MBJH holds Choose-A-Race event

Mountain Brook Junior High School held a Socially Distanced Choose-A-Race from April 17 to 21. In that five-day span, students and faculty completed an exercise activity. They then took a photo of themselves holding a sign showing the distance they covered and the people for whom they covered it.

Many of the 100-plus participants dedicated their activity to the healthcare workers combating COVID-19. 

“We’re so active and we’re so service-oriented as a community,” MBJH Principal Donald Clayton said. “It was like, ‘Well, why would we just do this for ourselves? Let’s do this and honor other people.’”

Clayton got the idea to launch a Choose-A-Race event from his wife, Kelly, who previously held one for staff members at the preschool where she works. 

Donald Clayton determined that now was the perfect time to have one at the junior high.  

“Right now the need is for our students to feel connected to our school, like the actual building, the actual place, and to not forget that they’re a part of something, because it’s easy to do that when you’re stuck in your house,” he said. 

Participants could choose to share their mileage total from one day or multiple days within the event time window. Many people walked and ran, while others biked and paddled. 

Upon completion, they submitted their photos to the school via a Google Form. Clayton then compiled all of the submissions and created a video compilation that can be viewed here. 

“I feel like we’ve done a lot of work in the district as far as voice goes and you kind of being an owner of your learning,” Clayton said. “I thought it’s a pretty cool thing for you to be able to own the distance of the race.”