"Holton-Arms You with Health” Fair 2015!

Holton’s own Health Department hosted a successful and well attended “Holton-Arms You with Health” Week February 16 – 20. Despite the cold weather, and one day of school cancelled due to snow, the events of the week were well attended.

Wednesday through Friday, the Middle School Community Service club collected food and compostable waste from each division where the waste was collected in special trash cans, per division, then weighed at the end of each day. (This activity coincided with the “Slow, Go, Whoa” food choice activity where all the food and drink choices were marked with either Green (for eat/drink anytime), Yellow (caution, eat only some each meal), and Red (eat only very occasionally) to highlight the importance of eating balanced nutritionally in portion and quality with each plate. Thank you to the dining room staff, Thomas Toliver and Jay Keller for collaborating with PE and Health Department member Cami Roth, and Athletic Trainer, Health Educator, PE educator and Health Department member Maureen Siburt to put this program together for the whole week.

An informational and interactive, all grade parent coffee was held Wednesday morning. Dr. Rachel Singer, Ph.D. with the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change spoke on “Parenting the Anxious Child: Counterintuitive Strategies to Easing Anxiety” with parents from various grades shared experiences and helpful information regarding the anxiety many students experience. Thank you to Middle School Counselor, Health Educator, and Health Department member Kristen Edma for putting this fantastic talk together.

The INOVA Blood Mobile was on campus on Thursday. Thirty three brave volunteers stepped forward to donate whole blood collecting 26 full units that will benefit local hospitals. A big thank you to the following students who volunteered at the sign in table during the drive: Niki Abdala Arata, Ellie Yeo, Sheyda Tribble, Clara Ferrari.

Lower Schoolers participate in the Jump Rope for Heart event.

On Friday, February 20 the entire school participated in the health fair - the culminating event for the week! The Lower School participated in a rotation of events in the morning and then Jump Rope for Heart in the afternoon. This program would not have been successful without the classroom teachers to help move the students from station to station, the amazing parent volunteers who helped with teams of students and baked goodies for the afternoon. Some of the parent volunteers who helped make the day were: Elizabeth Brody, Marisa Solis-Rosenblum, Sophia Siddiqui, Dorine Risser, Kirsten Wilson, Maria Karsner, Emily Hatwick, Patricia Klick, Emiy Currie, and Vicky Magid. The Lower School’s program included the following vendors who donated their time to our students: students from American University, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, Montgomery County Police Department, Girls on the Run, Dr. Preeta Chidambaran, M.D., Dr. Shannon Pryor, M.D., and Mr. Khaldoun Al-Atrash of Flying Kick Fitness. The girls also participated in Yoga through the Mindfulness Center, and Zumba through our own Wellness Program instructor.

Students engage in stress busting activities
in the Simms Reception Room.

While the Lower School was having a terrifically healthy day, over 135 students, alongside faculty and staff, were participating in a health fair designed especially for their busy days. During breaks, study halls, and free periods, the Simms Reception room was the focus of a day of vendors and interactive activities including Adele Bonnie offering a mindfulness and stress busting activity, Minzin Yoga and Tibetan Singing Bowls with Fredi Prevost, Kazemi Oral Surgery & Dental Implants, a nutritionist with Meriweather Godsey, Dr. Louise Moody, M.D. of Secure Medical Care discussing mosquito borne illnesses, the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change and stress busting activities, signing up for the Panther Scamper, information on Bone Marrow Registry and students over 18 years old and faculty were able to register, and finally faculty were able to have body fat analysis by American University Health Promotion graduate students.