by Pat Montain
6/25/2015

Mrs. Krauss, left, and Ms. McKenzie announcing the MFC award winners.

Participation by the student body was 100% and the students logged a total of 6,772.5 miles! One hundred and four students accumulated 13.1 miles to complete a half marathon. These students were recognized in a school assembly and received a MFC tee shirt. A hundred and twenty students accumulated 26.2 miles to complete a full marathon! These students were recognized in the same school assembly and received a MFC tee shirt, certificate of achievement, and a medal.

The students not only tried to accumulate distances for themselves, but for their classroom. Each class in grades 3, 4, and 5 competed against each other by tabulating the number of miles they accumulated at home from March 30th to the end of May. Weekly, each classroom’s miles were calculated into an average miles/student. These miles were displayed in the cafeteria hallway. A Marathon Fitness Challenge banner was designated for each grade on the walls, with each classroom represented by a photo of their teacher’s head on a cartoon running body. The more miles students ran, the farther their teacher’s photo advanced up the wall. In the end, the classrooms who accumulated the most miles/student for their grade earned the Golden Sneaker Award and golden shoe laces were presented to each student.

Third grade teacher, Ms. DiGioia, accepts the MFC Golden Sneaker Award and golden shoe laces from Mrs. Krauss and Thomas Scaringella.

Mrs. DiGioia's third grade MFC Golden Sneaker Award winning class.

Ms. DiGioia’s class earned the Golden Sneaker Award for the third grade.  Her class ran an accumulated average of 17.54 miles/student.  Mrs. Acker’s class came in second with an accumulated average of 17.06 miles/student. The third runner up was Ms. McGee’s class who tallied an average of 13.7 miles/student.

Mrs. Spino accepts the MFC Golden Sneaker Award and golden shoe laces on behalf of her fourth grade class.

Mrs. Spino's fourth grade MFC Golden Sneaker Award winning class.

Mrs. Spino’s class earned the Golden Sneaker Award for the fourth grade. Her class accumulated an average of 18.10 miles/student. Mrs. Klein’s class came in second with an accumulated an average of 17.04 mile/student. In third place was Mrs. Bailey’s class who averaged 15.94 miles/student.

Ms. Ryan accepts the MFC Golden Sneaker Award and golden shoe laces on behalf of her fifth grade class.

Ms. Ryan's fifth grade MFC Golden Sneaker Award winning class.

The fifth graders accumulated the most miles compared to the other grades. The race in this grade was also the most hotly contested. Over several weeks, the lead was traded between classrooms. In the end, the Golden Sneaker was won by Ms. Ryan’s class with an accumulated average of 38.8 miles/student. Mrs. Tonelli’s class came very close to winning and had an average of 38.64 miles/student.  Mrs. Cushman’s class was also within striking distance of the Golden Sneaker award with an accumulated average of 38.04 miles/student. Great job fifth graders!

The Marathon Fitness Challenge has completed its 9th successful year at Hopkinton’s Elmwood School. The designer of the program, Laura McKenzie, shared her program with Holliston’s Miller Elementary School. Ms. McKenzie presented the Golden Sneaker awards to the third, fourth, and fifth grades during the MFC assembly. She also shared with the students that she “started the program in Hopkinton nine years ago because I simply thought it would be a great way to show kids that while running and fitness is good for you, it can also be fun. I have realized over the years that the Marathon Fitness Challenge is more than just a running program. It is also a program about setting and achieving goals.”

Members of Ms. Ryan’s fifth grade Golden Sneaker award winning classroom had the following reflections on the MFC:

I really liked the Marathon Fitness Challenge because it made me want to run and it made running fun. – Kate Stanwood

I thought the Marathon Fitness Challenge was good because it was fun and healthy. – Gavin Belforti

I was surprised. 26.2 miles felt like a lot of miles, but I ran over 26.2 miles. – Kenneth Wan

The Marathon Fitness Challenge gave me a new outlook on the sport of running.—Nicky Keenan

The Marathon Fitness Challenge gave me a new outlook on myself as a runner because now I can’t wait to try track and field out so I can challenge myself. – Jordyn Kuharich

I always thought that running was too hard and I was always too lazy. But once I tried it, I loved it! – Kathleen Fitzgerald.

Reflections from Mrs. Spino’s fourth grade Golden Sneaker award winning class included:

The Marathon Fitness Challenge was a great idea and interesting to see how students were working together towards a common goal.—Jack Whittaker

People got excited about exercising. – Adelaid Bearer

The Marathon Fitness Challenge was exhausting but fun. – Vincent Triveri

It was really fun and I did it! – Maeve Garvey

The MFC would not have been successful without support from the following:

• Laura McKenzie for her guidance adapting the MFC for the Miller School.
• Holliston Elementary Parent Teacher Student Association (HEPTSA) for providing monetary support for tee shirts, medals, and golden shoe laces.
• Wendy Krauss for organizing this event.
• Adam Steiner for designing the mileage log sheets and managing the mileage data.
• Mr. McDonald and Mr. Kiley for kicking off the MFC in the early months and included running opportunities during the Physical Education class time.
• Mrs. Brenda Maurao for providing administrative support throughout the entire event.
• Thomas Scaringella, a former proud Miller student, designed, created and donated the MFC challenge banners for each classroom. These banners hung in the cafeteria hallway.  Heather Scaringella assisted with data analysis.
• Family and friends for encouraging Miller student athletes to be physically active and complete their miles at home.

Planning for next year’s MFC is already underway. Improvements to be considered for next year include modifications to the mileage logs and awards. Perhaps next year there will be more miles accumulated and even closer races between classes! Until then, happy running/walking!

Principal David Keim and School-based Physical Therapist Pat  Montain