Students tracking stepsfor ‘worldwide walk’

Oct. 7 walkathon launches

Woods Road School’s health initiative
By:Donna Lukiw
   It’s a small world, but most wouldn’t want to walk around it.
   Woods Road Elementary School students and staff, however, plan to walk the equivalent distance — 24,860 miles — during the course of the school year as part of a health initiative.
   The students will tally their steps using pedometers provided by the school’s Home and School Association to keep track of steps and miles walked throughout each school day.
   "It’s 24,860 miles around the world," Principal Scott Rocco said. "We’re going to track steps and then convert them to miles."
   Mr. Rocco said at the end of each week the students and staff members will be adding up their steps and miles and then tracking where they are in the world on a large map painted on a wall in the hallway of the school.
   Adding geography to the health lessons, the students will also learn about the state or country they find themselves in on the map as they progress around the world.
   "It’s to be healthy," Mr. Rocco said. "We’re going to work on making healthy choices."
   To kick off this health initiative, Woods Road will host walk-a-thon at 10 a.m. Oct. 7 to encourage students and community members to walk around the school and help raise money for the Home and School Association.
   During the walk-a-thon, local businesses including ATA Black Belt Academy, BodyShop Total Fitness, DC Gymnastics, Hillsborough Massage Therapy, Kathleen Academy of Dance, TaeKwonDo Elite, Wild Oats Natural Marketplace and Young Chefs Academy will have tables set up to promote healthy lifestyles.
   Somerset Valley YMCA will also be providing noncompetitive games for the children during the walk-a-thon and Fit ‘n’ Trim, Boro Kids Zone and Maximum Fitness have donated door prizes.
   Glaceau has donated water, Healthy Handfuls donated crackers and Kraft donated granola bars to keep all the walkers energized throughout the day.
   Hillsborough resident Jeff Levine who participated in the NBC-TV reality program "The Biggest Loser" last year will be the guest speaker at 10:30 a.m. before the walk-a-thon — and the students’ journey — begins.
   "They’ll make smarter choices when they’re older," Mr. Rocco said about the students participating in the health initiative. "The end result is to be more healthy."
   Students will also wear shirts proclaiming "I choose to be healthy" and Girl Scouts are making signs for the walk-a-thon.
   Teachers Joann Getz, Susan Olbrys and Maria Schoeb volunteered to also help out during the walk.