Lincoln students get ready for Healthy Heart Walk

LINCOLN - Elementary students walking on the three miles of the Blackstone Valley Bike Path near Northern Lincoln Elementary School next week will be learning a lot about Yosemite and Sequoia national parks, and will be performing jumping jacks, or perhaps, lunges.

The casual observer might wonder how national parks and exercise fit together in a school program, but physical education teacher Deb Reddy often takes a different track when planning school-wide events in the district. She likes to connect specialty subjects such as music, art, health and physical education as a way of integrating several kinds of learning into one activity.

After taking a trip to Yosemite National Park last summer, Reddy came up with the national park theme to complement the school's annual Walk Your Way to a Healthy Heart Walk program.

Lincoln School Superintendent Georgia Fortunato will be the mistress of ceremonies when the event kicks off Friday for 4th- and 5th-graders at 9:30 a.m. Grades 2 and 3 begin walking at 12:45 p.m. Rain date is Nov. 2.

Reddy wants to introduce walking as a lifelong activity. While not everyone is going to join a soccer team when they're older, she said, they can enjoy a walk or a hike, no matter their age. After the walk, students return to schools for healthy snacks.

For weeks now, non-classroom specialty teachers, including teachers of art, music, physical education, library and health, have worked on a lesson that connects their subjects. After deciding on the lesson's theme, Amy Devault, who divides her days between Lonsdale and Central elementary schools teaching art classes, had students observing what they might see in nature during the walk. Naturally, most kids came up with the different-colored fall leaves. Students sketched leaves and then painted them.

"It was fun to do," said Emily Abram, who said she is looking forward to the Heart Healthy Walk.

School librarian Susan Pepper at Northern Lincoln Elementary School had students read about the national parks. They also created tents by pushing tables together and putting a sheet over them, and they created campfires.

At Lonsdale Elementary School, Jan Boucher, school nurse and educator, has been talking to students about heart health facts and the cardiovascular system.

"We also discussed the importance of moving and exercising," said Boucher, adding that students can relate to facts about the cardiovascular system because they may have a family member affected by heart disease.

At Northern Elementary School, a representative from Lifespan will host a program titled Save A Life.