Mountainside faculty and staff improved their physical fitness and health awareness by participating in a district-wide Move Mountainside Winter/Spring Challenge. This program, spearheaded by the physical education department, provided an opportunity for everyone in the Mountainside School District to become more active at work and at homeEmployees worked in teams to track their activity over a period of six weeks, while competing against their peers and providing healthy role models for their students. The teams (of no more than five) had fun creating team names. Among them were: Holey Walkamolies, Friendly Neighborhood Movers, Thunder Road, and Red Hot Chili Steppers. Each team registered and kept track of their steps weekly through a Google Drive spread sheet. PE teachers provided suggested routes in and around the schools. The faculty also received a conversion chart to add other activities to their step counts. A portable step counter was provided for each faculty member by Dr. Lubarsky, the chief school administrator
A total of 17 teams representing 73 faculty members out of 120, or over 85%. At the end of the six week challenge, the top averages of each team and the top three individual with the most steps won gift certificates. The prizes were generously donated by local restaurants, Grillstone, Echo Tap and Grill, and Mosaica.
The top individual scorers were: First place – Peter Scholl (908,476); Second place – Courtney Hunter (859,731); Third place, Meghan Petrillo (831,075). The top team averages were: First place – Christopher Walkin’ (Gary Chan, Kristie Crilley, Caitlin McGarrity, and Samantha New – 623,974 steps); Second place – Summer Dreamers (Denise Barone, Sonia Branco, Michelle Cruz, Heather Goldstein, and Linda Lombardo – 513,778 steps); Third place – Dream Team (Kelly Herscheit, Courtney Hunter, Stephanie Ianniello, Michelle Jamnick, and Janelle Lauterbach – 513,651).
(above l-r) Individual faculty winners of the Mountainside School District Step Challenge Meghan Petrillo, Peter Scholl, and Courtney Hunter.
