Our local middle school serves approximately 650 students in grades 6-8. Our population consists of a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, including a large number participating in the free and reduced lunch program. The majority of our students come to school eager to learn and put forth an effort.
We have an increasing number of students coming to school unable to focus for long periods of time.
Our school population performs very well on standardized tests, scoring above both the county and state average. A large number of our students participate in school athletics, school clubs and volunteer activities, as well.
My Project
I coach an after school running club 3 days a week. The club is open to all students in grades 6-8 that wish to come out and put forth their best effort. Our goal is to increase fitness and overall healthy lifestyles. Through running, our students learn discipline, goal setting, and perseverance. Our team is varied in skill and athleticism, consisting of students involved in 3 or 4 sports, and others that have never participated in organized sports. We train throughout the year to compete in several races ranging from a mile to a 5K. During our club, we stress the importance of pacing. The use of GPS watches will help by giving our kids their pace and mileage while running. This is so important for runners to learn, as they can not begin too fast or they will not have the energy needed to finish their race. Likewise, they do not want to be too slow, or they will not achieve their goals. I think the watches will be a great addition to our club and help with our goal-setting tremendously.
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