Out of breath but determined to be the best in their class, puffed Beenyup Primary students took part in the Byford school’s first ever bright walk to celebrate national health and physical education day last Monday.
“My legs are going to give up,” one student said.
“Drink the icy pole and eat the juice,” another let out as she lined up for her treat at the end of the event.
Principal Rebecca Instance said the walk, or run for many of the students, was part of the your move initiative to encourage children to be active.
“This is a way for us to celebrate children and their families being active together and then paying that forward in the community,” she said.
Year 1 and 2 teacher Ms Watkins said she had a competitive bunch.
“Especially the boys,” she said.
Meanwhile Mrs Van Eck who taught Year 6 was creating a video about who each student thought would run the most laps.
“You go first and I’ll go after you,” a shy student said.
Some gave cheeky responses and nominated themselves.
“They want to be the stars of the school,” Mrs Van Eck said.
Mrs Instance said Beenyup PS opened as a your move school in 2020.
“We do have a large number of children that walk to school with their families but also on the days that we have our special events, we get about 80 per cent of our families walking or scooting to school.”
She said the idea for bright walk started with the school’s your move coordinator who loved everything bright.
“She put that proposal forward, the kids loved it, so we went, ‘let’s do it’.”
Mrs Instance said she hoped the event would remind kids how enjoyable exercising was.
“We want our families to do that together as part of quality time,” she said.
“They are quite active already but it’s something we want to continue to promote particularly because our area is growing so quickly.”
Photographs – Richard Polden.
