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Poland students treated to Radio Disney dance party
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Poland Union Elementary students stretch and dance Wednesday during a Radio Disney dance party. Union is one of 20 schools in Ohio to win the “Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Get Active, Get Fit School Challenge” sponsored by Radio Disney.
POLAND
The gym floor at Poland Union Elementary shook Wednesday as more than 300 students danced for fun and fitness.
Students were treated to a Radio Disney dance party because Union is one of 20 schools in Ohio to win the “Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Get Active, Get Fit School Challenge” sponsored by Radio Disney.
“It’s awesome,” said fourth- grader Adeline Schweers as she looked around the gym.
Though she was having fun, Adeline was working hard, too.
“My legs already hurt,” she said after the first high-energy dance.
During the “Get Active, Get Fit” campaign, students were encouraged to be physically active for at least 20 minutes a day from Oct. 3 to Nov. 26 and log their daily activities. The school had a high percentage of participants and was chosen as a grand-prize winner, said Principal Michael Masucci.
In addition to the dance party, the school received an activity kit of equipment, such as playground balls, basketballs, soccer balls and jump ropes, he said.
Fourth-graders Mia DiCioccio and Natalie Rizzo, who jogged for her activity log, said their reward was hard-earned.
“For our ‘Get Active, Get Fit’ project, we had to exercise for 20 minutes every day at home. I would do sit-ups and jumping jacks and lay on my back and pretend to pedal a bike,” Mia said.
But Union students weren’t the only ones breaking a sweat Wednesday.
Third- and fourth-grade students at Poland North Elementary participated in “FAN-tastic Day,” with F-A-N standing for fitness and nutrition. The students rotated through four activities that emphasized eating right and exercising, including a self-defense class led by Tom Ritchie, owner of Martial Arts Training Center in Poland.
“We’re promoting whole health. ... It’s about exercising and eating the right things and getting your mind working,” said North Principal Tracy Kaschak.
Third-graders Haley Donnadio and Mason Spurlock both said their favorite activity was martial arts, while fourth grader Charles Kish said playing “Eat This, Not That” was the first time he’s read nutrition labels.
He compared Juicy Juice to V8 Fruit Fusion and expected the V8 to be better for him.
“They were actually about the same,” Charles said, once he compared sugars, vitamins and calories.
Student learned to look for serving sizes, too, and how to analyze food labels, said Barb Dorbish, a dietician and the district’s director of food services, who led the class.
“There are no bad foods and no good foods, just better choices,” Dorbish said.
Kaschak said health at the K-4 levels is incorporated into science classes and that physical education is taught by classroom teachers at all three K-4 buildings: North, Union and Dobbins Elementary.
“It is challenging on our classroom teachers because they have had to undertake preparing the physical education. So students are still getting it, but only receiving from the classroom teachers” instead of a specialist, Kaschak said.
Dobbins Elementary principal Cheryl Borovitcky said teachers there have incorporated a walking program into gym classes this year.
Students walk five minutes each and graph the results in 15 minute intervals. Also, once a month classes are combined to learn a new dance, such as the “YMCA” and “Electric Slide” to help meet gym and music standards.
“We have put together wonderful enhancements for our gym classes. Our teachers are teaching their own individual classes following the standards and we are adding these extra enhancements to keep [students] active and moving,” Borotvitcky said.
In January, Camelot Lanes Bowling Alley provided bowling lessons to the school and in March, students will participate in a nutrition week, she said.