Students Enjoy Fitness Fair

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE IS A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove Middle School sponsored a Fitness Fair on Friday with a focus on living a healthy lifestyle and having a fun, active day.

Students rotated to stations that provided students a chance to dance, walk or play sports, such as Nine Square and disc golf.

Two stations were set up to provide information on making good choices.

Kelli Butler, community health nurse with Arkansas Department of Health, talked about the dangers of e-cigarettes and how tobacco companies are using advertising to attract young people to try out e-cigarettes.

Prairie Grove Police Department brought “drunk goggles” that simulate what it’s like to drink and drive. Students drove rangers while wearing the goggles so they could see how drinking alcohol affects driving a vehicle.

Gerry Nichols, Prairie Grove High School band director, taught students some self-defense techniques on what to do if someone grabs them. The first thing to do is to run away, Nichols said. Next is to scream and the third is to have a way to call 911. Nichols showed them some moves on how to get out of a hold.

“Some of these may work and some may not but it’s better than standing there and being afraid,” Nichols said.

School nurse Kathy Ledford and coach Shelley Dougan coordinated the event.

PHOTOS BY LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER The game Nine Square, similar to Four Square, is a popular game among students. This was one of the stations at the Fitness Fair.

Ethan Fox, 12, a seventh-grader at Prairie Grove Middle School, tries out the drunk goggles at the Fitness Fair. The goggles show the effects of how drinking of alcohol will affect driving and other skills. Many of the students drove over the cones.

One of the stations at the Fitness Fair was learning how to play disc golf. Here, students are learning how to putt their disc into the cage.

Chantal Crosse, the nurse practitioner at Prairie Grove Health and Wellness Center, leads students in Zumba during the Fitness Fair on Friday.

Gerry Nichols, right, Prairie Grove High School band director, shows Raimey McNatt what to do if someone grabs her arm during a station on self defense.

Nichols shows the students some moves they can use to defend themselves. Ethan Miller, 13, is his subject in this example.

The video game, “Let’s Dance” was one of the stations at Prairie Grove Middle School Fitness Fair.