Participating
in
the
annual
Kids
Heart
Challenge
is
a
tradition
in
schools
throughout
PWCS
during
February's
American
Heart
Month
celebration.
The
service-learning
program
provides
students
and
their
families
with
heart
health
information
and
the
chance
to
raise
money
for
life-saving
research
and
educational
funding
for
the
American
Heart
Association.At Henderson Elementary School, physical education teachers, Kristin Snead and Chris Ferranti, set a goal for 425 students to participate in the challenge, roughly half of the student population.
"In the past Henderson Elementary has always exceeded the goal with flying colors," Snead and Ferranti noted.
To participate, students choose a healthy goal for the month of February. Goals can be as simple as drinking more water or being more active. Once they have picked a challenge, they receive a red wrist band to remind them to stay focused on completing their goal.
"In physical education class for the entire month of February all students at Henderson will be taking part in activities that are related to the event," said Ferranti. "Students are also encouraged to donate to the American Heart Association to help fund research," added Snead.
Snead and Ferranti hope that students take away more than just knowledge of how to stay healthy and build physically active lifestyles.
"Students can learn the importance of teamwork and helping others while building their own self-esteem in a fun and exciting way," Snead said. Ferranti added, "The Kids Heart Challenge prepares elementary students for success by supporting their physical and emotional well-being," also saying, "We hope that students learn that they can be heart heroes by participating, donating if able, and raising awareness."
To learn more about the Kids Heart Challenge, visit the American Heart Association website.