Riverview dubbed ‘Active School’

Ken Johnston
editorial@RainyRiverRecord.com

Last week the students of Riverview Elementary School in Rainy River received provincial recognition for their Active Living achievements.
As part of a provincial program, the school has to achieve certain criteria at six levels to receive recognition from the Provincial Active Living program. Working with the Heart Health Coalition (HHC), students recently completed and applied for their first two levels. To date they have completed Active Participation and Co-curricular levels. The first involves things like school yard activities and active transportation to school. The second includes sports teams, skills clubs, leadership and intramurals.
HHC member and public health nurse, Heidi Ivall, said that a great deal of the credit goes to acting Riverview principal Terry Ogden. “He scheduled the gym so that all kids in the school have at least 30 minutes of physical activity time each day,” said Ivall.
Ivall also gave credit to the student leadership at Riverview, noting that Haley Gulbrandsen and Shantelle Davidson worked closely with HHC to implement active living activities.
As the school achieves each level of the program they are eligible for prizes from the HHC. The prizes come in the form of sporting goods that help the kids hold even more physical activities.
At present the school is working on its next level and plans to hold a winter play day in the near future as part of the program.
Other area schools involved in the program include McCrosson-Tovell in Bergland who have yet to achieve their first level and Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton who has achieved level 1.
“We are trying to motivate school communities to adopt, implement and maintain physically active programs,” concluded Ivall.