Fit Kids Club 5K Fun Run

ABS Fit Kids Club Fun Run

3 p.m at Albert Bridge School 

Tomorrow is the ABS Fit Kids Club Fun Run at the Albert Bridge School!! It will take place right after the dismissal of school.  (3 p.m.)

The course is going to be the walking path around the school. (the students go around it during recess for laps). Each student will have to do 10 laps around the school to equally the same length of a 5K. 

At the completion of the race students will find snacks for them to munch on and can hang out with friends, family and classmates. 

For students that have been participating in the Fit Kids Club this year. Each kiddo just needs a water bottle, a snack to start out and sneakers!!! The day will be like a typical Monday with pick up time happening at 5 p.m. Of course I welcome all and everyone that would like to come earlier and cheer on kiddos as they run their laps. (you are also welcome to run a lap or more with your child)

For students that wish to participate that have not been apart of Fit Kids Club they need to have a PARENT/GUARDIAN/ADULT that will be in charge of that student through out the race. This is in case of any accident/injury that might happen. We need a person that can be responsible for the child to be on site during the race. Any student that remains after school to participate in the race without this will be brought over to FLC, or be asked to sit out and not allowed to participate in the race. Kiddos also running in the 5K will need sneakers, water bottle and a snack!!! 

This race has typically been done as a warm up for the Girls On the Run 5K. It will be set up similar to this race. Most likely we will have a sprinkler set up for kids to run under due to the temperatures. We will have water on hand for students to fill up their water bottles. However we will not have cups or bottled water!!! Thats why its extremely important for students to bring something to drink water out of from home, or bring their own bottled water!!! 

If you wish to bring a snack to share with the students that would be wonderful and we welcome that!!! The number of students that will be there will be around 40. 

At the end of the race students who have been participating in the ABS Fit Kids Club this year will get a certification for their time in the club. 

Fit Kids Club Fun 5K race is a great way for the kiddos in the club to gaged how their physically fitness has changed since they started the club. To also give them an idea on what a 5K is like. I also hope that this will get the excited about doing the 5K on Mount Ascutney June 18th, called the 5 & Dime. This race flows through some of the same trails we've used in the Fit Kids Club and I think many of the kids would enjoy doing this 5K Race. Its free for children 14 and younger. 

You can check out the race information on:
 For Kids 14 and under to sign up click on this link https://docs.google.com/a/wsesu.net/forms/d/1uWcCgeKKvz0PMy783x9FZMPYYOvIs8M5kiW4W92BDRA/viewform

For Adults or Kids 14 and up us either:

http://www.wnhtrs.com/index.php?nav=48 or http://ascutneyoutdoors.org/new-events/ww5dime

Hope to see a lot of you tomorrow at 3 p.m!!!!

p.s. We will not be responsible for any items left behind after the race, or before the race. Please make sure upon leaving the school that your child has all the items they came to school with!!! Any backpack or items such as that will be left at the school. 

Last Fit Kids at Mount Ascutney

Wednesday May 25th 2016

ABS Fit Kids Club

Last Day on the trail of Mount Ascutney

Firstly, thank you to everyone being such great sports in the change of the pick up spot yesterday. My intention had been to give out the information sooner, but with the concert I didn't have a chance to post or email the information until yesterday morning. So thank you for being flexible! 

Starting right at the start of Mile Long Field was a huge time saver and gave the kids a longer time splashing in the water. 

It was amazing in the temperature difference going from The Falls to Mile Long Field. Many of the kids left The Falls soaked and by the time we finished the mile hike back to the parking lot many of them had dried off to almost being completely dried. 

The nicest thing about The Falls is how you feel like your in a whole other world. Its truly so beautiful and I hope you all get the chance to get out there this summer. 

Our crew enjoying the water!

On the rocks beside the falls. 

Trying to get to the part of The Falls where they can put their heads under the water.

Enjoying the water!!!

My dog Emmett cooling in the water

Capturing Ms. Powell in her photo snapping action

The Crew!

Good Friends!!!

