Worthing teachers link students by running to everybody’s home

Teachers from a Worthing school will run a route taking in every student’s postcode, to show them how much they are missed.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

In what is believed to be a first for any school, the team of 19 from Chatsmore Catholic High School in Goring will cover the distance of two ultra marathons to ‘join the dots’ on a map of the school community.

With children spread out right across the area between the River Arun and the River Adur, and north as far as Arundel and Findon, it is quite some feat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Social Distance Run starts at 8am tomorrow, July 9, and teachers will run 5k chunks, linking up relay-style in one massive chain

Teacher Jason Ramasami said: “Covid-19 has hit all school communities hard. We decided that in view of the fact everyone has been spread so far apart, and cut off through this really strange time of lockdown, we wanted to reach out to the school and somehow link everybody up in one massive go.”

Staff came up with the idea of visiting every student on a big run and during half term, a team got together on their bikes to test out the best route.

Jason said: “We worked out where everyone in the school lived, and it’s a huge, huge map, from Barnham in the west to Shoreham in the east.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Teachers have offered to run a route that goes past almost everybody’s street where they live. That means two ultra marathons.”

Head teacher Peter Byrne at Chatsmore Catholic High School. Photo by Derek Martin DM1891324aHead teacher Peter Byrne at Chatsmore Catholic High School. Photo by Derek Martin DM1891324a
Head teacher Peter Byrne at Chatsmore Catholic High School. Photo by Derek Martin DM1891324a

One route was plotted from Eastergate to the school in Goring and another from Shoreham to the school, each covering 34.7 miles.

Jason said: “On Thursday, July 9, we attempt the heroic feat of making a connection with the entire dispersed Chatsmore community.

“We will be running both routes at the same time, ending up at school.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We hope that everyone will take part, at least by coming out to see us. We have been rehearsing this and preparing for it for a few weeks now.

“I don’t think any other school has ever done this, so it is pretty cool as an idea.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.

Related topics: