Run Club

The Walnut Grove Run Club is a parent volunteer-led club open to all students TK-5. We meet every Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. on the blacktop by the Garden for some stretching, running, music, friends, and charms. Grown-ups are welcome to drop-off (grades 2 thru 5), stick around (required for TK thru 1st) and participate, or volunteer to help. Attend when you are available, no weekly commitment required! If you are interested, please register HERE before attending to receive more details, a QR code to track mileage &  a permission slip.

Friday Morning Schedule:

•  7:30-7:35 AM: Stretching & milestone charm awards (main gate open 7:25-7:40 AM, please don't ring office for late entrance)

•  7:35 AM-7:55 AM: Running laps (last lap called about 7:53 AM).

• 7:55- 8 AM: Parents must exit via Kinder gate by 8 AM sharp. Students (grades 1-5) can pack up and wait at picnic tables with volunteers, head to MPR for breakfast with Ms. Terese, or exit with a grown-up and re-enter at 8:05 AM when the main gates open. TK & Kinder parents must exit with students and re-enter and register thru the office if they are getting breakfast. 

GENERAL DETAILS AND REMINDERS:
 

• PARKING: Park on the street or the Kindergarten lot in unmarked spots only, not staff labeled spots  Do not park in the front or staff lot as this displaces them in the morning! Enter via the main gates after parking.

•  ENTERING: The main gates will be open from approximately 7:25 AM to 7:40 AM. For admittance, runners must wear their QR code lanyards for easy identification at the gate by the parent volunteers. Once the gates are closed, there is NO MORE RUN CLUB ADMITTANCE for the morning until the gates officially open for school at 8:05 AM. Please do not ring the office for Run Club entry.

•  EXITING: All parents must exit via the Kindergarten gate by 8 AM sharp. Students grades 1-5 may either walk to MPR for breakfast with Ms. Terese at  8AM or wait at the picnic benches with a cleared Run Club volunteer until a yard duty arrives by 8:05 AM. Students grades TK & K must exit with parents via the Kinder gate at 8 AM and either register thru the office to get breakfast or wait until the main gates open at 8:05 AM. 
   

• QR CODES & LANYARDS : Upon registration, you will receive confirmation and QR code for each runner. These QR codes need to be printed and brought to each meeting to track your child's mileage. They will receive lanyards to hold  their QR codes at their first meeting.  Make sure your students remember to bring their QR code lanyards every week so their mileage can be tracked!  They can also store a few extra QR code printouts in their backpacks for backup .  We have extra lanyards if yours is lost or broken, but you need to provide the QR code print out. 
   

• COURSE & CHARM INFO: The Run Club “track” is 1/7th of a mile. Charms are awarded for the first mile (7 laps), and each multiple of 10 miles thereafter (e.g. 10, 20,, 30). Runners usually complete between 5 and 15 laps per week so charm can be earned every month or two. Mileage accumulates over the student's lifetime at Walnut Grove. Celebrations are held for major milestones (e.g.100 cumulative miles). Charm necklaces can be worn to Run Club or stored at home for safe keeping.  Please try not to lose charm necklaces--they are tricky to replace!
   
• ATTIRE: Please have the kids wear running-appropriate clothes and closed-toed shoes. For chilly winter mornings (45°F or less),  a hoodie is not enough to start. Please consider layering with a warm coat, light jacket or sweater.  Gloves and/or hats help too. Label your child's clothes  & water bottles so that misplaced items can be returned.
   
• RUNNING CONDITIONS: Run Club takes place whenever the weather allows.  It will be canceled for rain, poor air quality and extreme temperatures. The organizers will make every effort to notify participants via email ideally the night before, but at least an hour beforehand (by 6:30 AM on Friday), depending on the accuracy of the forecast, so please check your email before you head out on a questionable morning.
   
• PERMISSION SLIPS & POLICIES: If you haven't already, please turn in a hard copy of your permission slip. We need one for each family with each student listed, which will cover the whole school year. A new permission must be filled out for each school year. Siblings & friends that are not enrolled at Walnut Grove can't participate. Please keep them close by your side and off the course, the playground, and any other part of the campus, per school policy. 

For more information, please contact the Run Club Parent Volunteers at: wgrunclub@gmail.com