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Union Elementary welcomed Radio Disney for dance party
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Neighbors | Submitted.Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield representative Mary Swantek (left) posed with Union Elementary Principal Mike Masucci during the Radio Disney event at the school. Masucci displayed the Get Active Get Fit banner that Union won for the third consecutive year.
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Neighbors | Submitted.Union Elementary students danced and exercised with representatives from Radio Disney during the school's dance party.
By TIM CLEVELAND
With the current emphasis being placed on physical fitness among young children, Union Elementary has once again led the way in that regard.
The school was once more a winner in the Get Active, Get Fit school challenge, which is open to all schools in Ohio. The reward was an appearance by Radio Disney, in which the students were given a dance party, with exercise combined with dance.
“This is the culmination of months of hard work to promote physical fitness and the importance of leading active, healthy lifestyles,” Principal Mike Masucci said. “Our phys. ed. teacher, Mark Wesolowsky, does a great job in the Get Active, Get Fit school challenge. It’s a great avenue to reinforce what these kids need to be doing in school and at home.
“We were one of 20 schools in the state of Ohio to win the Get Active, Get Fit school challenge sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. As a result, Radio Disney has provided us with an hour-long dance party here at our school. We’ve won the last three years in a row, so there are a lot of kids who are familiar with this program and have looked forward to it for weeks. A lot of our kids wore Disney shirts today, so it was a great way to end a great week.”
The event began with Wesolowsky presenting a check for $285 to Shelley Webber of the American Heart Association. The sum is the result of the students bringing in loose change to donate.
“I work with all the schools in six counties on a jump rope for heart program, which is a PE-based program for physical education,” Webber said. “It promotes heart health. The kids raised funds for the American Heart Association for research and education for heart disease.”
“February was National Heart Month,” Wesolowsky said. “We combined that with the American Heart Association every year. February was dedicated to learning to obtaining and maintaining a healthy heart through means of jump rope and many other activities.”