By

Paige McGee,   Bloomer Elementary School

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Topics:

Physical Activity Participation,  Student Leadership

On October 7, fifth graders at Bloomer walked with their second grade buddies for Iowa's Healthiest State initiative walk. All 99 counties in Iowa participated in the walk. Fifth graders planned the walk, created posters, and talked to the second graders about what they would be doing. Students discussed healthy eating and exercise. With all the hype this generated, all grade levels were partnered up and walked at different times throughout the day. What an impact this had to all of us at Bloomer to be part of this schoolwide healthy walk!

How did students and adults work together as a team?

Fifth graders' excitement created a buzz around school. In just a few days, Bloomer's schoolwide walk was up and going. By the end of the week posters were up around school.

How did you accomplish your goals?

Working with students and teachers, the walk with just the fifth graders turned into a large-scale walk with over 500 students. Teachers and students all had a part to make this walk a success.

How do you plan to make this Play last during the school year and beyond?

With the success of this walk, we have done other physical activities with our buddies. We are planning to have a schoolwide walk again this spring.