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Sharing Success

Get Inspired!  Schools Get Creative with Walking!

Walk To A Fun Destination – Chimney Rock Elementary in Memphis “Walked to Disneyland” with their students for the 2006-2007 school year. They incorporated a school-wide tracking chart in the hallway with all of the classes in each grade and recorded how much they walked.  They also hung a giant map in the hallway, so the students could watch their progress as they “walked” from Memphis to Anaheim, Ca. The winning class each month received a stuffed Mickey Mouse to carry to lunch with them. At the end of the year, they made their last walk into a fun event and invited Mickey and Minnie to walk with the children. They awarded trophies to the class from each grade that walked the most. 

Have A Kick Off Event – Alpine Crest Elementary in Chattanooga kicked off their 2006-2007 school year with a parade of all their classes outside the school with music and fun themes. The parade ended in the gymnasium, where they talked to the students and staff about how they would be walking every day.  Everyone was very excited to get started.

Raise Funds By Walking – Organize your own BlueCross WalkingWorks for Schools “Walk-A-Thon” event and have students accept pledges from neighbors and friends for the amount of laps they walk.  The event “course” can be the school gym, parking lot or a nearby park.  Estimate how far a lap is and base pledge amounts on a per lap basis.  (For example, donations can be for $1, $5 or even $20 per lap walked by the child – whatever people are willing to give!)  Have awards for most laps walked and most funds raised.  Then, use the funds for new P.E. equipment or other supplies you may need.

Create A School-Wide Tracking Chart - Cole Elementary in Nashville created a huge chart with all of the classes and grades included and hung it in the main hallway of the school.  Each class has their name on a shoe, which they were able to move along as the class walked each week.  Students were very interested in seeing whose class was walking the most and where their class shoe was.

How Can I Incorporate The Program Into My Lesson Plan?

Be creative! Use the Healthful Living Curriculum Standards Supplemental Materials, which are based on Tennessee's Healthful Living Curriculum Standards and include illustrations your students can color.

Other Tips To “Step Up” BlueCross WalkingWorks For Schools:

• Laminate your classroom tracking poster and use dry-erase markers to record your daily minutes-walked totals.  Display the tracking poster on your classroom door or hallway bulletin board so that students from other classes can see how you’re doing – kids love competition!
• If you walk around a track, add one lap per month during the program.  You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can cover additional distance in your walks as you and your students build endurance.
• In addition to your WalkingWorks wristbands, find other incentives to distribute to students as a reward for completing walks – distribute healthy eating options (“good food of the day”) like nuts or oranges instead of candy.
• On different days of the week, buddy up with other participating classrooms for walks – students will look forward to the activity with friends they don’t normally get to see.

Get Recognition For Your School!

• Invite your local education reporter to walk with your class one day. Tell them about how the program has impacted your students.
• Encourage your local newspaper or TV station to send a photographer to your school one day to catch students in the act of walking.
• Invite elected officials or other officials from your area to walk with your class.
• Create an opportunity for parents to come to school on a particular day and walk with their child. It's a good photo opportunity and a way to get parents involved.

Share Your Story And Pictures!
To share your story or creative idea with BlueCross WalkingWorks for Schools, send an e-mail to WalkingWorksForSchoolsTN@bcbst.com.  Include pictures and we’ll choose some to feature here on the Web site.

Or, contact us using the form below.

BlueCross WalkingWorks for Schools in the News
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Disclaimer: Please note all comments will be reviewed and posted at the discretion of BlueCross WalkingWorks for Schools.

© 2005 BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.

® Registered marks of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, an Association of Independent BlueCross BlueShield Plans. BlueCross WalkingWorks for Schools was developed by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee Department of Health, and the Tennessee Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

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