Todd Hall’s Wellness Day teaches fitness through fun
by pat krochmal @pioneerlocal.com June 6, 2011 5:50PM
Aminah Bullock (left) and Niyati Bhandari move in yoga class. | Joe Cyganowski~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 14, 2011 11:20PM
At Todd Hall Elementary School’s Wellness Day, studens learned how to be physically, mentally and socially healthy.
The June 3 event featured the Jump Rope Warrior with a fitness demonstration, a Food Network chef talking about nutritious edibles, and examples of conflict resolution, as well as team-building activities.
Physical education teacher Jamie Schremser and social studies teacher Steve Salski, both fitness and health buffs, co-chaired the event.
“Today’s kids are not fit, because they don’t go out and play. They spend most of their time on video games. In fact, unfit kids are becoming a national epidemic,” Schremser said.
Studies indicate that 30 percent of the country’s children are obese and that could increase to 50 percent, she added.
Salski noted that kids also need to focus on their social and mental health.
“So many don’t have high self esteem, don’t know how to verbally resolve conflicts and don’t know how to work as part of a team. That is important to their social well being and mental health,” he added.
And both said they were amazed that between 30 and 40 community members, some of them North Park College students, volunteered to help with the activities.
“Parents and the community need to come together and realize that these are issues that need to be addressed. And the community has been awesome!” Schremser added.
Besides those already mentioned, three dentists, a dental hygienist, a fire chief and a cardiac specialist also volunteered to share their knowledge about healthy living.
Children also wrote compliments about each another and deposited them in one another’s “self-confidence buckets.”
And besides hearing about nutritious food, the students - who already had learned about the food pyramid — lunched on food from a Subway restaurant.
“We learned about calories and that if we eat too many, we will get fat,” said Allyson Trandai, a 7-year-old first-grader.
“And if we eat too few, we will be too thin,” added Matthew Tiran, another seven-year-old first grader.
Christian Ranon, also seven, said he learned that consuming a lot of malts and hot dogs wouldn’t be healthy, but that stretching is a good exercise, because it moves every part of the body.
Ashton Tise, another first-grader, said he found out that vegetables are very healthy, so when he goes home he is going to eat a lot of carrots, which he likes.
“I learned using the hula hoop, which is fun, is exercise and that it’s OK to eat yogurt and fruit,” said Caitriona Hermer, 6, a kindegartener.
Daniel Geraghty and Maggie Burke, both 8-year-old second-graders, learned about team work and being good sports, as well as including others in their activities.
“Being a good sport will help your mind to be healthier,” Geraghty said.
“We should help each other instead of letting people do work by themselves,” Burke added. “And people will feel left out if you don’t let them play with you.”
A statement on the school’s website summed up all the reasons the event was held:
“More than ever, children are facing an abundant number of challenges ultimately affecting their wellness. Children are in need of being taught and informed about different ways to deal with these challenges.
“However, in order for children to be healthy, the focus should not just rely on physical health. To be healthy, a child’s mental and social health must be strengthened as well.”
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