Hello Kids Marathon Friends,

In February we celebrate Presidents' Day and Black History Month. This time allows us to teach our students about important people who have changed the world. While it is inspiring to teach about such people, we also want to help kids find their own way to change their world - not only in the future, but right now. While this task may seem overwhelming to a young child, they need to learn that what they may consider a small gesture can make a big difference to someone else. Let's give our kids the inspiration to think globally and act locally. February is a great time for a thematic study of books about people who have changed their community – both biographical and fictional.

As students learn the lessons of the Oklahoma City Bombing and begin training for their marathon, they should explore how they want to make a positive impact in their world now, in the future, and how their participation in the Kids Marathon is part of that.

The book, Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney, is an excellent way to introduce this idea. In this story, Miss Rumphius sets out to add beauty to the world and encourages her young relative to do the same in her own way. This beautiful story asks kids to ponder how they will add beauty to their world and lends itself to many reading and writing activities. This is just one example of a book in which the main character seeks to leave a positive mark on her world.

Have students brainstorm

1. How can I make my world better now (at home, in the classroom, at school)?
2. How can I make the world better in the future?
3. How am I making positive choices by running the Kids Marathon?

Have students discuss these ideas as a class and help them make connections between the book characters they've read about, themselves, and what they've learned about the Oklahoma City Bombing – (text to text, text to self, text to world).

Give students a big sheet of paper and fold it in thirds. Have students write and illustrate their answers to these three questions in each third.

The last question is a perfect springboard for our poster contest! Please see our website for more information about this new and exciting opportunity for your students.

Don't forget to contact the Oklahoma City National Memorial for additional educational resources (www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org).

FEBRUARY Make sure you do the following

1. Read the online resources on our webpage including: monthly school updates, team captain welcome packet, and important race day information. If you have any questions about any of these items or how the program works, please contact Shanda (kids@okcmarathon.com).
2. Contact Shanda and verify your status as a school captain (if you have not already done so). Please email your name, school name, and city. This applies to new and returning team captains. You will receive directions on how to set up your team. All returning team captains must create a new team from scratch using the above mentioned directions. You will need to create a new user name and password as well.
3. Set up your team and decide how you want your participants to register. For more detailed information on this, please see the Team Captain Welcome Packet. ***Remember, the deadline for school team members to register is April 1st!
4. Have a kick off assembly to explain the program to your school and get them excited to train! Start logging those miles (this year's mile log is included in the welcome packet. Please copy and provide for your students). As a school, offer incentives for reaching training milestones and celebrate successes! Check out the link on our website for a short video to show at your assembly!
5. Send out a letter to your parents and school staff. A sample can be found in the welcome packet. Please edit this to fit your school's needs and include all of the information from our additional resources that you see fit.
6. Make sure that if your participants are self registering via the link on the main website, that they bring you a printed registration confirmation.
7. If you decide that you, as the team captain, will be registering team members (to be invoiced for in April), please use the Team Captain Registration Form for team members found in the Team Captain Welcome Packet. Copy, distribute, and have students return it to you so that you have the information you need to register your team members.
8. Log in to view your team roster (via the link provided to you to set up your team). Make sure that the team members listed are consistent with those who have brought you registration confirmations. Happy Running!

Shanda Bandi, MEd., NSCA-CPT
Kids Marathon School Coordinator
kids@okcmarathon.com