Carl Levernz lets his students supply the school spirit. Levernz, a physical education teacher at Wayside Elementary School, annually encourages Wayside students to participate in the Halloween Young Run in Rockville.
One way Levernz motivates students is through banner he makes, reading, “Wayside is #___.”
“I leave it blank,” said Levernz, who allows the students to determine what number their school is.
Once again, Wayside No. 1 among county schools for student participation. With 52 percent of its students participating, Wayside won the Spirit Award. More than 2,800 children participated in the Young Run, at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Gude Drive on Sunday, Nov. 7.
Children received a ribbon for completing a quarter-mile or half-mile run, or could run a full mile, for which they received a medal. Sara McAlister, a Wayside second-grader, ran with her sister Amy, a Wayside fourth-grader.
“It can exercise your leg, and you can get skinnier,” said Sara about the virtues of running. “You can live longer, and I want to live longer.”