Students at St. Francis Catholic Elementary are excited to use a new running and walking track.
It was installed over the summer along with new playground equipment.
Students at @TBCDSB_StFranc have a safe place to get active this year thanks to the donation of a new track + playground #TBCDSB #Tbay pic.twitter.com/DImK1iYx9t
— @country105news (@Country105News) September 8, 2017
Principal Shelley Taylor says it’ll help kids get active without having to leave the school grounds.
“I recognized that we didn’t have a safe place for our students to run,” Taylor explains. “Last year, when we did the Terry Fox Walk, our students were running on the streets and sidewalks, which had me a little bit concerned.”
She says the new gravel track is safer for students, and has other benefits too.
“I truly believe that the more active students are, the healthier they’ll be.”
11-year-old Anna Gaudino says she’s a fan of track and field, running, and other sports like competitive gymnastics.
The 6th-grader says having the track on the school grounds will let her get active more often.
“It’s really nice to have something that I can do whenever I feel like it, instead of scheduled [practice].”
The outdoor track was donated by local businessman Sam Romeo, who got a big “Thank you” from students and staff when the track was officially opened on Friday.
Romeo, the owner of BNL Contracting, says he was happy to build the track.
“I wanted to do [it] just to give back to the community,” Romeo says, “It’s going to make a safe environment for kids of the school, and of the local area, too.” (Staff Photos/Video)
