AFTON – Afton elementary students had the chance to learn about heart health, nutrition and wellness on Friday as the school hosted its first ever Wellness Fair.
“I just love teaching kids how to be well,” said Health Educator Jess Wheeler, an itinerant health teacher through DCMO BOCES who divides her time between Oxford and Afton.
Wheeler organized the event with the help of Afton Physical Education Teacher Cindy Decker and Jen Hillman, a community health educator with Thompkins-Seneca-Tioga BOCES.
The day’s events included a wellness fair, an elementary swimming show, and a Heart Adventure Course. Elementary classes were scheduled to cycle through each of the activities throughout the day.
More than 20 local agencies “from all walks of wellness” exhibited in the school’s small gym during the wellness fair. Those in attendance included Chenango Health Network, poison control, Chenango County Department of Mental Health, Eat Smart New York, 4-H and asthma educators from United Health Services. Representatives from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department were also on hand, sharing safety tips and distributing coloring activity books and brochures with information on a variety of safety-related topics.
In the large gym, students were challenged to complete the Heart Adventure Course. The course, which was donated by Chenango Memorial Hospital, combines educational stations and physical exercise so that students learn about the structure and function of the heart.
“It’s a neat way of learning how the blood travels through the body, and getting some exercise at the same time,” explained Physical Education Teacher Pat Lynch, who was one of several educators who spent time throughout the day facilitating the activity.
Parents were encouraged attend the event, particularly the swim show, where students had the opportunity to show off the skills they’ve learned this year.
While wellness was the overall focus of the event, organizers also used the day as an opportunity to unveil the district’s new tobacco free policy. According to Superintendent Betty Briggs, Wheeler and Hillman collaborated on developing the new, more comprehensive policy which has replaced the more discipline-oriented policy previously on the books.
“It’s such a huge issue,” Wheeler said, explaining that the new policy provides for an alternative to suspension program so that rather than getting a “slap on the wrist,” students are encouraged to quit smoking. It will also help “plug” students into the right resources to support them through the process, she added.
Hillman is helping the district communicate the new policy to the greater community. One way she helped get the word out was through radio advertising. Spots aired on WCDO over the week leading up to the event, and on Friday, the station’s sales manager, Kerri Insinga-Green – herself an Afton alum – broadcasted live from the school. Hillman was able to pay for the live remote with grant funding.
According to Wheeler, the purpose of the live broadcast was to tie parents and other community members into the wellness event. She said she hopes it will “encourage dialogue” between students and their families on wellness issues and the tobacco-free school policy.
While Friday’s event was geared toward elementary students, older students participated to a certain extent as well. Some helped with set up of the wellness fair, others for the Heart Adventure Course. A handful even donned fruit and vegetable costumes in an effort to help younger students make the connection between health and nutrition.
Wheeler said a second wellness day, geared toward middle and high school students, will take place in the spring.