Fit Kidz Week, an extension of the school's Fit Kidz program, emphasized healthy foods and lifestyle choices. The Fit Kidz program has been spearheaded by parent volunteers and registered dieticians Joanne Walters, Padma Ramakrishnan and Linda Huie. The program has grown in popularity schoolwide since its inception in Mary Evans' third-grade classroom at the start of the school year. The overall goal of the program is to foster understanding and promote healthy eating and physical activity among children, Walters said.

The program offers students fun activities related to nutrition and is based on an age-appropriate curriculum designed by parents and supplemented with U.S. Department of Agriculture materials. Walters said Fit Kidz Week was prompted when student council members voted to walk to and from Argonaut Principal Sue Brooks' second home in Las Vegas, and do it in one week.

"Welcome back to Saratoga," exclaimed Brooks to the student body, during a recognition assembly. "You had a long trip this week. We really underestimated how far you guys could walk."

Brooks said the schoolwide goal was 900 miles for the week, which the students far exceeded. Students received a punchcard, and every four laps around the field during lunch equaled one mile. To keep the students motivated, parents provided refreshments, encouragement and music.

"I think I lost some weight," said third-grader Stephanie Chu.

Walters said the laps also turned into a great math lesson. Teachers had their students count the number of punches they earned every day and calculate the amount of miles traveled.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Walters said. "I thought if they walked 900 miles that would be good."

The students ended up walking cumulative totals of about 600 to 700 miles per day. Even the kindergartners contributed 26 miles to the school's total. Brooks said during the assembly that the students not only walked to and from her Las Vegas house, but they also walked to the San Diego Zoo, Disneyland and San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf. The students completed more than 11,200 laps, and Brooks estimated the youngsters put in more than 5 million steps.

Student Jonathan Walters said that at classroom birthday parties sometimes he now skips eating the snacks and is learning to make better choices. Third-grader Cristina Curcelli and classmate Sarah Finley said they formerly ate a lot of candy but they have stopped and feel better about themselves as a result.

Each day of the Fit Kidz Week featured various themes, activities and prizes to help encourage the students. There were drawings for Jamba Juice gift certificates and a raffle for Lance Armstrong's "Live Strong" bracelets.

Joanne Walters said the week also stressed the importance of eating a healthy breakfast daily.

"I love it. It's just great," Walters said. "Kids will come up to me now and ask me how much sugar is in a drink. Parents tell me they were going to take their kids to McDonald's and their kids asked to go somewhere else that was healthier."

Walters said another component of the week was educating parents about healthy snacks and meals to provide for their children. There was a nutrition table just for parents to get ideas, recipes and information.

"If parents provide the healthy food, kids will eat it. This is a great age because they get excited about it," Walters said.