Fitness Challenge Gets Southdown Moving
Michelle Marino likes nothing better than to hear plenty of noise emanating from the Southdown Primary School gym. She’s even happier to peer in and see students immersed in physical activity or climbing, jumping and running on the playground and across the open fields outside.
Mrs. Marino is Southdown’s principal and she puts a premium on physical fitness and good nutrition. She threw her full support behind the school’s 6th annual PTA Fitness Challenge, which over a three-week period encouraged youngsters to spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising.
“We try to find exciting ways to motivate them,” said Bari Fehrs, a PTA volunteer who coordinated the initiative. There are typically themes to the yearly campaigns, such as “family fun” or the Olympics. This year’s theme was “students vs. staff” as organizers tried to get adults into the fun and many teachers did join in.
The annual Fitness Challenge wraps-up with a guest presentation. This year the PTA brought in local yoga instructor and Huntington School District parent Amy LaCentra. It was a definite change of pace since in the past there have been high energy sessions on Frisbee, tennis, hip-hop dance and jump roping. “I wanted them to have a different perspective on exercise with a slower pace,” Mrs. Fehrs said.
Mrs. LaCentra showed noticeable patience while presenting in a kid-friendly way the concept of the “mind/body” connection inherent in yoga and how yoga can help a person manage stress.
Students and staff members kept track of their exercise minutes on tally sheets, submitting them each week. “Shelly has been such a supporter of the Fitness Challenge and even created a special ‘track’ in the front lobby to show which class and which teacher has the most minutes exercised each week,” Mrs. Fehrs said.
Mrs. Marino said she hopes the exercise habits stick with students all year and far into the future.
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