Enjoying the water

Friends Hanging out watching the fun

Looking down at the kids in bottom of the waterfall

Wednesday May 25th

ABS Fit Kids Club

Wednesday May 25th 

Our Plan for the afternoon!!!!

*Update on weather- as of 8:22am no sign of Thunder Storms coming our way. If this should change than we will cancel Fit Kids. Should that happen than we will send out an email via the school. 

All grades will be taking the bus up to the mountain after school. Our wonderful bus driver John will be dropping us off at the top of Mountain Side Drive. (this cuts off some time to get us out onto the trail faster)

Once at The Falls we will remain there until around 15 minutes to 5. Than we will head back down the trails, through the Mile Long Field to the being of the Mile Long Trail at the bottom of Mountain Side Drive. 

At the bottom of Mountain Side Drive is a gravel/parking area. This parking area is bit tight so some people might have to park on the side of the road. 

Leading to the bottom of Mountain Side Drive, please be aware that Mountain Side drive turns into a private driveway so just mind the sign at the base of the road. Just so we can be mindful of their driveway when parking. They are a very nice couple who have been extremely wonderful/delighted about our kids using the trails around their house and have commented on how they love having them there. So I would like to keep them feeling good about our using the trails. 

I know that many of you have heard great things about The Falls and so I truly invite anyone to come and join us at The Falls. We will be heading onto the trail around 3pm. So if you wish to meet us there we welcome it! If you can’t be right at 3pm, but wish to join us directions are as followed. 

Pick Up/Parking Directions: 

Take a right as though you are heading to the hotel. Go past the hotel parking lot to the end of the road. At the end of the road you will take a right onto Skyhawk Lane. Once on Skyhawk you’ll go by about 4 or 5 houses on your right and then you’ll come upon Mountain Side Drive. Go down Mountain Side Drive and with in a blink of an eye you’ll see the parking area. 

Coming from the condos you’ll take that dirt road on your left before you go under the snow bridge. You can either veer to your left or right and follow the road until you see Mountain Side Drive, if you veered right it will be on your right, if you veered left it will be on your left. 

Directions to The Falls: (We will mark trees along the way with red ribbons to help you find our way.) 

• You will see a newly made trail that will lead you over a newly made bridge. That is the trails that brings you to Mile Long Field. 
• Once you are over the bridge you won’t be on a trail for long when you’ll come to a base of the field. Stick to the tree line that lines on your left. Which will lead you uphill and into a little grove of trees on either side of you… Keep following the tree line on your left until you get to where the trees on your right disappear and you are standing more in an open field. 
• At that point look for an opening in the woods on your left. The trail is called Blue Dipper, but it doesn’t have a sign on it, there is a sign on a tree when you enter in the woods. Telling anyone who is walking the opposite direction of you. That you are entering into the Mile Long Field. Thats the trail you want to take. 
• You are on that trail for a very short amount of time when you’ll see another trail jetting downhill on your left. 
• Take that trial and keep on it until you get a place when another trail will converge with that one. That trail is called Cort Jester. You do not want to go on Cort Jester, you want to remain on Blue Dipper which you will do if you take a left. 
• That will take you over a bridge that has sides to it and once over the bridge, you’ll come to a small slightly steep hill that comes onto the trail called Last Mile. You will take a right onto Last Mile and proceed to go uphill.
• You’ll keep on Last Mile until you come to a junction were you will either keep moving forward or you take a right onto Rania’s Run. You will want to keep going forward and with in seconds you’ll see a sign for The Falls. Which will be on your right. 
• Follow the signs for The Falls and I’m sure the noise and with in minutes you’ll be amongst the songs of splashing water and laughing children!

Catching Up on Fit Kids

ABS Fit Kids Club

May 16th, 18th and 23rd

"Catching Up"

Its been awhile since I've gotten a chance to update this. So I'm going to do a quick game of catch up starting with last Monday, May 16th Fit Kids session. Due to the dip in temperature we stayed indoors and did different aerobic activities. One of them was African Dancing. Which was a lot of fun. The kids had a good time doing some of the dance moves that we where asked to perform. A lot of them especially loved the African dance music I put on before we even started our workout video. The beat that we were listening to it made it incredible hard not to move too!!

