Moore Elementary 4th Graders
Every year in a rite of passage, the fourth-grade classes at Moore Elementary are presented with an opportunity to participate in a 2-day, marathon-length walk at the end of the school year. The kids must qualify for the walk by training as a group for two months after school prior to the 26.2-mile walk on the historic Natchez Trace, and must commit to the four-day per week training regime, with only 3 absences allowed. Children sign a contract agreeing to follow the rules of the walk, so that all participants are kept safe.
The physical education teachers, John Parks and Kathy Clark, will lead the 17th annual walk, and a host of teacher and parent chaperones will join the group of students as they explore the historic Natchez Trace on foot.
The students left Moore Elementary by bus today, May 4 to begin their walk at Bear Creek Pike. They walk all day and spend the night at Hillsboro School, a gracious school partner.
Tomorrow, May 5, a bus will transport the kids to the Water Valley Overlook on the Trace and they will walk south to complete the 26-mile journey. A law enforcement officer will accompany the children, as well as bike medics from Williamson Medical Center Emergency Services.
The children will be given opportunity for reflection and journal writing along the way, and will report on their experiences to younger classes following their return to campus.
This is a life-changing event for most students and one that they look forward to throughout their experience at Moore Elementary. It takes a great deal of commitment and preparation.
I hope you can give them some coverage along the way. I have attached the two-day schedule and invite you to walk as far as you choose with the students. One of the best photo opportunities is when the students walk back onto campus and receive a rousing cheer from the entire school as they make their way down the driveway.
If you need more information, please contact the school by phone at 790-4700.
