For Immediate Release

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Avon’s Butler Elementary School Participates in Monthly Walks to Promote Healthy Habits

AVON — Principal Darrin Reynolds announces that students from Ralph D. Butler Elementary School are walking to promote healthy lifestyles and support causes that are meaningful and relevant.

As part of the school’s effort to promote healthy habits, like exercise, students in kindergarten through sixth grade head to the school’s parking lot once a month for a few laps. Afterward, the student council leads a discussion surrounding a topic of the month.

The student council, which consists of 27 fourth, fifth and sixth graders, chose “Blackout Bullying” as this month’s discussion topic.

On Oct. 20, approximately 415 students, along with faculty and staff, hit the pavement for 20 minutes of exercise. Everyone was encouraged to wear black as part of the unifying effort, and some students even danced along to music that pumped out of outside speakers during the activity.

“The goal here is to get kids outside being physical,” Principal Reynolds said. “Because we’re not a school that’s located in an area where students can walk to get here, we wanted to create an activity that promotes exercise and healthy living. Then, getting the student council involved to tie in a message around these walks adds an important educational component.”

Butler’s efforts have been so successful that back in June, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation honored the elementary school with a Safe Routes to School award. The initiative works to promote biking and walking as modes of transportation to elementary and middle schools throughout the state.

Leading up to Butler’s walk on Oct. 20, members of the student council shared facts and information about bullying during the morning announcements and made signs and posters that were hung up throughout the school. Following the walk, everyone gathered for a school-wide assembly to wrap up and discuss the importance of the month’s theme. Past topics have included epilepsy, kidney disease and autism, all of which are meaningful and relevant to the Butler community.

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