Cumberland Elementary Students Celebrate a “Heart Healthy” Valentine’s Day!

We all enjoy receiving special gifts from the heart on Valentine’s Day, but this year students at Cumberland Elementary School were given a gift for the heart:  a new walking program called the “Feeling Good Mileage Club.”

The “Feeling Good Mileage Club” is a partnership of the Cumberland Elementary School and the Healthier Cumberland Coalition with a goal of teaching children the importance and pleasure of walking and regular physical activity.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has seen a decrease in the number of children who are physically active and an increase in the number of children who are overweight.  The CDC reports that about 14% of young people report no recent physical activity.  Additionally, over the past 30 years, the percent of overweight children aged 6 to 11 years has more than doubled.  Encouraging children to get more physical activity can have many benefits, including healthier bones, the building of more lean muscle, an improved sense of self-image, and healthy social and emotional development.  According to the CDC, preliminary data also shows that physical activity may improve academic performance and alertness in youth.
Feeling Good Mileage Club
A student receives a punch on his Mile Marker card
Cumberland Elementary students that choose to participate in the “Feeling Good Mileage Club” have the option to walk (or run) during each recess. Students carry a Mile Marker card with them.  The recess teacher or an adult volunteer will punch one "1/4" mile mark on a Mile Marker Card for every two laps a student walks around the paved area of the playground. For every four punches, or one full mile, the student will earn a "toe token." Students can string the toe tokens on their shoe laces or on a beaded chain.  The beaded chains can be worn as bracelets or used as zipper pulls on jackets or backpacks.  Each Mile Marker Card holds 10 miles.  When a student completes a full card they will earn additional tokens and be able to enter their name in a drawing for two bicycles that will be awarded at the end of the school year.


Cumberland Elementary principal Jim Richie and his staff have invited the community to walk with the students any day of the school year.  Recess times include:

  • 8:00 – 8:20 am
  • 10:00 – 10:20 am (Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades)
  • 11:30 am – 12:25 pm
  • 2:00 – 2:20 pm (Third and Fourth Grades).

Volunteers and visitors must sign in at the front office of the Elementary School and should then go to the playground and introduce themselves to the recess teacher. This is a great way to keep your heart racing long after Valentine’s Day is over.