Fuel Your Body – Fuel Your Mind

Betty Greenberg wins the reading game with her team

Recently, Fuel Fitness and Yeshivah of Flatbush collaborated to create a unique and innovative reading program for the students in lower division. Franci Cohen, owner of Fuel Fitness, together with Mr. Leonard Zeplin, lower division principal, carefully designed a program to help foster a love of reading through fitness. It succeeded beyond their wildest dreams! Over the course of two weeks, each grade had an opportunity to partake in the program.

Each day, an entire grade was bussed to Fuel Fitness for a fun-filled day of group fitness, silent reading and healthy snacks, rock climbing, and reading games. They began jumping on trampolines doing various aerobic movements. Then the Fuel Fitness staff dimmed the lights, and added glow-in-the-dark light sticks for an extra bonus. The children loved every minute! They learned the martial art of kickboxing, and much more!

Next it was time for a well-deserved rest. The children were escorted to their next session—silent reading and healthy snacks. Each child sat down with a book, to relax and read. The Fuel Fitness staff distributed water bottles, and each child received a snack. It was truly remarkable to see how the children were so much more focused and engrossed in their reading after exercising.

Then it was time to get the body going once again—this time through rock climbing. Each child scaled one of the four rotating rock climbing walls with excitement. Some climbed on overhangs, and some tried climbing with their hands only! The children shocked the fitness trainers with their strength and drive.

Parent volunteer Rachel Zeitoune with program chairperson Franci Cohen

The last session was a real treat. Franci Cohen creatively designed and prepared age-appropriate reading games for all to play. Included were sequencing games, word scavenger hunts, vocabulary games, and so much more! The children divided into teams for the games, and then reunited to play musical chairs. Books were awarded to every student at the end.

Mr. Freedman, Joyce Silverman and Ronnie Chera with their boys

To top off this wonderful day, upon leaving Fuel Fitness, each child went home with two books, a personalized water bottle, and a reading-related gift prepared by Franci. The 1st graders each received their very own word board. Words were attached with Velcro, so that the children may create their own sentences over and over again. Fourth graders received colorful laminated dry-erase Mad Libs that can be used over and over as well. Every gift was unique to every grade. In fact, teachers commented how students were doing crossword puzzles on the bus, and reading their new books. Both teachers and children truly enjoyed this special day, proving that reading really is fun!

A very special thank you to Franci Cohen for creating and funding this groundbreaking reading event, down to every last detail. Thank you to Mark Greenberg, a Flatbush parent, who took time away from his busy photography career to help capture this wonderful event on film! Thank you to 3rd grade Flatbush teacher Mr. Freedman, who worked closely with Scholastic Books, and even honored us by arranging for two heads of the company to come and observe our event. Thank you to Rachel Zeitoune, Renda Bawabeh, Ronnie Chera, Joyce Silverman, Andrea Fallack, Alice Goldman, Ricci Haddad, Lucy Abed, Rosie Dayan, Rochelle Dweck and all the Flatbush parent-volunteers who helped with various aspects of the event. A special thanks to Julie Betesh for arranging healthy snacks, and to Aimee Sasson for the big box of books!