Life in the fast lane at Oak Hills – Agoura Hills Acorn

NEW PATH IS UP AND RUNNING—Top, from left, Anastasia Soroa, Jamie Neibergall, Stephanie Green, Jill Munoz and Brianna Adams cut the ribbon on the Oak Hills Elementary School running track Sept. 18 at the school in Oak Park. Left, Oak Hills students test the new surface.

The Oak Hills Elementary PTA, in partnership with Oak Park Unified School District, dedicated its new running track with a ribbon cutting and ceremony on Sept. 18.

The track is made of decomposed granite.

The day also marked the start of the Oak Hill’s Run Club for the new school year.

Research shows that physical activity, including running, not only leads to higher academic performance, but is also a great way for children to relieve stress and build confidence.

The track will serve as a place for the children of Oak Hills to run during playtime and physical education, and will also support the popular Run Club program.

Former Oak Hills parents Stephanie Green, Heather Peters and Anastasia Soroa founded the Oak Hills Run Club as a way to supplement the PE program and help kids get the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

The other benefit is that the club provides a before-school structured, positive activity for children who were dropped off at 7:45 a.m.

Photos by RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers

The program started in 2014 and remains the sole operation of parent volunteers.

Today, the Oak Hills Run Club serves nearly 100 students who come out twice a week to run with their friends.

The program provides incentives for children to hit running milestones—including a so-called marathon milestone— over the course of the year.

Children don’t have to be distance runners to be recognized. They are also rewarded for personal improvement and attendance.

The focus of the program is to encourage all children to develop the positive habit of staying active in an outdoor environment.