Fit Kids: Staying active in the snow

(IRONDEQUOIT) - Thanks to a national grant, the Physical Education Program grant, students at Laurelton-Pardee Intermediate school can now be active, outside, snowshoeing.  The PEP grant is designed to help kids get fit all times of year.

"Being to get snowshoes like this, they're very expensive, we would never be able to afford them in our budget," said Pete Crescimanni, a Physical Education teacher. "We're able to get kids out and get active.  It's individual lifetime fitness, which is our goal right now, to get kids into activites that they can go home and do.  If they enjoy snowshoeing, maybe they're going to go home and do a little family outing."

While most kids are cooped up during the winter, that's not the case with these kids, who love the chance to be outdoors.

"You get to be outside, and it's just different from being inside," said Johanna Rafoth, a 5th grade student.  "I thought it was really fun and it helps us to get active."

Laurelton-Pardee has got it right, giving its students options to stay fit in and out of school.

"The goal of our curriculum is to get the kids to enjoy some type of activity," said Crescimanni.  "We don't try to focus on one thing and say, 'you kids have to do this.'  We expose them to a lot of different activities, and they know some things they're going to love, and some things they might not like, but we do encourage them to try everything, even if it's new, and give things a shot."