McAlister Students to Cha Cha Slide for Heart Health

Students in the third through fifth grades are going to turn to the left and then to the right Wednesday afternoon all with the intention of spreading the word about the importance of heart health.

The students will be taking to their feet to do the Cha Cha Slide, a popular, upbeat line dance, among other fun and physical activities, as part of the Project ACES (All Children Exercising Simultaneously) program, according to a news release about the event.

McAlister Intermediate School physical education teachers, Justin Drago and Denise Raymond, will lead the students through a series of activities in the back field of the Mountain Road school (or in their classrooms if the rain hasn’t stopped). 

The hearth-healthy workout will start with all students forming a large circle and listening to a brief introduction on the importance of overall good health, according to the release.

The physical activities then begin with warm-up exercises followed by a nine station circuit training workout regime which will be accompanied by music to keep everyone moving to the beat and switching stations as the music stops and starts. At the conclusion of the circuit the entire group will dance to the Cha Cha Slide.

The program, overseen by the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, is meant to increase students’ awareness of the importance of physical activity and keeping their bodies healthy.