Elementary schools kick off new year with a jump, run

Fitness and good health have been a focus at many Murray elementary schools this school year; however, McMillan and Horizon Elementaries are preparing to raise awareness as well as health.

McMillan is preparing for its second year of involvement with the Jump for Heart event and fundraiser for the American Heart Association. They will begin with a Feb. 1 assembly, featuring Horizon’s jump rope team, and information on how to be active and healthy through sports, exercise and good nutrition.

On Feb. 17, students will participate in the Jump for Heart.

“The whole school will participate in four stations of jump roping and hula hoop tricks and skills,” McMillan physical education specialist Kim Montrone said. “This will help motivate our students to be active, and help them learn new skills to try at recesses.”

Parent-Teacher Association members, along with Kohl’s and Sam’s Club employees, are volunteering at the event.

This is part of McMillan’s emphasis this year on fitness, including oral health. As part of working on the platinum level of the Gold Medal School program, students are hosting oral health presentations from orthodontist David McDonough.

“They will help our students be more aware of the importance of proper brushing and flossing each day to prevent cavities and gum disease,” Montrone said.  

The Gold Medal School Program is designed to promote better fitness and nutrition in Utah schools. After schools earn each phase of the program’s set criteria for bronze, silver, gold, and platinum focus levels, the school earns a plaque and a monetary reward, totaling $1,500, to purchase new physical education equipment, nutrition resources or tobacco-prevention materials.

Students also have been walking and running laps to see if they can accumulate the mileage from Beijing, China (home of the last summer’s Olympics, where they walked to in 2008) to London, home of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

“So far we have walked at total of 7,875 miles of our journey, and are excited to see where we make it to each month on our world map. This gives our students a focus of something worthwhile to accomplish at recess, to help their class achieve the monthly lap goals, and a good physical activity for themselves. Physical fitness is important at any age, so we try to give many opportunities for our students to be active and try different games and sports during PE and at recess,” Montrone said, adding that she teaches sports’ skills, yoga and dance in PE.

McMillan also offers five-minute energizers during classroom time, healthy nutrition choices with fruit and salad bars for lunch, and an after-school program, “Move It,” that focuses on physical fitness. Staff members also have fitness challenges; currently they are logging in their miles by wearing pedometers.

Viewmont students also are getting exercise by walking their playground track three times each day, calling it the “Murray Mile.”

“We mark a card for each lap and keep track of how many miles each student completes,” Viewmont Principal Margaret Young said.

At Grant Elementary, students are preparing for their annual Grant Olympics and Presidential Fitness event, held in the spring.