Luxford Elementary students can prove they're getting healthy

By Irene Bowers
Correspondent

Fitness at Louise Luxford Elementary School is off the charts.

For five years, the administration, faculty and PTA have encouraged better health habits among the student population and school community.

This year, graphing was added to the fitness equation.

"There has been a direct correlation between the graphs and student participation in our fitness initiatives," said principal Joanne D'Agostino. "It is all related. Health is not isolated to PE class."

On April 21, the school hosted its first Dragon Dash, with participants choosing either a 1-mile or a 4-kilometer run/walk course through the neighborhood.

"We surpassed expectations today," said Adline Hale, physical education instructor said of the 200 participants in the inaugural Dragon Dash. "Through all these fitness initiatives, you can see their response to fitness growing each year."

Two grant awards were key components in the day. Rich Kinsey, computer resource specialist, and Joel McDonald, data support specialist, won an Education Foundation Grant. Their proposal "Get Ready, Get Set, Go...Graph!" provided funding for four Palm Pilots used in PE classes.

"The idea was to form a personal connection with the data each student collected during "On the Clock" runs every Wednesday," McDonald said.

The data - each student's number of completed laps - is recorded using the Palm Pilots and transferred into a database developed by McDonald. The database helps students graph the data with bar, line and circle graphs.

"Suddenly, they had data about themselves and their classmates," he said. "The interest went through the roof."

"So did their numbers," added Kinsey, who said most students increased their number of laps after viewing graphs. "Teachers love this because reading or creating graphs relates to instructional goals across many subjects - math, science, economics, social studies - to name a few."

A Virginia PTA Family Fitness Grant funded professional timing by Kale Running. PTA president Julie Voliva said the Dragon Run brought it all together.

"This was incredible," she said. "Our partners in education were extremely supportive, and the neighboring community could not have been more welcoming." Voliva said sponsors Final Kick, Coastal Fitness and Dairy Queen provided assistance and volunteers, bottled water and gift bags for each participant. Additionally, a health fair in the school gymnasium included representatives from Sentara Healthcare, CHKD and Boone Clinic.

"I came here to win," said third-grader Kaiveyon Godwin, 8, who placed first in the 1-mile event for his age group. "I wore my first-place Sketchers."

Kaiveyon's mother, Latricia Major, said he wears the lucky shoes Wednesdays for On the Clock runs.

"He talks about running and joining the school Run Club all the time," she said. "They really do a good job promoting healthy habits and fitness here."

Irene Bowers, bowersi@aol.com