Students teach students healthy living

While high school students are still in a part of their lives where learning is their top priority, they have enough life experience to be teaching, as well.

Dozens of Valley Stream Central High School District students recently visited local elementary schools to talk about healthy lifestyles. They taught second-graders in Districts 13 and 30 about the importance of eating right and exercising regularly.

On March 26, North High School students visited the four elementary schools in District 13, while a group from Central headed to District 30’s three schools. They led a variety of interactive activities designed to get the elementary children excited about taking care of their bodies.

Eighteen members of the SCORE Club, Central’s Athletic Honor Society, shared their knowledge. As athletes, they know what it takes to be in shape. Senior Vincent Vecchione, a member of the varsity football and baseball teams, said if children adopt a healthy lifestyle now, they can grow up to be big and strong.

Hakeem Harvey, a football player, added that kids should avoid staying inside and playing video games. “The weather is starting to get warmer now,” he said, noting that it’s a good time to go outside and be active.

Junior Randi Ruderman, a multiple-sport athlete at Central, said she hopes that the children would remember the lessons at home, and be proactive in asking their parents to buy more fruits and vegetables.

From North, 34 students in Sharon Zovich’s phys. ed. leadership class spent the day as teachers. She said her students were very excited to have the opportunity to work with the second-graders.

“My kids are good role models and they enjoy working with all different populations of students,” Zovich said. “They just enjoy helping and taking part in positive activities.”

The elementary students were split into small groups and traveled from station to station. They learned simple exercises they could do at home, how to create a balanced meal from the different food groups, and also saw first-hand how much sugar is in fruit snacks. Through a game called MyPlate, the children used flashcards to learn about different kinds of healthy food.

Zovich said this is the third year that students from the high schools have visited their elementary counterparts.

Darren Gruen, principal of the James A. Dever School, said he was glad to see many graduates come back and share a positive message. “It’s just another opportunity for our students to learn about living a healthy lifestyle which includes the things that they eat, getting enough exercise,” he said.

Gruen added that the high school students were very engaging, which is an important aspect in teaching. “You may have all the knowledge in the world,” he said, “but if you don’t have a rapport with students, the message that you’re trying to get home gets lost.”

At Shaw Avenue School, senior Brianna Ricotta was one of the wellness trainers returning to her old stomping grounds. She said it was exciting to come back and teach Central’s future athletes. “I like interacting with the kids,” she said.

Health and nutrition is part of the elementary school curriculum, noted Nicole Schimpf, District 30’s director of special services. To have the high school students come in and reinforce that message, she explained, only enhances the education of her students.

She hopes the peer wellness training program will continue for many years, and would like to see other ways to expand the partnership between the school districts. “I think it’s a wonderful experience,” Schimpf said. “I am a big advocate of students teaching students.”