Madrona K-8 Elementary School students completed their pedestrian safety unit with a walk through the Madrona neighborhood on Tuesday morning.

In coordination with the City of Edmonds, students were given pedestrian safety information in their physical education  classes. The unit culminated with the students taking a walk through the neighborhood around the school, putting their new skills into use and receiving additional street safety information from volunteers. 

 “Our kids are community members, who will ride their bikes in our community, cross streets, busy intersections and side streets and we don’t have a lot of sidewalks in Edmonds, so it’s important for them to know how to get by in neighborhoods and in streets without sidewalks,” said Madrona teacher Jennifer Tait.

Teachers and volunteers led students through various areas of the Madrona neighborhood. Along the way, they practiced parking lot safety, navigating crosswalks, and managing steep, low-visibility hills and streets without sidewalks. 

Madrona PE teacher Julian Barnes went over pedestrian safety scenarios with students  before the walk. He emphasized that the combination of in-classroom activities and the out-of-classroom experience allows the students to utilize the skills they’ve been taught in real situations. 

“When they walk, they need to know how to deal with traffic,” said volunteer Jeff Mccloughan, who praised the program’s push to get the students active while at the same time increasing their street awareness. 

— Story and photos by Logan Bury