Dozens of St Mary students braved the chilly start to Friday morning to walk to school, with principal Kerrie Basha saying there is a big walking culture at St Mary’s. 

“Sometimes we get parents and carers with students to meet at Cook Park and we all walk from Cook Park to school and pick kids up on the way,” she said.

Mrs Basha said she would have loved to do it for Walk to School Day, but it’s “too cold for that” – risking a walk in the snow at this time of year. 

“We also do walking busses, the physical exercise is a great thing to promote and it’s good for their physical, spiritual and emotional well-being.” 

Student Thomas Pell lives too far away from school to walk but said he’d like to do so if he could. 

“It’d be good for the environment and good for exercise,” he said. 

Fellow student Ben Francis is another student who lives too far to walk, but said he’d like to in summer when it’s warmer, but has also ridden to school.