Hampton Middle School students, staff track their steps with pedometers

Students and staff at Hampton Middle School are marching to theirown beat, and burning calories together.

Through the school's health council, faculty and studentsorganized an America on the Move campaign and logged onto theInternet to track their steps.

Twenty-three students, 15 faculty members and an entire class tookon the project.

"It's all about promoting good health," said Sandy Sulkey, thefamily and consumer sciences teacher. "We'd have announcements everyday to remind everyone to keep wearing their pedometers."

The walkers use pedometers to count their steps each day. Therewere boxes of them sitting in the cafeteria from a promotion from theschool's food service provider. Sulkey figured out how to put them togood use.

The federal government mandates that schools offer a schoolwellness policy. The health council at Hampton Middle School is partof that policy. It is made up of students, teachers and parents whopresent ideas to promote healthier lifestyles.

Each month has had a theme since the council was formed inFebruary -- Healthy Heart month, then National Nutrition month, and,in April, Physical Fitness month.

The council's next project will be listing healthy snacks andvending machine products for students at school, parties and dances.

Right now, Sulkey said, the school has one vending machine thestudents can use after school. The vending machine stocker iscooperative in putting in snacks that Sulkey requests.

One student who sticks to her healthy lifestyle is Sara Halpin,14. She started logging her steps on March 25 and has surpassed200,000 steps.

Sara, an eighth-grader, takes Tae Kwon Do, but doesn't considerherself an athlete.

"It feels really good," she said about the walking program. "Myfamily encouraged me to do it. They motivated me."

She intends to continue her healthy lifestyle after the walkingprogram is over.

That's exactly what Sulkey hopes to promote. She wants teachers totry to integrate healthier choices in their lessons so kids willthink about their health.

"We all try to work together," she said. "I see all the kids inthe halls. Now they brag about getting something healthy."