More than 140 third and fourth graders recently participated in Sanford Pride Elementary School's first annual Student Health Fair and it was a huge success.
Students spent the day rotating through a rich variety of hands-on experiences, with each grade level receiving a different series of guest presentations covering personal safety, fire safety, dental care, mindfulness, nutrition, and illness prevention. Beyond the presentations, students went sledding, planted seeds, and tasted new foods throughout the day.
MaineHealth educators Casey Marcotte and Stephanie Masters-Plamondon led two standout sessions. Marcotte's "Sugar Shocker" demonstration challenged students to read nutrition labels, compare food choices, and recognize how marketing shapes perceptions of what's healthy — reinforcing that water is always the best thirst quencher. Masters-Plamondon drew on the MindUP curriculum to introduce mindfulness strategies, helping students understand how their brains work and building skills in focus and self-regulation.
A fan favorite was the Smoothie Bike, set up in the cafeteria during all lunch periods, where students cheered each other on as they pedaled to power their own smoothies.
The fair was made possible through the generous contributions of many community partners: Casey Marcotte and Stephanie Masters-Plamondon from MaineHealth; Drew Fitzgibbon of Healthy Smiles Dentistry; Dr. Liz Jones of Sanford Family Dentistry; Mike Froning and dental assistants from Nasson Health Care; David Boger of Sanford School Nutrition; McDougal's Orchard; Michelle Johnson and Early Childhood Education students from Sanford High School; the Sanford Fire Department; Officer Joe Jourdain; Elise Miller of Acton Library; and Valerie Sullivan, Sanford Library Media Specialist.