Running Programs at Kennedy

Dear Kennedy Families,

We are excited to share that we will be hosting two running programs here at Kennedy - one in the fall and one in the spring. Our running programs will be open to all students (girl, boy, nonbinary, gender nonconforming) at Kennedy who are interested in running. Read on for specific information on the programs.

This fall, we will be offering Girls On The Run: Heart & Sole. The fall season of Heart & Sole, the grades 6-8 program of Girls On The Run, is open to any student who identifies as a girl, is nonbinary, and or is non gender conforming.

Heart & Sole from Girls On The Run aims to inspire students to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates goal setting, social-emotional learning, and running.

Over the course of the program, participants will: develop and improve competence, feel confident in who they are, develop strength of character, respond to others and oneself with care and compassion, create positive connections with peers and adults, and make a meaningful contribution to the community and society. These life skills will help prevent unhealthy and risky behaviors, such as physical inactivity and negative body image, and will promote positive health outcomes (e.g., physical, mental, social and spiritual health).

The season will run from the week of September 22nd through the program- and state-wide end of season 5K the weekend of November 17th. The program will meet twice a week (Mondays/Thursdays) for 10 weeks, right after school at Kennedy for an hour, led by teacher and staff coaches. For more information about the Heart and Sole program, click here.

A typical practice includes a warm up, a running-focused workout, a lesson, and team building activities. The lessons build on each other throughout the 10-weeks and focus on strengthening all aspects of the participants' health: physical body, brain, spirit, social, and heart.

If your child is interested in Girls On The Run this fall, please click here to register (make sure to select Kennedy as the site)! Registration is open through September 20th. Once the application window closes, you will be notified if your child will be participating and a coach will be in touch. Financial assistance is available within the application.

When registering for the program, all families will have access to GOTR's sliding scale, through which you can select the program fee that corresponds to your household income. If you need financial assistance beyond that offered by the sliding scale, please reach out to the Program Team for assistance (gotrgbinfo@gmail.com). GOTR is also excited to continue to offer a payment plan option for online registration, which allows families to pay 50% of the program fee at the time of registration fee, and 50% at least 30 days later. This option is for online registration only and is available regardless of the program fee selected on through the sliding scale.

This spring, we will be offering Kennedy Runs, open to all Kennedy students (students who identify as boy, girl, nonbinary or gender nonconforming). Like Girls on the Run, Kennedy Runs will meet twice a week after school and will include a warm-up, team-building and a running-focused workout. We will prepare as a group for the Moody St. 5k which is typically held in early May. More information will come in in the winter - keep an eye out!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Amy Woogmaster (amywoogmaster@walthampublicschools.org).

Have a great start to the school year!

- KMS Team