Walking around the nation

By Jessica Howard

A group of Bacchus Marsh Primary School students have walked over 1,200-kilometres since the beginning of term one.

 The grade four class spend the first ten minutes of each morning walking, or running, laps of the soccer oval.

 Teacher, Damian Richards said students tally their laps at the end of each day and calculate how far they have walked as a class.

 At the time of writing, students had covered 1,258.4-kilometres – the equivalent of Bacchus Marsh to Surfers Paradise.

 “We started the project as a way to get the children out of the classroom and to start the day with a bit of physical activity,” Mr Richards said.

 “As they calculate their laps, they also learn about geography as they work out whereabouts in Australia their steps have taken them.

 “We have a map of Australia pinned on the classroom board and the students have drawn a line showing the total distance they’ve covered so far”.

 Students Tilly and Dean, who run around the oval each morning, said they have each tallied over 400-laps.

 Dean said each lap was 260-metres.

 “I do about ten laps a day. I like it because it gets me to do more exercise,” he said.

“I feel better every morning, except if I accidentally do too many. Once I did 18 laps”.

 Mr Richards said despite the obvious physical benefits, the activity was also a great way for students to spend time with each other outside of the classroom.

 “I try to walk with a different student every day. For those that walk, it’s a good way to catch up with each other”.