Solano Avenue Elementary School in LAUSD has every excuse in the book NOT to Accept the Challenge of The 100 Mile Club®. Seriously. No space to run? CHECK. Solano literally has no playground. They did have one. It was about the size of 2 basketball courts. You can see it in the map. That is gone now, making way for more classrooms. Solano is surrounded on 3 sides by hills which create a walled-in feeling in this adorable mini community. They sit in the shadow of Dodger Stadium on the west, and the 4th side is cropped off by the 110 Freeway. Talk about being hemmed in!! How did they solve it? They have mapped out several routes around the tiny little neighborhood and once (sometimes twice) a day, they stop, stand, and exit the school. Their walks around the block are legendary! They have made time before and after school a few days a week for kids who want extra miles, too! Also, they utilize a local park just steps away from the school. In short…they make it work. No time to run? CHECK. The teachers at Solano are under the gun. Just like you. Closing achievement gaps, maximizing instructional minutes, common core looming, meetings, meetings, meetings, trainings, AHHHH! They have it all. Just like you. How did they solve it? Well, at Solano, there is no such thing as no time to run. Teachers at Solano know that for every minute spent moving, they earn back those valuable instructional minutes lost because of “the wiggles” and other off-task behavior. They know that Exercise boosts brain power and they use it well (John Medina, Brain Rules)! No place to hold outside events? CHECK! This school is about as urban as it gets. How did they solve it? They found a beautiful […]