Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/256387
136 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 while some kids are just getting out of bed, others are starting their day on the playground: stretching, running, and having fun with BOKS (Building Our Kids' Success), an initiative of Reebok and the Reebok Foundation. This innovative, before-school physical activity program is improving health and learning, one child at a time. Four years ago, Natick resident Kathleen Tullie left the corporate finance world after 18 years in hopes of spending more time with her children (now ages 9 and 12), and doing something more meaningful. "It turns out that I wasn't very good at being a stay-at-home mom," she admits. An avid athlete, Tullie read the book Spark, by Dr. John Ratey of Harvard Medical School. "Dr. Ratey laid out a compelling argument for the positive correlation between exer- cise, academic performance, and behavior issues," says Tullie. "I was blown away by the evidence proving that if kids exercise before school, it positively impacts their ability to learn." Before long, Tullie had recruited a group of moms and their kids for morning exercise at her kids' school — Memorial Elementary in Natick — with the support of the principal and super- intendent. "I sent out an e-mail encouraging parents to drop their children off an hour early A student does a tuck jump during a Hunnewell School BOKS session C O U R T E S Y O F D A R R E N B O V I E wellness vitality condition strengthen nutrition diet stamina Thinking Outside the BOKS A groundbreaking exercise program gives kids a "body and brain boost" before school PAT T Y L E N Z B O V I E writer fitness & health