Congratulations to the students and staff at Pleasant Bay School who hosted a very successful Virtual Youth Fun Run as part of the Blue Nose Marathon on Friday, June 7, 2019. Students and coaches from two neighbouring schools, Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre/Academy and North Highlands Elementary, joined them. On race day, there were approximately 120 participants who took part in either the 2 km or 4 km run. Each runner received a Blue Nose shirt and a medal.
Students attending Pleasant Bay School are pictured with their Teacher, Ashley Crowley; and Teacher Assistant, Meghan Pattingale.
This event was a true school community celebration with parents, the local Fire Department and community members supporting the students and helping out with water stations, and most importantly demonstrating the importance of active, healthy living.
Under the leadership of Teacher, Ms. Ashley Crowley, Pleasant Bay School has participated in the Kid's Run Club through Doctor's Nova Scotia since 2017. Following their participation in the Youth Fiddler's Run in Sydney last year, Ms. Crowley explained that the students wanted to do another run. "Since February 2019, the school's eight students have been busy planning to make this run a reality for themselves and their peers. The students designed how they wanted the race to look and the posters to promote it," said Ms. Crowley.
The students have also been busy training for the race. They used the nine (9) metre basement of their one-room school as their training facility. Ms. Crowley placed tape on the floor to serve as running lanes and students took turns running back and forth, at intervals of more than 100 times , as part of their training regime. They have recently been recognized for their leadership and initiative in an article in Runner's World, a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published in the United States. Please access a copy of the article, Kids in Canadian One-Room Schoolhouse Train for Race in Tiny 30-Foot Gym.
In addition, CBC Nova Scotia highlighted their exceptional efforts in two recent articles:
- How a remote one-room Cape Breton school keeps fit all winter long in a tiny basement
- Students prep for Blue Nose Marathon by running in 9-metre basement
Kids Run Club is a free, school-based running program created by Doctors Nova Scotia to give all children and youth an opportunity to be active through running. For more information, please access https://kidsrunclub.ca/.
For more information
304 Pitt Street, Unit 2
Port Hawkesbury Nova Scotia
Canada B9A 2T9
www.srsb.ca
