Genesis Elementary School reaches for new heights

True, most schools make a concerted effort to engage their young people in as much physical activity and sport as they can, but often this is simply not enough.

And that's where external forces are needed to boost interest and commitment in young people toward caring for their physical health, which obviously leads to a higher quality of life, if one subscribes to the time-tested proverb of "a healthy body – a healthy mind".

"We have been working very hard, as a school, in the last three years, in our efforts to promote physical activity," Mr. Jeanniton told Courrier Laval, adding that with the extraordinary commitment of phys ed teacher Marie-Josée Roy and the rest of the staff, the school is well on its way to reaching new heights in encouraging students to "get up and get moving".

"Out of 2000 schools across Quebec, only 50 were picked to host the caravan," Mr. Jeanniton explained, adding that out of the 50, only two Laval schools were singled out, on the recommendation of Sports Laval, for their active participation in activities and programs in phys ed and school sports: Genesis Elementary and École Pépin.

This past week, the Pierre Lavoie Caravan stopped off at école Marcel Vaillancourt, where the 15th edition of Physical Education and School Sports Month was launched by the Quebec federation of School Sports. (Please see article, Promoting health and well-being, page 7.)

"On the day of the caravan, all of Genesis Elementary was engaged in physical activity and sports," Mr. Jeanniton proudly remarked. "And that's not all," he added. "Every student was also given valuable information on nutrition and healthy eating habits."

All this, said Mr. Jeanniton, in preparation for Physical Fitness Month (now underway), when students and their families will do a minimum of 15 minutes of physical activity a day to earn points in a contest to determine which schools will participate in a giant jamboree at Olympic Stadium with other active schools in Quebec.

"Mr. Lavoie met with students and staff," Mr. Jeanniton recounted. "he said he was very impressed with the school's involvement in so many activities and felt lots of encouragement in his quest to make children and parents more aware of the importance of exercising."

Principal Jeanniton also noted that Pierre Lavoie's other mission is to raise funds for research toward finding cures for various children's diseases.

"Genesis Elementary School is proud to be a part of Mr. Lavoie's causes because our involvement helps us maintain the good path we're on, that of encouraging our children and the community to live better and healthier lives," Mr. Jeanniton concluded.