

There's not much litter.

I like walking but its scary at the same time.

Good for your health.

It feels safe round my area.

I can play football in the street

The streets are nice and clean.

The residents are quiet and don't shout at us or spy on us.

So there you go! Why not run a similar event for new pupils at your school?

 

2010

It's 2010, and St Cuthbert's Step Up group is back! Here are some of the new members planning their next move.

Watch this space to find out what they do next...

...big empty space...

........................................................................tumbleweed...............................................................................................................>>>>

Monday July 13th : Filmmaking Workshop

Today we made two short animated filmsand interviewed 14 people about how they get to school.

We planned our film using a storyboard and made deicions about what we would do . We had two teams: animation and live action. We made Dom (presenter of the live action footage) sing Rick Astley.

Here are the questions we asked:

1) how do you get to school?

2) Why do you come that way?

3) How could you be persuaded to walk to school?

4) What would be the good points of walking to school?

5)What's your opinion of the pedestrian crossing on West Road? Is it in the right place?

6) What effect does the weather have on your journey?

You'll be able to see peoples' replies in our film, when it's been edited.

We learned how to use the animating programme and how to edit (it's a bit slow!). We tried to interview people outside, but it started to rain. So we tried to interview people in the library, but it was too noisy. So finally we went upstairs and used a spare classroom.

For the animation, Adam came up with the idead for a cat character. and Robert came up with the idea for a dog character. Robert thinks the dog is better than the cat.

Overall, the best things about the day were missing lessons and learning something new. Things that could have been better were the weather . Other comments were that it was fun. It would have been better to have more time and the team would prefer to use Macs than PCs.

Report compiled by Robert and Adam. (Pictures to follow as soon as all the consent forms are handed in)

On Thursday 12th of February, Sam from Living Streets came to our school St.Cuthberts and properly introduced six of us, to the Step Up project - trying to get young people to walk to school. After being shown the project brief and having talked it through, of the possible trip to the Walk21 conference in New York and what we would have to do; we brainstormed our ideas on a sheet of paper, writing down what we would get out of doing Step Up. We thought of as many ideas as we could.