Once that was finish we changed our attention towards learning some Thai Chi. I felt it was important to find an activity that was going to be lead by a man. Since all of our videos, instructors and volunteer up to this point in the session have all been females. I wanted to represent the male population of Fit Kids. Let me tell you I had a hard time finding a yoga video or a pilates video lead by a male that was wearing something beyond a speedo! Knowing the age range of the kiddos with in the club I couldn't see many of them getting beyond the outfit and ever being able to listen to the actual directions. So I went with Thai Chi as another form of relaxation instead of yoga. 

Thai Chi wasn't as big of a hit as the African Dancing. I think a huge part of it had to do with the instructional video itself. It wasn't fast enough to keep everyone entertained and so I lost them about 20 minutes into the video. 

At that point it seemed like a good time to stop and move on to something else. Which happen to be playing on the playground. Despite the cold I felt everyone needed to be outside for the last 15 minutes of the club. Everyone enjoyed playing on the structure. Especially the bigger kids since they don't often get the chance to spend a lot of time on that playground. 

On Wednesday- We went up to the mountain for our normal Wednesday routine. We all worked on pacing ourself better on the trail by doing some running mixed in with the walking. The trail route we took was a shorter one which allowed us the ability to stall a bit when we came to the top of Mile Long Field. 

While walking through the field a majority of us started to sing "The hills are alive with the sound of music!" followed by cartwheels, somersaults and rolling down the hill. Andrea, myself, Jenifer and Dana (our parents volunteer) had a lot of "look at me" shouted at us. As kids attempted to do different things to progress themselves down to the bottom. 

There is something about that field that makes all of our inner child come out. You can't help but feel incredible joyful when you step into it and see the beautiful world before you! 

It was a great hike and one kiddo yelled as he ran down a trail called Home Again "its just like a roller coaster" He liked it so much he went back up the trail and did it all over again!

What was also great was feeling a great level of trust in our older kiddos. Our community is lucky to have some wonderful kids who have begun to be great leaders in the club. These individuals paces are faster than some of the younger ones (and some of us adults) and they have been wonderful at waiting at places were travels converge with others. Keeping count of any of the younger kids that have fallen into their group and being proactive in making sure everyone is acting as they should and respecting the environment we are traveling through. I'm extremely happy to see these individuals step up into these leadership roles. Especially since some of them might not general get the chance. That to me has been really wonderful!

Today- was golf day!! My husband joined us, Jade was a former Windsor High School golf coach, a two time club champion at our local Windsor Country Club, (John P Larkin) and has competed off and on in Vermont Amateur Tournament. My husband LOVES golf!!! 

So I was happy to have the ability to share some of the golf experience I have amassed due to my marriage and Jade was happy to come and give kids the chance to give golf a swing!!

Patrick Allen our wonderful gym teacher and current Windsor High School golf coach was great in loaning out the First Tee equipment that he uses in gym class for this session. Which was extremely helpful for the younger members of the club. 

For the first time the kids in the club were divided up by age for an activity. Grades 3rd thru 6th went off with Jade and worked on their swings by chipping and eventually driving. With real actual golf clubs. 

The upper age kiddos worked on the side of the field facing the river. Stations were set up so that we had 6 people hitting golf balls at one time. While others stood a safe distance behind. What each of them were working on was swing the club and pitching the ball up onto the slight knoll of a hill that sits at the back of the field. A little flag and hula hoops were placed on the top. Which gave them all a viewpoint to hit towards. 

Once they had all gotten a chance to hit. Than came the fun part of collecting the balls. Which didn't seemed to matter to many of them because they wanted to just get back to hitting them! The pitching shots soon lead to attempts at driving the ball. Which caused some sounds of golf balls hitting the trees that stand on the edge of our little field. That sound general was followed by a chorus of cheers or cries of "oh man". 

