Frost Elementary School was this year’s winner of the 2016 Family Fit and Fun Challenge. The program, made possible by a partnership between the Western Maryland Health System, Make Healthy Choices Easy, the YMCA, and the Allegany County Health Planning Coalition, helps children and their families increase their activity levels while incorporating healthy eating habits. All fourteen of ACPS’s elementary schools participated in the program, helping a total of 1,416 children and their families to get regular physical activity and make healthy nutrition choices. Frost was successful in having the highest percentage of overall participation during the month-long challenge at 60.4% and will receive a grand prize of $2,000 to be used towards wellness supplies or to host a healthy event for the staff and students. Bel Air Elementary School finished close behind Frost with 59.7% participation in the program.
In addition, each participating school had a winning classroom in the challenge, earning them $200 to be used towards wellness supplies or a celebration at the YMCA. Winning ACPS classrooms were as follows: Beall, Jennifer Holloway’s Grade 3; Bel Air, Erin McKenzie’s Grade 3; Cash Valley, Melissa Tarburton’s Grade 5; Cresaptown, Karen Irons’ Grade 1; Flintstone, Linda Lewis’ Kindergarten; Frost, Karen Layman’s Grade 3; George’s Creek, Tara Ruby’s Kindergarten; John Humbird, Kelly Oyer’s Grade 3; Mt. Savage, Samantha Mongrain’s Grade 1; Northeast, Allyson Ruddell’s Grade 3; Parkside, Mary Lough’s Grade 3; South Penn, Rebecca Ricker’s Grade 1; Westernport, Jennifer Hughes’ Grade 4; and West Side, Tonya Hensel’s Grade 2. Throughout the challenge, students were asked to track their physical activity and healthy eating habits on a weekly log sheet provided by the sponsors. Free family activities were offered each Friday in February at the Riverside YMCA.
