Physical Fitness has become a main focus throughout our campus starting with our quarter mile GPS measured grass track that supports our Rancho Running Club to our Project Fit America fitness equipment that challenges our students through fitness stations during the school day.  Working together we can help Rancho Las Positas Elementary School a shining star for children's health and wellness.

See other online articles:

The Rancho Runners Program is the running component to our Project Fit America Program started in November 2006. Parent volunteers Dave Hinds and Bret Dupuis used precise GPS measurements to mark and mow a quarter mile grass track on our field. Parent volunteers help with recording laps for students before school (M-W-F 7:55 - 8:25 AM) so students can earn rewards and recognition. There are regularly over 100 kids running during the times staffed by the parent volunteers. The teachers utilize the track for their class PE programs as well and students average around 1,000 miles per week. On May 5, 2007 Rancho students completed an around the world journey of over 24,982 miles in 182 days.

Rancho Running Club has these guidelines for running during inclement weather:
     1, Students will not be running on rainy days.
     2. If it rains hard the day and/or night before, the field will not have time to dry so running will not take place.
     3. Students will not run when there has been a hard frost because the ground/grass is slick and slippery.
     4. Running will be called off if there is lightning or a threat of lightning for the safety of our students.
Otherwise we will run in all other conditions, however, we may move to our alternate blacktop course.

Credit can be earned for running on non school days such as winter break and/or weekends. The running club will honor miles for parent monitored running. Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, etc... don't count. In order to avoid injury, we will not except more than 2 miles of running on any non school day. For example, on a normal 2 day weekend 4 miles is the maximum your child can earn.

For an overview of the Rancho Running Program download this PowerPoint slideshow.

Project Fit America

As a grant recipient from Kraft, Rancho received the Project Fit America program as a donation to the school in September, 2006. This grant includes state-of-the-art fitness equipment, curriculum materials and teacher training. We invite you and your family to use the Project Fit equipment after school hours and on weekends. The students are trained by their teachers on the proper use of the equipment. Here are the safety guidelines: 
     1. Students should use closed-toed shoes with shoelaces tied at all times.
     2. No clothing should be tied around waists or necks.
     3. Sharp objects should be out of all pockets.
     4. Students should be at least 6 feet back from any station that is being used by other students. 
     5. Students should not stand, sit, or hang by the knees on equipment. (Exception: Steps...resting during a parallel bar rep.) 
     6. When using the horizontal bars or horizontal ladder, two hands need to make contact with the bars using a thumbs-under grip. 
     7. When using the pole climb, students should not slide down the pole. They should never hang from or attempt to climb across the top bar. A hand-under-hand descent should be used. 
     8. Students should not run through the PFA equipment area. 
     9. Equipment should not be used if moisture is present. 
   10. Students are not allowed to “spot” other students. (Exception: Sit Up station) 
   11. Students may not use the pole climb or parallel bars without adult supervision.