On the Move FAQ
Who is the coordinator for On the Move this year?
Click Here for all the Current Committee Leads and their Contact Information.
What is the recess schedule for 2015-2016?
Recess begins at 10:40 a.m. with Kindergarten classes and ends with 5th graders at 12:50pm. Recess lasts for 20 minutes but students are usually only running 15-16 minutes on the track. They must be off the track when the whistle blows at the end of recess. Recess order this year is Kindergarten from 10:40 to 11:00am, 1st grade from 11:05 to 11:25am, 3rd grade from 11:30 to 11:50am, 2nd grade from 11:50 to 12:10pm, 4th grade from 12:10 to 12:30pm, and 5th grade from 12:30 to 12:50 p.m.. **Please note half-day kindy students may run with an older sibling if their parent is volunteering later in the day for that grade since they will miss lunch recess.**
I’m signed up to volunteer-do I have to run or walk with the kids?
No, Volunteering is as easy as making tally marks on students’ mileage cards, handing out toe tokens and prizes, and making sure kids stay moving and safe when they are on the track.
Can I bring my younger children with me when I help out?
Yes!! This is a great place to volunteer if you have younger children that you need to bring with you. Younger brothers and sisters are some of our best cheerleaders for the students. They can also earn toe tokens and small prizes for miles they accumulate if they run the track too. Make a “sibling” card for them and keep it with their older sibling’s class!
I volunteered last year at Oak Hills. Is my volunteer badge still valid?
Yes! Thanks for checking and helping keep our school secure. Please remember to wear it at all times when you are at the school and if you forget it you can sign-in for a visitor badge in the front office.**Please note the volunteer sign-in computer has been moved to the main office and you must pass through there and sign-in before you head out to the track.**
I’m scheduled in VolunteerSpot to help out during my child’s recess. What do I do when I get to the school to help out?
First, sign in using the volunteer computer in the front office of the school and please remember to bring your volunteer id badge. (Or get a guest badge from the front office) From there you’ll walk out to the track which is located behind the school. Our volunteers who help with the first recess of the morning pull the On the Move carts out from the storage room located in the gym on the left side of Mrs. Musser’s office. The carts are positioned on the pavement next to the Portable Classrooms that are located closest to the undercover playground area. When you arrive at the carts you’ll check in with the other volunteers and figure out where you’d like to help that day….i.e. marking cards on the other side of the track, standing at a corner to make sure the kids keep moving and stay on the track, or helping monitor the carts and hand out prizes at the end of recess.
Where do I fill the water jug?
Please take the water jug into the back of the cafeteria and Mrs. Hiatt can direct you to the sink we use to fill it.
How do we put the carts back in storage at the end of the day?
For school safety/security purposes we must make sure that the exterior door to the storage closet remains closed and locked throughout the day. You will need to re-enter the school and unlock the door from the inside of the gym.
How are the cards sorted? Do we have cards for all the students?
All students will start with a yellow card at the beginning of the year. The cards are sorted into different boxes by grade level/teacher last name and then split again by boys/girls. The boxes are all labeled and one of the jobs of the cart helpers at the beginning of the year is to remind students where to find and store their cards, especially sorting by boy/girl. The kids learn the system pretty fast but the younger grades, kindergartners, and ALC students will need the most help.
Where can I find extra yellow cards for new students and other color cards for students who have completed their first (yellow) card?
All extra cards are located in a black pend-a-flex file between the prize storage containers on the cart. When making a new card for a student, please include their last name, first name, teacher, and indicate if they are a boy or a girl.
I’ve been assigned to mark/punch cards. What do I do?
In the beginning of the year and especially on good weather days we’d like to have at least two volunteers marking cards. They usually stand on the opposite side of the track from the cart and mark the students’ cards when they run/walk by. For every lap a student walks or runs we use a black sharpie marker and make a mark next to the mileage number they are on. After they have 3 marks we use the hole punchers to punch a hole in the number of the mile they have just completed. (Four laps around the track is one mile) If your sharpie is worn or your hole punch is not working please go ahead and throw them away so we can purchase more supplies!
