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Spotlight

East Front Public School Goes the Distance

Staff, students and friends of East Front Public School in Cornwall have walked, jogged, swum and biked their way across Canada this year. Seven times.

At the beginning of the year, Principal Kieran Kennedy challenged his staff and Grade 1 to 6 students to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary and the life of Terry Fox by getting active. 

“I decided, as the principal, to really challenge the school community and to honour Terry Fox,” said Kennedy.

“If there’s one goal I have, it is for the kids to embrace healthy living as a habit.  It should be something they do intrinsically like brushing their teeth.”

The school’s goal was to complete Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Like Fox, the school aimed to travel at least 42 kilometres per day for a total of over 9,000 kilometres — the distance of a trip across Canada.

Staff and students walked or ran at school.  Community teams made up of families and community partners like the local public health unit joined in — biking, running, swimming or walking.

Together, they exceeded their goal.

By the end of the year, they had collectively travelled more than 64,000 kilometres. And, it has become habit forming.

“Now the mission is done, people are still walking and exercising regularly.  People realize this is a habit that improves their quality of life,” said Kennedy.

Students also engage in regular physical training, missions and character development through the Froglogic program, a program based on Navy Seals training. Parent volunteers also help put baskets of fruit and other healthy snacks in each classroom to promote healthy eating. They are all empty at the end of each day.

“Healthy living is not something we talk about here, it is part of our school culture,” said Kennedy.

The results?

Staff are more energetic.  Students are keeping healthy, staying focused in the classroom and more engaged in school.  Parents are also doing physical activity with their children at home and getting more involved with the program at school. Community partners are participating, and there is also an increased sense of pride and belonging at the school.

“I feel that the kids who leave East Front Public School – because of their participation in this program – will be the ones who will graduate and be successful, because they are engaged in school,” said Kennedy.

The school was also recognized this year by participating in Ontario’s Healthy Schools Recognition Program. In 2008-09, more than 1,000 schools participated, pledging to undertake nearly 2,000 healthy activities.

Find out how schools can get involved or read more success stories