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HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. Students at Hillside Elementary School got some fresh air and some exercise while trying to help break a Guinness world record for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.
Not only does it keep the element of fun but theyre also learning about the bigger picture and [First] Lady [Michelle] Obamas lets get moving campaign and how they are a small school, but playing a bigger part, said Angela Reeve of the Hastings Girl Scouts. Active kids, unplug and lets get moving.
The hundreds of students filed out onto the fields of Hillside early Wednesday morning and lined up as they got ready to start jumping. The goal was to have more than 20,000 people around the globe do jumping jacks for one minute. So one by one, each grade stood up and did jumping jacks for one minute while being officially timed by independent counters.
I love all the support in the community because we werent allowed to use any of our teachers, any of our staff members, which kind of threw a loop into it, said Hillside principal Laura Sullivan. So Im just so appreciative of all the community that came out at last minute.
Aside from the record attempt, which was in conjunction with students across the globe for Obamas initiative, the event was a way of promoting exercise to the young students.
They make it fun for the kids, fitness is fun, Reeve said. This is kind of a supportive community in that regard. They support any activities like this that have the kids shut off the computer, shut off the TV, get out and get moving.
The event also provided a way for the kids and the community to come together.
I also think its part of our children seeing themselves as part of a larger picture, Sullivan said. Often children just see themselves as just part of a small family unit or a small school unit and then we try and branch them out to the community and this enables them the opportunity to see that theyre part of a national initiative.
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