Put on your walking shoes

Who's up for a morning stroll?
Thursday is Brookdale Walk to School Day, a day when we leave the car in the garage and join our friends and neighbors as we all get to school on foot.

Teams of Brookdale staff members will meet groups of students in three locations throughout the neighborhood and lead children and their families to school on what's known as a "walking school bus."
Groups of walkers will leave at 8:30 a.m. from the intersections of Hastings and Abbotsford, Brookdale and Bainbridge, and Brookdale and Manchester.
Mr. Tabisz, Mrs. Biegelmann and Mrs. Syty will lead a group from Hastings and Abbotsford, following Hastings to Bainbridge and taking Bainbridge around to Redfield to approach the school from the north.
Mrs. Beymer, Mrs. Federhofer and Mr. LeCrone will lead the group leaving from Brookdale and Bainbridge. They'll follow Bainbridge to the path leading into the park by school and will approach the school from the west.
The third group, led by Mrs. Stepper, Mrs. Allison and Mrs. Claytor, leaves from Brookdale and Manchester and heads to Fox Hill, then follows around to Redfield to approach the school from the south.
Students and their families may  meet the groups at the start of the route or to join the processing along the way.
The event, part of an international movement, traditionally has fallen later on the school calendar. We've moved up the date this year to foster a healthy habit early in the school year and to introduce the Bobcat BLAST fun run.
Once the groups arrive at school, we'll gather on the blacktop for an interactive - emphasis on active - assembly that aims to get children excited about the Bobcat BLAST.
The BLAST is our new fall fundraiser, replacing the product sale we've held annually in recent years. Our goal is to raise money via pledges in a fun event that involves all students and encourages healthy choices. Learn more about the BLAST here.

Bobcat BLAST fun run offers healthy way to raise money

Who’s ready to have a blast?

The Brookdale PTA is launching a new event this fall that aims to get everyone moving and having fun.

The Bobcat BLAST fun run, on Friday, Sept. 23, will take students out of their daily routine for a time to run, walk, skip, hop or otherwise move around with their classmates.

The BLAST serves many purposes for the PTA. It encourages healthy behavior, joining events like Red Ribbon Week and Jump Rope for Heart. It encourages school spirit. And it’s a fundraiser we hope will make parents’ lives easier.

The event replaces the annual fall product sale that has been our major fundraiser in years past. Rather thank asking families to sell and deliver products, we are asking families to collect pledges for their students’ participation.

   Students can encourage friends and relatives near and far to invest in their health and their education. Our event organizer, the Original Get Movin’ Crew, makes online pledging simple. Check out the Parents Page at www.thegetmovincrew.com.

But the great thing about this event is that every student participates on the day of the fun run. Each student can have a BLAST with their friends and, at the same time, be an active participant in an event that raises money for their school. Acquiring pledges is not mandatory to participate in the fun run. (But we urge every student/family to contribute something because we know every little bit counts!)

So, what is a fun run?

During school on Friday, Sept. 23, students will spend 40 minutes at the Bobcat BLAST! The time includes a fun warmup led by the Get Movin’ Crew, followed by time to run, jog or walk with friends and classmates. Afterward, students will have a few minutes to cool down before returning to class.

All students — regardless of whether they’ve collected pledges — will receive participation souvenirs. They will be given a pedometer to keep and encouragement to take 10,000 steps a day. They’ll also receive a number like a racer bib to wear during the run and that can be affixed to a memory sheet that asks children to record their favorite memory from the day and to make note of a new healthy habit they plan to adopt.

Students will bring home a pledge packet on Thursday, Sept. 1, following the kick-off pep rally on Walk to School Day. Through pledges and donations, the BLAST will provide funding for PTA-sponsored assemblies, field trips, class parties, the Variety Show, special in-class programs, educational supplies and more.

 Walk to School Day launches Bobcat BLAST

 Our annual Walk to School Day moves to Thursday, Sept. 1 to help launch the Bobcat BLAST.

Students and parents can join the “walking school buses” departing at 8:30 a.m. from several neighborhood locations.

Teachers and staff will meet children and parents at Hastings and Abbotsford and walk to Whitley and Bainbridge north of the school.

A second group leaves from Brookdale and Bainbridge and uses the pathway through the park to approach school from the west.

The third group leaves from Brookdale and Manchester and follows Foxhill around to Redfield. Families are welcome to join the walks along the way.

When we arrive at school, we’ll gather together on the blacktop for some fun exercises and a pep rally led by the Get Movin’ Crew.

The kick-off event will introduce students to Bobcat BLAST and, we hope, get them excited about being healthy and active.