Poinciana Elementary Morning Mile Celebration
Has anyone felt the ground vibrating each morning from 7:45 to 8:15 AM? Don’t worry, it’s not an earthquake – its approximately 426 Poinciana Elementary School students (grades k-5) walking and running the Morning Mile. Introduced by and sponsored to the school by the Lower Keys Medical Center, Coach John Hughes, PE Teacher at Poinciana, loves that the Morning Mile program allows students to start each day with moderate to vigorous exercise. He says that it “increases their fitness levels including: endurance, muscle function, cardio-respiratory capacity, and energy. This enables the student to better focus, have better behavior, enhanced self esteem, and healthier eating habits.”
Steve Vinson, Poinciana’s Principal wasn’t sure if students and parents would be willing to come to school 45 minutes early, but Sunny Booker, Assistant Principal, said they would and it is working terrifically. With 69% of the student body walking or running 4,635 miles collectively. The goal was to walk to Hollywood, California, which is 2,902 miles away. They have already made it to Hollywood and are more than half way back.
The five classes that have walked the farthest:
#1 at 428 miles – Ms. Ullom’s 4th Grade Class
#2 at 303 miles – Ms. Knowles 2th Grade Class
#3 at 271 miles – Ms. Rhodes 4th Grade Class.
#4 at 268 miles – Ms. Hoffman’s 3rd Grade Class
#5 at 267 miles – Ms. Jackson’s 2nd Grade Class
Amazing job. The sponsors from Lower Keys Medical in attendance at the Morning Mile celebration were: Chief Operating Officer, Meylan Lowe-Watler, Director of PR and Marketing, Randy Detrick, and Director of Nutritional Services, Katie Wyrwicki. Students thanked them with a great big thank you.
Meylan Lowe-Watler presented the Top 10 awards to the following students: 3rd Grader Jada Walden 42 miles; 2nd Grader Sean Croitoru 47 miles; 2nd Grader William Sobek 50; 4th Grader Curtis Knowles 50; 2nd Grader Dany Miranda 50; 2nd Grader Bryce Fraga 55; 3rd Grader Jason Jeudy 59; 4th Grader Rendy Mogene 61; 4th Grader Scott Jeudy 62 miles; 4th Grade Tyler Deeley100 miles.
It was very exciting to see Tyler earn his 100 mile charm! After fewer than 45 days (25 minutes per morning). Conch Color salutes all the participants of the Morning Mile fitness program and especially Lower Keys Medical Center for sponsoring such a wonderful celebratory event for the students and families who participate. Come on Key West – join “The Morning Mile” – let’s all get healthy.
Article submitted by Sandy Higgs in regards to the Poinciana Elementary Morning Mile celebration held March 28, 2012.
Poinciana’s Morning Mile program is sponsored by 
