Students Take a Lap (or Two) for Fitness

A new habit has formed at Burning Tree Elementary School in Bethesda.

Every day, students kick off recess with a run, walk or skip around the school field as part of Burning Tree's Fitness Frog program, which challenges first- and second-graders to complete four laps per week. Third- through fifth-graders are asked to complete eight laps per week. Kindergartners do not participate.

So far it has been a hit.

"Some kids run all four laps in one day, some kids are doing more than the goal," said physical education teacher Susan Loftus, the program's coordinator. Four laps equals a mile.

The program, named for the school's mascot, Bernie T. Frog, is voluntary. And students can do as many laps as they please.

Ninety percent of first-, second- and third-graders participate; about 60 percent of fourth- and fifth-graders participate, Loftus said.

After tracking their progress on index cards, students who meet the weekly goals get a gold star next to their names on a large bulletin board.

Lots of gold stars have been placed next to third-grader William Ryba's name. The 8-year-old usually runs four laps a day.

"It's actually kind of fun because one, you get your exercise, and two you can run it with a friend, or walk it with a friend and chat. And three, it's just fun," he said.

At the start of the year, a group of parents approached Loftus and the school principal about incorporating more fitness into recess, resulting in the program.

"I only see some kids once a week," Loftus said, "so this really complements the [physical education program]. I wish we saw them more times a week, but we don't have that in Montgomery County."

The school offers 30 minutes of physical education once a week for kindergartners, 30 minutes twice a week for first-graders and 45 minutes once a week for older students.