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Schools

First-Ever 'Body Walk' Brings Student Body Together at GHS

Geneva High School students and faculty team up with the High Elements Leadership Program to stage this kick-off event for a six-week mentoring program designed to educate and encourage elementary students to make healthier life choices.

The Viking Commons was transformed Tuesday afternoon into a health and wellness festival for 148 Geneva School District fifth-graders.

The Body Walk, an Illinois State Board of Education program designed to educate and encourage elementary students to make healthier life choices, was set up in nine stations: muscles, brain, mouth, stomach, heart, lungs, bones, skin, and small intestine.

Geneva High School’s Family and Consumer Science faculty members Kathleen Jankovic and Linda Hallstrom teamed up with the High Elements Leadership Program coordinator Gwen Gelfuso to stage this kick-off event for the six-week mentoring program.

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GHS upperclassmen led fifth-graders participating in nine High Elements clubs—Football, Scholastic Bowl, Glee, French, Spanish,German, Drama, Junior Artists, and Television Studio—through the nine stations in 90 minutes. Linda Hallstrom’s child development students wore parts-of-the body capes and presented each rotating group with corresponding health information.

The High Elements ringleaders in charge of each station were Nick Finnberg, Chris Warren, Mia Schrilla, Trapper Sershon, Mackenzie Carroll, Caroline Nowak, Matt Lindberg, Victoria Cooley, Isabel Villanueva, Olivia Fletcher, Marissa Wilkins, Connor Colbert, Bianca Shaw and Josh Harper. The club kids collected prizes along the way, such as Viking blue-and-white beach balls that they inflated at the Lungs Station, and jump ropes that they skipped at the Muscles Station.

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Several items were donated by generous businesses in the community. Karin Podolski, director of community health and outreach at , provided Gummi candy brains and anatomically-correct heart stress balls for the Brain and Heart Stations. A grand raffle also took place at the Brain Station for two gift certificates for bicycle helmets given by The Bike Rack. The lucky winners of the helmets were Maeve Griffin from Heartland Elementary and Colin Fromm from Mill Creek Elementary.

Toothbrushes and pens from served as gentle reminders for the Mouth Station. Paul Ruby made sure that the Skin Station was able to distribute sea salt soaps from the . Costco and Bel Brands USA made it possible for Babybel cheeses to be enjoyed at the Bones Station.

Special thanks go to POOF-Slinky, Inc. for the corporate donation of Slinky coil toys for all of the fifth-graders at the Small Intestine Station.

The Body Walk was truly a community effort, and a first-time event enjoyed by all.

 

This article was submitted by High Elements Leadership Program coordinator Gwen Gelfuso.

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