St. Joseph's students go far in pedometer program

Newton - Students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades at St. Joseph’s Regional School in Newton, recently participated in a pedometer program hosted by the Center for Prevention and Counseling. The program targeted junior high students’ awareness of the importance of daily exercise and activity in a healthy lifestyle. With the goal of walking 10,000 steps per week, students wore pedometers three times a week during the school day. They tracked their progress by recording their “steps” in a journal, and tried to increase the number of steps they took over a 12-week period. Although this program is in its second year, this was the first time a private school in Sussex County was asked to participate. The St. Joseph’s students responded enthusiastically. At the end of the program, results were plotted on a map so the students could visualize how far their class walked collectively. Beginning in Newton, the sixth grade walked to Casper, Wyo.; the seventh grade made it to Valentine, Neb., and the eighth grade to Lansing, Mich.