Golden Apple: Horace May Elementary Gets Active

It may be foggy outside, but at Horace May Elementary in Bemidji, students are still active. Before the start of the school day, students walk or run on the playground and get moving as Healthy Huskies.

“It’s good to goal set, it builds a little bit of community and kids celebrate together,” said Horace May Elementary Third Grade Teacher Zach McDermott.

Students earn walking sticks after each lap and finish in about 30 minutes. Fifth grader Addison Maish has already set goals for herself this year.

“I’m going to try to get to 100 to get better at stuff,” said Maish.

Abraham Bratlien is an alumnus of the Healthy Huskies and in three years accumulated more than 200 miles.

“You can really benefit from it just to be healthy and to get fit, and probably in the morning for some kids just to get their energy out,” said Bratlien, now a sixth grader at Bemidji Middle School.

After 25 miles students earn a T-shirt; at 50 miles, a golden pencil; next, you join the 75-mile club with a wristband; and at 100 miles, you earn a gold medal. Third grader Matthew Haack is 50 miles in, and Healthy Huskies helps him with other activities.

“It gives me more energy for my sports[…]soccer, basketball and football sometimes,” said Haack.

The class with the most completed miles gets bragging rights by having the golden shoe in their classroom. The outdoor day participation is optional.

“We went around the track and we got sticks, and then once we each got 12, we got to trade it in for a colored stick, which is a mile,” said Horace May Elementary Fourth Grader Jordan Hunter.

Healthy Huskies builds healthy habits for students and teaches them that goals can be within reach.