Wolverine Walking Club
AT EDGEWOOD PRIMARY
BY ALEXIS PETROSKY
Second graders walking during
walking club.
S
econd grade students at Edgewood Primary recently had the
opportunity to join a new walking club. The club meets on Mondays,
Tuesdays, and Thursdays every week during second grade’s recess.
The walkers have been picked up from their classrooms and then
walked down to the gymnasium to participate in walking club since the
weather has been cold. As the weather improves, the students may have
the opportunity to complete their steps outside, around the recess area.
Permission slips were sent home to all second grade students as an
invitation to join the new club. All second graders had the opportunity
to join as long as they returned the signed document. The club began
meeting at the end of October. There are currently thirty students
participating in the walking club.
Once the students are picked up from their classrooms, they walk to the
gym. Each student is assigned a number that coordinates with a number
on a pedometer. The students get their assigned pedometer, clip it onto
either their shoe or pants and then begin walking laps around the gym.
All students walk in the same direction to remain safe. Some participants
choose to run instead of walk to earn more steps. Music plays while the
students are elevating their heart rate to motivate them to move. Once
walking club is over for the day, the students find their step log from inside
their class folder. Students then record the number of steps they walked
during club for that day. Before a holiday break, students are rewarded
with a game of tag instead of laps.
Every day at the conclusion of the club, the physical education teacher
adds the number of steps the students walked that day to their previous
total of steps. Rewards are received based on the number of steps that
students walk, with different rewards for different levels. The first reward
that a student can earn is a chain with a ‘toe token charm’ and a certificate
at 5,500 steps. The next reward is at 11,000 steps and continues every
11,000 steps. The rewards are plastic charms including ‘toe tokens’ and
sneaker charms. Some students spend several weeks trying to reach the
next level.
The walking club was started as a way to help students who may not be
getting enough exercise during the week. About 30 thirty percent of U.S.
school children are overweight according to the CDC. In the colder months
when students are unable to have recess outside, they may not able to
burn their excess calories, contributing to this number. Keeping active also
helps in the classroom. In 2001 fit kids scored twice as well on academic
tests as their unfit peers (Ratey, pg. 21). The walking club hopes to help
students enjoy physical activity while also helping their concentration in
the class room.
The students are doing great with the club. The second graders know
what is expected of them and keep the pedometers organized and in great
shape. They help clean up at the end of the club before returning to their
classrooms. They are excited to leave their rooms during recess and walk.
Walking club is hopefully something students can enjoy and look forward
to each school year.
36
WOODLAND HILLS
Travis Fox shows off his chain and tokens
he has earned from walking club.