16 July 2024
The Education Minister’s Running Challenge started this week and Simon Reid, Principal of Coolbinia Primary School, is already well placed to lead his school into it.
Simon has a philosophy of ‘bouncing into the day and gliding out at the end’ and has incorporated it into his school through its running club.
"For me, waking up and being active is fun and energising," Simon said.
Coolbinia Primary School is a step ahead with its running club.
"The running club is about having fun, being challenged, having a goal to be a little bit better each week, and importantly, it is about belonging."
Simon also actively participates in the running club alongside his students, which he says gives him an opportunity to meet parents and foster a greater sense of community at the school.
The club has had a positive impact. Students achieved personal best times and broke all previous school records at their recent school cross-country event. The school has already registered for the challenge and is looking forward to participating throughout Term 3.
The challenge, open to students in public schools, as well as those from the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia and Catholic Education Western Australia, is now open to education staff as well.
The Education Minister’s Running Challenge provides an excellent opportunity for running clubs to be formed, such as the one at Coolbinia Primary, to encourage more students and staff to get their daily fitness fix.
Students who log their activities throughout the challenge are in the running to win weekly prizes and may earn free entry into the Perth Running Festival’s Burswood Park 4km Dash on 6 October.
Schools can also win prize packs to help celebrate and motivate their runners.
To learn more or to register for the Education Minister’s Running Challenge, visit its website.