February ushered in American Heart Month at Paul Cuffee School. Early in the month, PCS hosted the first annual Wellness Night. Lower School Principal, Wendy Randle, and the Wellness Committee planned an evening that would allow students, families, faculty, and staff to partner with the community and share best practices concerning nutrition, physical activity, relaxation techniques, and health maintenance.
Nearly 200 guests from our Lower, Middle, and Upper School were attracted to booths that included a Family Wellness Resources Table, a Relaxation Station, Yoga, Blood Pressure Checks by Rhode Island College nurses, Crossfit for Kids, Main Street Martial Arts, URI’s SNAP Healthy Snacks, Smoothies, and Zumba.
Besides learning how to take care of their own health, students engaged in heart- healthy activities to raise funds for the American Heart Association, the leading provider of education, support and research on cardiovascular disease. Lower School students “jumped rope for hearts” and Middle School students shot “Hoops for Hearts”, raising almost $3,400 for the American Heart Association!
Valentine’s Day found staff outfitted in a sea of red supporting “Go Red for Women”, a program to draw attention to the #1 killer of women: heart disease. Nurse Kathy Tudino set up a buffet of “healthy snacks” in the faculty room. “A reminder,” she said, “that the food choices we make every day, not just today, can lead to a healthier, happier life.”