Kingston schools participating in fitness event Wednesday
KINGSTON — Seven elementary schools and two middle schools in the Kingston school district are participating in the third annual “Walk, Bike, or Ride to (or at) Your School” organized by participating schools and the Kingston Cares partnership.
The main event is scheduled for Wednesday, although some schools have activities scheduled on other days, said Megan Weiss, who is the Kingston Cares chairwoman for the event this year.
Weiss said the annual event is designed to promote physical fitness, raise awareness about healthy living, and combat childhood obesity.
Both J. Watson Bailey and M. Clifford Miller middle schools are participating, as well as Harry L. Edson, Zena, Anna Devine, Chambers, Robert Graves, Sophie Finn, and Ernest C. Myer elementary schools, said Weiss.
Myer Principal Vincent DeCicco said students and parents at his school are meeting at the intersection of U.S. Route 209 and Russell Road at 8:25 a.m. Wednesday, and a walk to the school will start at 8:30 a.m. sharp.
Edson students and parents are meeting at 8:15 a.m. at Dietz Stadium and heading to the school via Forsyth Park, said Weiss, and Miller students are meeting at Edward R. Crosby Elementary School at 7:30 a.m. and heading to Miller.
Zena will hold a “walkathon” around the school’s blacktop Wednesday morning, Chambers pupils will walk through the bus turnaround, and Graves students will walk around school grounds with pedometers and calculate the total distance all students traveled, said Weiss.
Bailey students will walk during physical education classes and also use pedometers to measure the distance they traveled.
Other events include various safety lessons. DeCicco said Myer is hosting a bicycle safety course, with presentations from guest teachers from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ulster Community College, and the Kingston YMCA today, and Weiss said Anna Devine will hold a bike safety event next week.
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