Presented by Coach Lyn Porter
Submitted by Program Specialist Michelle Toulmin
Allen Brook Elementary is a PreK -2 grade school with 370 students in Williston, VT. Coach Lyn Porter has done a wonderful job of making 100 Mile Club® inclusive, attainable, and enjoyable for all. She is a strong believer in the “No Excuses” pillar of 100 Mile Club and it shows.
Coach Lyn has created different options for all students to participate throughout the year regards of weather challenges and student interests and it’s working!
Below are overviews of creative activities done throughout the year to encourage healthy choices at Allen Brook, as presented by the Coach Lyn herself!
Take it away, Coach!
~ Historic Route 66 – 2448 miles. Students walk, jog or run enough miles as a school to equal the number of miles along Historic Route 66. Each morning prior to the start of the school day every student in the school has the option to come into the gymnasium and do before school jogging laps. There are multiple ways to accumulate miles throughout the school day.
~ PE Miles. During the roughly 30 minutes students are outside they must keep their bodies moving forward, through running, jogging or walking. On each lap around the field the students collect a clothes pin. On each clothes pin there is a benefit of exercise written. Throughout the year, Coach Lyn discuss Goal Setting, a pillar of 100 Mile Club.
~ Jogging assessment 3 times a year. Before the first assessment Coach Lyn introduced the word “Perseverance”, with a focus on never giving up and recognition of improvement.
~ Snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Nothing with wheels counts. It has to be foot driven miles, so snowshoeing works well during those cold winter months!
~ Outdoor walking story book. The idea of the story book is to motivate the kids who may not like to move as much but really enjoy books and reading. The book is spread out around about ½ mile loop. It takes about ½ mile to get around to and read every page. They are laminated and stapled to pine (weather painted) and mounted on metal fence stakes. The book is changed approximately every month. This is also open for community use.
~ Annual 5K. The schools parent teacher association, called Families as Partners, sponsors a 5K Run for Education. Built within this 5K there is a 1 mile kids run. We encourage kids to participate and they get credit for those miles as well.
~ ONE mile walks. During the times that the playground is unusable due to mud or ice, our recess aides will take the kids on a 1 miles walk, jog on the bike path behind our school. If that happens the aides will let us know so we can credit the kids with those miles as well.
~ Teacher hikes! – groups of teachers take their students on 3 mile hikes up a local mountain called Mount Philo.
~ Fitness Fun Calendar. This is not specific to just movement however, there are many movement activities included. The calendar is meant to help the kids understand that movement is important to wellbeing but many other things play a part of lifetime wellness. There might be try a new healthy snack. Eat a piece of fruit with breakfast for nutritional wellness. Read a book or color a picture for mental wellness.
~ Hidden Rocks. approximately 30 painted rocks are hidden around our play area. Each rock has a physical skill or social emotional skill for the student to complete. When the student finds the rock they read the message, rehide the rock and have the remainder of the day to complete the task.
“As you can see, we try and find multiple ways to engage in lifetime wellness and learning opportunities. I believe it is all interrelated. I believe we have more students engaged in the running opportunities because we have so many options to engage them.” ~ Coach Lyn
Yes, we can see! What wonderful ways to engage kids year-round and create a love of movement that will last a lifetime! Thank you for sharing Coach Lyn. We think you’re tops!
