Local schools are getting a new take on healthy living.
The School of Fitness programme, created in joint effort between The SOY Foundation (soon to be Cayman Youth Development Foundation) in partnership with Kings Sports Centre and Cayman Sports Authority, recently launched its first fitness sessions at Savannah and Prospect Primary Schools.
The programme, which encompasses several different developmental goals, has an innovative fitness element. It is designed to assist the public school system with administering their current Physical Education programmes in addition to expanding access to fitness opportunities to the country’s youth.
After three years of pilot trials at Savannah and Prospect Primary, the programme was approved last April by the Ministry of Education to begin formal operations during the 2011-12 school year and expand to all the Government schools, including Cayman Brac.
The free fitness programmes are entirely funded via corporate and community support, through donations and fundraisers. Earlier this year, Greenlight Re joined the growing group of corporate partners. Tim Courtis of Greenlight Re responded on the company’s support.
“Greenlight Re is delighted to support the School of Fitness programme,” Courtis said. “We observed the pilot programme and found the fun, high energy sessions to be enjoyed by all the students involved.
“This is a positive step to introduce such a fun activity into the school day to support and promote fitness which is often lacking in many school aged children. The benefits to children being healthy and active cannot be overstated and we wish the School of Fitness program great success.”
Quinn McCrimmon, instructor of the opening day classes, commented, “Our first Fitness Day was a successful day of dancing, fun, smiles and laughter. It was so wonderful to see such excitement and enthusiasm from the kids. The activity allowed the students to find a balance of being loud, feeling free, moving around and also being calm, focused and silent.
“Each session was a hit. Kids like to move and dance and giving them the environment to do this, to express themselves and have fun could not have been any more rewarding to see. This is going to be an amazing program to enter the schools, leaving a good memory the kids will have about fitness.”
The programme will run at both Prospect and Savannah Primary until 9 December and then break for the holidays. The goal of the programme is to gradually integrate all the other willing public schools throughout 2012, including the Brac and certain private schools.
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