With the Internet and video games keeping more and more children inside and sedentary, the physical education team at the James H. Vernon School has been proactive in promoting fitness above and beyond the requisite gym classes.
This year the Vernon physical education teachers Jennifer Doxsee, Tom Neary and Keven Degnan brought an international program called the Mileage Club for third and fourth-graders to Vernon. The Mileage Club is a voluntary lunch time program that gets children to walk on the playground several times a week. Each child gets a mileage marker card that is checked each time a student completes a lap. For every mile completed the child will receive a “toe token” that can be put on a shoe lace or worn on a chain. A “5-mile charm” is given to commemorate that milestone. Almost the entire third and fourth-grade classes have already earned at least a one-mile token so far.
In addition to the Mileage Club, the entire Vernon school is encouraged to take part in S.A.C.S. Races, which is an anagram for Student Athlete Challenge Series.
The Challenge Series permits students in grades three through six to participate in a run once a month during their scheduled recess. Students from grades three and four will be running a half-mile and students from grades five and six will be running a full-mile. Participation and completion are the focus. The excitement, fun, and joy of performing the actual run and the resulting satisfaction of a job well done is contagious. Children participating in the event must wear sneakers. Like the Mileage Club, participation in the SACS race is voluntary. The first SACS Race of this school year was held on Thursday, Oct. 25. Glow in the dark pumpkins were earned as rewards for participation.
Nearly 100 students ran the 800-meter course to earn their prize. The first students finished in under four minutes. Everyone had a great time.
