Sommerset get's award for Student Body

CAPTION: Brycen Lefurgey moves under the parachute quickly as “the mouse” trying to avoid the “cat” during the Mrs. Albrecht’s Grade two gym class Thursday morning at Somerset school in Kinkora. The school won a recognition award for their Physical Education program.

By Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Somerset school has been awarded the Quality Daily Physical Education Program Diamond school recognition award from Physical Education Health Canada.

The award is given to excellence in Physical Education programs across the country, with three different levels of recognition, diamond the highest, platinum and gold.

Somerset has been encouraging teachers to take time to lead or have a child lead stretches in the morning and having physical activities in the day to encourage healthy living along with after school and morning sports.

The schools have to apply for the award to be eligible.

Somerset Physical Education teacher, Cheryl Tanton said the school’s staff were more than willing to help make their school a more physically active place.

“Our school went above and beyond what is mandated provincially for our school to do for physical education and we deemed it as an important piece to our students day,” she said. “This program is going on even when I’m not here.”

Recent numbers from the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s recent numbers show that of 135 health regions in Canada, King’s County ranks fourth with a 30.6 per cent self reported obesity, while Prince County is 31^st with 24.5 per cent.

Somerset’s program is promoting active living to counter these numbers.

Tanton said the program has been a hit with the pupils, when the announcement comes on for the morning stretches the student body are keen to do them.

“They love it. They take it seriously too,” she said. “They just know it’s part of our day.”

Tanton said the award was a big honour for both her and the school.

“It’s huge for me cause it’s a national award. It’s huge for the school because they embrace physical activity, they embrace physical education and in my world there’s a difference,” she said. “Our school, like I said, went above and beyond and embraced the notion kids need to be active every day.”

She said she the goal for Somerset’s program will help students become what she calls, “physically literate” and continue them to be active.

“(The goal of the program) For me? To realize the students understand and value physical education, which they do.”

Tanton said they plan to continue the program next year.

“We got the diamond award so it’s the standard we hopefully can achieve (every year),”

she said. “It’s a whole community effort and (Kinkora) supports physical education.”