Fetes are normally all about fairy floss, show bags, seated rides and fatty foods, but not for Ringwood Heights Primary School.

The Ringwood Heights community has shown its dedication to active lifestyle promotion by hosting a different kind of fete – a “Get Active”, come and try fete on Sunday 16 March.   Already with a major emphasis on lifestyle choices in our widely recognised curriculum, Ringwood Heights created a new mould for fetes this year by offering the local community a “come and try activity day” instead.  With over 10 choices of activities to try, ranging from a footy clinic, aerobics session, highland dancing, and karate, to scouts and tyre tossing, the school has streamed ahead with its goal to finance a walking track on school grounds to benefit the local community.

A walking track is seen as vital by campaigners, with the school situated on Loughnan’s Hill, and few completed footpaths in the area for safe walking.  A sturdy, all weather track would be an asset for the community and an opportunity to make the most of the leafy, well treed landscape.

Activities for the fete kicked off with a Walk-a-thon around the school for Level 1 - 3 students (grades Prep – 4), with more than $6,500 pledged from families in the area.  “We thought we’d try something a little different” said Randall Vague, Principal of Ringwood Heights Primary School and active campaigner for children’s health and wellbeing as a priority for schools. “The weekend began with a Walk-a-thon around our school and even given Friday’s heat, the money pledged will stand us in good stead for our walking track target.”  Activities on Sunday ensured that another $10,000 will be available to the school, with a submission already made to the Get Active Federal Government Initiative, promoting community fitness, to further supplement their goal.

For the children however, the biggest highlight was on Fete day when respected teachers volunteered to be “dunked” in the dunking machine, using water stored in the schools environmentally friendly water tank.  For $1 a throw, even the youngest student delighted in “just missing” dunking their teacher.  For the older students, it was an opportunity to enthusiastically practice their ball throwing skills with the added benefit of seeing their teacher’s face, when their aim was on target.