Marblehead's Glover School Wins MA Safe Routes Award

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead's Glover Elementary School was one of four schools recognized as "Exemplary Programs" statewide as part of the Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to Schools program at its annual awards ceremony.

The awards celebrate MassDot's partner schools, community champions, stakeholders, and Crossing Guards who have made significant contributions within their communities by strengthening, promoting, and improving safety for students walking, biking, and rolling to school.

"MassDOT is pleased to have this opportunity to recognize and thank individuals, school staff and members of school communities for all of their exemplary work and continued dedicated efforts in helping to keep students and families safe within school communities throughout the Commonwealth," Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca said. "The awards highlight all of the thoughtful planning, coordinating and collaborating that has been undertaken to identify new Safe Routes to School initiatives, resources and tools that reinforce the importance of being safe while walking, biking, or rolling to school."

This year's awards ceremony honored 217 schools across the Commonwealth that completed Safe Routes activities and events qualifying them for partner-level awards of Basic, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.

Awards for Exemplary Program were presented to four schools.

Marblehead's Glover School earned the Exemplary Award for the northeastern Mass. region with the William E. Norris School in Southampton, Belmont Street Community School in Worcester and LaLiberte Elementary School in Raynham honored in the other three state regions.

The Safe Routes Program promotes safer routes for students to get to school through a focus on the six E's — Education, Encouragement, Evaluation, Engagement, Engineering, and Equity.

The program hosts annual flagship events such as Massachusetts Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day.

A full list of schools and crossing guards recognized can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)