West Columbia, SC - Wednesday morning, Pineview Elementary students and their families, along with teachers, staff and community members, hit the ground running -- or, in this case, walking.
They were participating in National Walk to School Day, an annual event that promotes healthy bodies and minds. Pineview was one of nearly 200 schools in South Carolina -- and more than 3,500 nationwide -- to participate in the event, which is marking its 20th year.
The 7 a.m. walk at the Lexington Two school included warm-ups and cool-downs with a fitness instructor, music, and other activities
.Pineview has been participating for more than a decade in the event, though the school had to sit out the past two years, first because of the devastating 2015 floods in the Midlands, then in 2016 because of Hurricane Matthew.
Pineview Principal David Sims said fitness is an important part of the day for his 630 students.“We believe in healthy minds and healthy bodies,” Sims said. “Each week our students have 20 minutes for Fun Run to encourage getting outside and moving to stay fit and healthy.”
Wednesday’s event marked Pineview’s final time for the walk at the school’s current location. Pineview will be moving into a new school in 2018 -- the same year that marks the 50th anniversary of the construction of its Leaphart Road location.
The new school, part of a $225 million package of school improvements approved by voters in 2014, will combine Pineview and B.C. Grammar No. 1 into a new school, named Riverbank Elementary, on Cougar Drive.