Once they all got done with their pitching and driving they moved towards putting. Which I have to agree isn't nearly as much fun! Especially since they weren't putting on a miniature golf course! 

As for the littler ones, we worked on swinging the club. With the First Tee clubs we had, each of them got a chance to hit tennis balls towards hula hoops that had been set up in different locations before them. We went over the basics like how to hold a club and all of them gave the balls they hit a great big effort. Which meant that at times the ball went super far, or it went only two feet. Its hard to learn the skill of not attempting to kill the ball. A thing that even adults tend to forget when they play a quick round. Especially when they aren't playing well!

The 1st-2nd also worked on putting, which was hard to remember that you don't hit the ball the same way as you do a wedge. So the first couple of times they did putting The tennis balls went flying as though they had hit it with a wedge. With a bit of instruction they started to get the hang of it. 

Drawing towards the close of the session the 1st-2nd graders got the chance to hit golf balls if they wished with a real wedge. At this time of the day everyone was starting to feel grumpy, over tired and hot! Due to the weather and the moods of everyone we stopped playing golf at 4:30 and they got to do free play for the rest of the session. 

All in all I have to say that in Fit Kids I saw a lot of great potential in ABS having some really wonderful golfers!!! 

ABS 

Fit Kids Club 

Days 5-8

Firstly I would like to explain to you the delay upon our return today... I'm sure your children told you something of it.. But let me show you why we where delayed! 

The Falls

Many wanted to spend the rest of the day there.

"The water isn't too cold, you're feet just have to get numb!"

All of the kids loved us going to "The Falls" today. Its a trail that can be taken off of Mile Long Field on the STAB trail system located on Mount Ascutney. Seeing how much the kids had truly enjoyed passing through a stream on our other hike on Mount Ascutney I felt that they would truly appreciate seeing this natural waterfall. 

Our only problem with getting to The Falls was getting everyone out of them. The water (according to the kids) was cold, but many of them find it extremely refreshing after hiking in the woods. Many of the kids didn't want to leave this area and wanted to spend the rest of their afternoon there. Which I can't say I don't blame them. Everything about that spot seems like something out of a movie. The volunteers at STAB have done a wonderful job in keeping this trail in great condition and I thank them all for without their countless amount of work we would be unable to give these kids this kind of experience. 

So it was a great afternoon with a lot of laughs and excitement and screams of "can we come back here again!" 

Upon leaving the wooden terrain we came back out into mile long field and the young man who was first in line said "wow, this is beautiful!" Which then lead the rest of us to actual pause for a moment and look at the landscape before us. 

Entering into Mile Long Field

It was a great afternoon. The temperatures made it apparent that summer is truly around the corner and one kiddo remarked how it was great to finally see green popping out of the trees. Today was an afternoon that made me truly happy to be out in the woods surrounded by such a great group of wonderful kiddos and wonderful volunteers! 

Speaking of volunteers I would like to give a big shout out to our wonderful principal Jenifer Aldrich who has been a regular Fit Kids Club volunteer. She has been our wonderful caboose!! Which has help us keep the flow between the different abilities that runs through our club moving as smooth as possible. So I've been extremely grateful for her help! I'd also like to say thank you to Kaijia Percy (Tydus and Trinity's mom) for helping us out the last two days. Volunteers have truly help to make this dream of the Fit Kids take flight and with volunteers we might be able to make Fit Kids not just a spring time thing! I also would like to shout out a thank you to Andrea Powell who has been my co-hort on this Fit Kids Club journey!! 

For Monday we will be at the school and then on Wednesday we will once again return to the mountain.

Only 4 more sessions of Fit Kids Club left. June 1st is the Fit Kids Club fun 5k race. Which takes place at the school. The students will need to do 10.5 laps around the schools walking path to equal (not right on the mark) 3.5 miles. Fits Kids Club fun 5k race is open to anyone. So students who have been unable to be apart of the Fit Kids Club can come and run with their friends on the 1st. Kids who haven't been apart of Fit Kids Club will be required to be there with either a parent or guardian. I'll be sending out a sign up form for anyone outside of the club to sign up.