BLUFFTON, Ohio (WLIO) — Bluffton Elementary School teachers are celebrating a big win in the Health Action Council’s Fall Step It Up Challenge.
The Bluffton team finished first out of 43 teams statewide, averaging more than 25,000 steps daily and earning $1,500 for their school. The four-week program encourages students, educators and staff to get active, track their steps and model healthy habits for the community. Bluffton teachers say the challenge not only pushed them to stay active, but also inspired some of their students to get moving.
“He reason we want to have a healthy lifestyle ourselves is so that we can be the best teachers that we can be, because we also know that active lifestyles lead to better mental health. And if we can come into the classroom with great mental health, just through some added exercise, then we can be the best educator for our students,” said Heidi Steiner, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Bluffton Elementary School.
Ryan Dunlap, a P.E. teacher at Bluffton Elementary School, said, “It’s been a lot of fun to see as we start this competition. People in the community know what we’re doing, and I’ll be at my kids’ soccer game, and the parents from the community will be like, ‘Oh, it must be stepping competition time,’ because they see me pacing back and forth during the game or during practice.”
“Even during recess duty, I'll bring some of the students with me as I walk the playground during recess duty to encourage positive, healthy habits,” said Jamie Combs, a first grade teacher at Bluffton Elementary School.
The Bluffton team plans to use its winnings to support a bike path at Legacy Park, giving students more opportunities to stay active.
