She’s a Physical Education teacher tackling a generation of kids inundated with junk food and iPad, but somehow she’s making fitness fun.
Mrs. Cristi Harrington has a new model of fitness for her elementary students at Vandenberg Elementary and it’s getting them excited about being healthy and getting active.
All the students piled into the gym for what Mrs. Harrington thought was a fire assembly. Little did she know they were about to surprise her as Ann Marie’s All Star.
“All of our kids love her and she challenges us and she’s definitely a role model,” Principal Lisa Hughes said.
Mrs. Harrington says she has her dream job.
“There are no words, teachers work so hard,” she said. “To be recognized for what you love to do, the fact that you guys honor that, it makes everything we do, it’s just the best job in the world.”
Her students think she’s the very best teacher there is.
“She encourages us inside and outside the classroom,” one student said. “She really is kind of like a family member to us.”
Mrs. Harrington’s approach is different than your average PE class.
“We’re trying to move from a sports based model to a fitness model,” she said. “When we get our age there aren’t many chances for us to go play on a basketball team or a team but to learn your body and to understand what working in your zone means, that’s what I try to teach my kids.”
Those effects are being felt community wide.
“A lot of parents come back to me and say -oh my gosh my kid won’t eat McDonalds anymore, they’re asking us to start working out everyday,” she said.
Building healthy bodies and minds, healthy kids for the future.
Congratulations Mrs. Harrington!
To nominate someone for Ann Marie’s All Stars email annmarie.laflamme@wxyz.com
Subject: Ann Marie’s All Stars Nomination: (nominee’s name)
Nominator’s name and phone number:
Why this person deserves to be honored as an All Star.
