Running for their lives

Editor’s note: Throughout the 2011-12 school year, the Chronicle staff is following the progress of several classrooms across the county during its series School Days, including Connie Kane’s third-grade class at Pleasant Grove Elementary School in Inverness.

MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle

Pleasant Grove Elementary School third-grader Aiden Weber streaks past two of his peers Thursday morning during a physical-fitness activity outside the school.

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INVERNESS — On Thursday mornings before school starts, a group of “Star Runners” at Pleasant Grove Elementary School run for their lives, although they just think they’re having fun.

This past Thursday, Tanner Stoess ran 14 quarter-mile laps and Tyler Cameron ran eight. Both boys are part of Connie Kane’s third grade class.

“It’s really fun because you get to run laps and talk to friends,” Tyler said, adding that he can run really fast.

Tanner, too, said running is fun, but he pointed out that it’s not just fun.

“You get good exercise so you can stay healthy and you won’t have heart problems like heart disease,” he said.

Twenty, maybe even 10 years ago, third grade students didn’t concern themselves with thoughts of preventing heart disease. However, times have changed.

On Feb. 9, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama introduced her “Let’s Move” program, encouraging everyone, especially children, to get more exercise.

Mrs. Obama noted that one in three children in America is overweight or obese and that pediatricians are seeing an increasing number of children with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even Type 2 diabetes — all associated with obesity.

“Public health experts tell us that the current generation could actually be on track to have a shorter lifespan than their parents,” she said at the “Let’s Move” kickoff news conference two years ago.

Currently, Florida elementary schools are required to provide kids in kindergarten through fifth grade with 30 minutes of consecutive physical activity per day.

That’s why elementary schools in Citrus County are encouraging kids to run for their lives.

Kim Hellenberg, P.E. teacher at Pleasant Grove, said sports and skills are still a focus of physical education in elementary school, but over the past few years, fitness and developing lifelong fitness habits have been the central focus.

“It’s because of the obesity problem that we’re seeing,” she said.

Three years ago, Pleasant Grove started its weekly before-school Star Runners club. This school year it began Oct. 13.

As the students run around the field, they stop at a bin of colored blocks after each lap and take out one. Before it’s time to go to class they count the number of blocks in their pocket and multiply by four. That’s how Tyler knew he ran two miles and Tanner knew he ran three and a half.

The goal is to reach a total of 25 miles before March 2 when county elementary students meet at Lecanto High School to run the final 1.2 miles to complete a marathon run.

So far, Tyler and Tanner have surpassed the goal and have run 33 and 35.75 miles respectively.   
Back in the classroom, Mrs. Kane incorporates discussions about healthy living, healthy eating and healthy choices throughout the day — and the kids are getting it.

“When they see me with a Diet Coke they’ll say, ‘Mrs. Kane, you should drink more water.’ So, they know. And if it starts when they’re young, then maybe they won’t have problems with their weight when they’re older.”

Chronicle reporter Nancy Kennedy can be reached at nkennedy@chronicleonline.com or 352-564-2927.