A group of middle school teachers are launching a Girls on The Run site at Conservatory Lab this year. Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an international organization (with a Boston chapter) that sponsors a running-based holistic wellness program for girls. Their middle school program is called Heart and Sole. Heart and Sole will begin its roll-out next week, and program registration will remain open until September 7th. The season begins on September 11th, and culminates with a celebratory 5k road race the first Saturday in December.
Practice will be right after dismissal on Mondays (3:45-5:00) and on Wednesdays (11:40-12:55). No special uniform is necessary. The adult-to-student ratio will be somewhere between 1:3 and 1:5. The regulations are very clear that girls must always accompanied by a coach, so we always run in groups. Girls are always allowed to walk if they feel intimidated by running. The emphasis is on personal growth, not speed. There are no competitions, only celebrations of each girl’s developing strength and confidence. The season ends with a celebratory 5 km road race in the first week in December. We will likely create a short circuit and have girls do loops so that it is very easy to differentiate how far the run is each practice based on the different levels of fitness within the group.
The flyer below says the program fee is $175 with scholarships available. No girl is ever turned away for financial reasons. Scholarship money will be provided as appropriate to family needs.
