Students attempt to break jumping jack record

Two kids bounced on a storm drain cover in a field next to Pinnacle School Wednesday.

Jumping from the cover, Landon David, 8, fell to the ground, the bottom of his yellow jacket flying over the back of his head.

In a few minutes, he would participate with 63 other students in an attempt to break a jumping jack world record. He hoped to stay on his feet for the one-minute time limit.

On Aug. 2, National Geographic Kids announced a collaboration with First Lady Michelle Obama to break the world record of the most people doing jumping jacks.
The organization invited schools across the nation to gather their students and time them doing the activity for one minute sometime between 3 p.m. Tuesday and 3 p.m. Wednesday.

More than 20,000 people needed to participate to break the record.

“I was talking to a parent who told me about it, and I said, ‘Why not?’” said Pinnacle School fitness teacher Martyna Popik.

Popik led the students in practicing their jumping jacks for one minute Friday and again Monday. The four kindergartners enrolled at Pinnacle, however, needed a little extra practice.

“When they were practicing, they were going all over the place,” Popik said. “I was thinking, ‘Please do it right on Wednesday.’”

The day of the big event, teachers herded their students into the field. The students ran across a blanket of fallen leaves, stopping to toss them in the air, as Popik made sure everyone participating was present.

With everyone in the field, she asked them to enter an area sectioned off by blue cones.

“The most important thing is, don’t stop,” she said, holding up a yellow stopwatch.
David stood near the edge of the square. He said he was not confident in his jumping jack abilities, but he’d participate anyway.

“I get tired doing jumping jacks,” he said. “I wear out fast.”

David said he thinks he’ll be able to do 12 or 13 total jumping jacks in the 60-second time frame.

Popik gave the signal, and the students started to jump.

David jumped straight up, clapping his hands over his head but not spreading his feet to the sides like the other students. He repeated the movement, jumping in a circle near the other students in his class.

He paused with 20 seconds left as he caught his breath.

As the seconds ticked past the time limit, David completed his 45th jumping jack, nearly four times his original estimate.

A few of his classmates fell to the ground, but David, smiling, stood strong.