Webutuck serves up equal servings of wellness

WEBUTUCK — The clock raced against students in the Webutuck Elementary School gymnasium last week as they dashed back and forth between desks, trying to move blocks of Legos among the tables in record time.

At another station, two girls strapped with ping pong ball-filled tissue boxes on their bodies were jumping up and down frantically  in attempts to get all the balls out.

In the hallways, children were concentrating hard trying to keep dozens of balloons afloat, some using their hands, others only using their heads and a few trying to juggle multiple balloons at the same time.

And with all the physical activity, the main entrance way of the elementary school was packed with tables full of fruits and vegetables, with students piling items onto their plates. Some were old favorites; some were being tried for the first time.

This was Webutuck’s Wellness Dinner, a wrap-up to the school’s celebration of National Family Wellness Month, an extravaganza of physical and nutritional proportions held last Thursday, June 3.

“For years [kindergarten teacher Michelle] Smith and I have talked about holding a Wellness Month at the school,� explained elementary school nurse Marilyn Unger. “And after we finally decided to hold it in May, we then found out that May is actually National Family Wellness Month!�

The coincidence was the perfect opportunity to get students excited about the opportunity to incorporate healthy eating with physical activity. Throughout the month the children brought home healthy eating charts, on which they noted at least one healthy food choice and exercise that their family ate and did each day. At the end of the week the charts were collected and the students who participated were rewarded for their efforts.

Some of the more unusual entries? “Chasing the chickens aroundâ€� sounds like it will certainly break a sweat, and students named  interesting foods like garbanzo beans and artichokes that were part of their family’s diet.

Fruit and vegetables for the night were provided by donations from Grand Union, Freshtown and McEnroe Organic Farm, as well as from the many volunteers including parents and staff who helped organize the night.

“We’re hoping that the students learn that exercise isn’t just things like running,� Unger said. “You can move your body in a whole lot of different ways and have some fun while you’re doing it.�

Many of the activities came from the TV game show, “Minute to Win It,� and proved to be not only a new way to get your heart rate going but a lot of fun as well.

“It’s good to see families as a whole participating,� Unger said looking around the bustling gymnasium. “This is exactly what we hoped for.�

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