When do students earn prizes and how do we keep track of that?
Students earn toe tokens for every 3 miles they run and small prizes starting at mile 5 and accruing at 5 mile increments after that. On the cards you can see there will be a foot at every 3 mile mark and the larger prizes have stars around their numbers. When a student is done running for the day and has had their card punched showing they have reached a toe token/prize level, we punch a second punch near that same number to show they have received their prize and then they re-file their cards.
Where are the prizes stored?
Most of the prizes will be stored and labeled in the carts where the other supplies are located. We usually just open a drawer and let the kids pick whatever color of toe token they want or hand them a prize from a drawer for the larger milestones. Toe token boxes may be taken to the other side of the track so that students may pick out their token while they are getting their marks and avoid the lines at the cart at the end of recess as they refile their cards.
How much do kids have to run to get their marathon t-shirts?
Students earn their marathon t-shirts when they have completed 26 miles. In past years they have been presented either at the school’s PBIS assemblies or handed out during lunchtime. I will keep you updated when we have determined the plans with the school about our communications/awards for this school year.
Is On the Move a competitive running club?
NO! The goal of our program is to teach students the importance of being active every day. Additionally, we strive to encourage students to make personal fitness milestone goals and show them how they can meet them by being active a little bit every potential running day. Whether this is walking around the track for one lap with a buddy and setting the goal to earn your marathon shirt by a certain date, or deciding that you want to run 100 miles during recess for the school year, each participating child should make their own goal. We do not award prizes at the end of the year for the “top” or “fastest” runners in each grade. Rather, we set the benchmarks of 26 miles, or 100 miles for the top recognition. Although we do have students who participate who strive for high mileage goals, the spirit of our program is to encourage as many students as we can to be active during their recess time daily and to meet their own personal goals. If your student participating in our program develops a passion for running-that’s awesome! Either our P.E. Teacher Stephanie Musser or I can help you find more information on competitive running opportunities in the Beaverton area.
It’s cold and raining. Will we still have On the Move?
The short answer is most likely, no. On the Move will not run when it is raining or track conditions are too wet and/or muddy. Our online schedule will show all possible available running dates through the end of the year; however, you should expect some winter/seasonal cancellations. Please make sure we have your name and a day-time phone number when you sign-up for VolunteerSpot as cancellation decisions are sometimes made last minute.
Are there track rules that I need to be aware of?
Probably the most important is to keep the kids moving and on the track. They can walk, skip or run but always need to be moving. They should not use the porta-potties that are located near the track. You may also want to remind students to wear appropriate footwear and to tie their shoelaces before they start running or walking for the day. They should also continue to observe all Oak Hills “Otter rules/recess rules” of being kind, safe, respectful, and responsible.
What do I do if a student falls or gets hurt?
Please assess the situation and direct them to the lunch recess staff monitors with the assistance of friends or a parent volunteer if needed.
My child is participating in On the Move and missed days because they were sick, injured, on vacation, or not at school for an extended time. Can they make up the days?
No.
Do miles run for the Jog-A-Thon or Turkey Trot count for On the Move as well?
Laps run for the Jog-a-Thon will not count towards On the Move mileage. I hope to count miles run by students participating in the Turkey Trot race on Thanksgiving as long as we have volunteers able to assist with this task.
Does On the Move have a bulletin board at the school?
Yes! Our bulletin board is located near the exit doors at the back of the cafeteria. I hope to post monthly statistics for each grade/class this year so watch for it to be updated.
How is On the Move Funded?
On the Move will be funded this year primarily from donations raised through the PTO. In the beginning of the school year, the PTO solicits donations for selected programs that are offered to every student at Oak Hills through an envelope that is sent home in back-to-school packets. A line for the On the Move program with a suggested donation of $10 has been added to this request which also includes funding for the Art Literacy program and classroom parties. We also partner with local businesses who provide donations of gift cards or prizes that we use for certain mileage awards in our program.
If you would like to sponsor a prize level for On the Move or are interested in donating merchandise and/or funds to our program please contact the On The Move Coordinator at onthemove@oakhillpto.org.