MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Principal of Woodlawn School of Special Education, Tamara Royal-Reynolds and the Jamaica Moves initiative have been striving to keep students healthy through physical exercise. As part of that effort, school leaders recently organised the ‘Woodlawn Moves Day’.

“In Jamaica, you realise that a lot of students are having all kinds of ailments and illnesses due to lack of exercise. So, we’re taking the initiative here to make sure that our students keep moving every day,” Reynolds told Jamaica Observer Central.

Under the energetic theme, ‘Move We A Move’, students, teachers and parents of Woodlawn School of Special Education came out in their numbers on the football field at deCarteret College.

They participated in activities filled with music, games, healthy foods and fun exercises, as they celebrated a year since the school has been a Jamaica Moves club. Woodlawn became a pilot school for the Jamaica Moves initiative in October of last year.

The Jamaica Moves initiative was started by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, to promote a healthy lifestyle.

Reynolds said her school is taking taking physical exercise very seriously.

“We have five-minute exercise session, four times per day — which are done after morning devotion, five minutes before break time, five minutes before lunch, and five minutes before dismissal,” she said.

Additionally, Wednesdays are known and treated as ‘Fruit Day’ with students only eating fruits at break time. Each Thursday is called ‘Water Day’, with water being the only liquid consumed.

Woodlawn Moves Day activities included hula-hoop contests, skipping competitions, and tyre races. There were also activities for students with physical challenges.

According to the school’s teacher ambassadors for Jamaica Moves, Aydrine Wilshaire and Chantal Whitley, there were activities to suit every need.

The teachers thanked all those who helped in making Woodlawn Moves Day a success, including the business community, school staff, and deCarteret College for allowing for the use of their field.

School leaders informed that Woodlawn was recently awarded a gold plaque on Caribbean Nutrition Day, held in Kingston for a promoting healthy lifestyle.