The Alternative Press

MAPLEWOOD, NJ – A dance for students at Jefferson Elementary School, “Jefferson Moves Like Jagger,” is planned for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, along with a presentation for parents on helping children learn healthy habits, and a pizza-making session at 3 p.m.

Five Seton Hall University students are organizing the activities as part of a national public relations competition for college students designed to raise awareness about childhood obesity.

The dance program will consist of heart-pumping games and dancing. “This event will allow the kids to reach the recommended amount of exercise daily, which is 60 minutes,” SHU student Jessica Camp said. Other Seton Hall students involved are Amanda Monteleone, Ashley Manz, Ana Martinez and Megan Kelly. 

Manz said that a speaker from United Way will talk to parents. There also will be a pizza-making event as an after-school program at 3 p.m., titled “Who You Callin’ a Pizza Face?”

“We will make them (pizzas) with the kids and use whole wheat pizza crust and fresh vegetables to create a healthy version of pizza,” Monteleone said.

This is the second program at Jefferson that the public relations students, who call their team Pirate PR, have organized. Last week, they visited the school to lead activities to help educate children about exercise and healthy snacks.

“We started the day off making a morning announcement to the children so they knew what the day was going to entail,” Amanda Monteleone said. “A few of us played hockey with the kids during gym class, and at lunch, we (served) grapefruit and celery.”

Manz said they partnered with Coordinated Approach to Child Health, known as CATCH, to help with the snack table. Another activity held last Thursday to help engage students in learning about healthy choices was a game modeled after the television game show “Family Feud.”

“The game took place during lunchtime and incorporated questions based on healthy eating habits and exercise,” Martinez said. “The students were able to win ‘spots,’ which are points that Jefferson provides.” Camp added that students were given the choice to walk at lunch and count steps or play “Family Feud” in the auditorium.

The team members said that so far, the kids seem really excited about the events. 

“The kids started dancing when we mentioned the ‘Jagger’ event during the morning announcements,” Martinez said. 

Kelly explained that the team picked the school because of its diversity.

“We picked Maplewood and South Orange elementary schools because the grades and kids vary so much,” she said. “From research, we found that these schools have a broad range of ethnicities that have histories of obesity. These school districts allow us to (appeal) to every lifestyle and dynamic.”

Team members said they felt strongly about their contest goals. “We can imbed healthy habits in the children from an early age,” Monteleone said. “We can change their lives by teaching them how to make healthy (choices).”

The team will present its public relations campaign at an event on campus on April 26.

Kim Bolognini is participating in a hyperlocal journalism partnership between The Alternative Press and Seton Hall University's Department of Communication & The Arts designed to give students real-world experience.