Manila Elementary Outpaces themselves!

Manila Elementary was our GMS school of the month for May. They had originally planned on walking 4,692 miles, the distance from Manila Elementary in Pleasant Grove to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida and back. This school did such an amazing job, they not only did this once, but 3 times plus some. They actually walked over 15,000 miles. One class alone, a 5th-6th grade combination class, walked over 8,000 miles!

Great job, Manila Mustangs!!!

Northridge Elementary Walk To School Day

Northridge Elementary in Orem held Walk To School on October 6, 2010. Walk to school was a fun and educational event. In the morning before students arrived, volunteers set up tables, hung posters alerting drivers that kids were walking to school and to slow down, and prepared to hand out candy and stickers for the kids that were walking to school. Volunteers were at the crosswalks as well as an Orem City Police officer, handing out stickers and candy to kids as they walked to school.

After the majority of students had gotten their candy and stickers, they proceeded to the main entrance of the school to sign their names to enter into a drawing for several different prizes, while also getting a reflective tag for their backpacks. This all was going on while Mr. Huish, the former choir pianist, was playing lively music on a piano in front of the school.

After the start of school, a volunteer and PTA member drew names for and hand out the prizes. There were over 200 kids that had entered their names into the drawing. (Prizes included pumpkins, soda, gift cards, cookies, and several bike helmets)

It was enjoyable to see many teachers, and so many kids participating in Walk To School day. This was a great Walk to School Day, and the kids learned how to be safe when walking to and from school while also having fun.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to all our Gold Medal Schools who worked so hard this year to achieve their levels! Also a thank-you, thank-you, thank-you to all our great GMS mentors!

Merry Christmas!

GMS wants to wish all our Schools a Merry Christmas and encourage you all to use some healthy options at your Christmas parties! Some ideas we came up with might be low-fat cheese and crackers, clementines, fresh fruit dipped in dark chocolate or some yummy lowfat breads.
Have a Merry Chrismtas!

Westfield Elementary

I chose to spotlight Westfield because they have been very creative and enthusiastic with their Gold Medal Mile theme this year which is to walk around the equator. The school coordinator assigned a country that the school would be walking through to each classroom and asked them to make a poster about that country. She then took the posters and hung them all around the cafeteria. I thought this was a great way to get the kids and teachers more involved in the theme and get them excited about where they will be walking. It is also a fun way to give the students a visual way to see what country they are in and where they will be headed to next. The school and school coordinator have done a great job of bringing their GMM theme to life this year.
GMS Mentor: Hawley Layton