Aspen Ridge students Jump With Jill

ISHPEMING TOWNSHIP — Elementary students in Ishpeming Township got to enjoy some song and dance while learning more about healthy nutrition Tuesday morning.

The “Milk Means More Jump With Jill Live Tour” made their first stop of the day at Aspen Ridge. The school won the chance to host the program as part of a Building Healthy Communities grant.

The tour is sponsored by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan as an aspect of their Fuel Up to Play 60 program. It prompts kids to think about healthy eating and exercise through an interactive performance.

“Jump With Jill is the world’s only rock and roll nutrition show,” said Jump With Jill’s Laura Brown. “We put our love of food and music together to make healthy rock. So we teach kids the importance of taking care of their bodies – respecting their bodies – through healthy food choices.”

“We’re always pushing for health and wellness, you know, strong body, strong mind, so this ties into what we preach all the time with our students, and just did it in a real fun, interactive way, got the students involved, and you can tell they had a lot of fun,” said Aspen Ridge Elementary Principal Chris Marana.

In addition to singing and dancing along, students took home some vital health information.

“It’s good to exercise for 60 minutes each day, and it’s good to drink lots of water and eat fruit and vegetables,” said 5th Grader Jordyn Sundblad.

“We learned that eating healthy is good for you, and it’s good to play a lot,” said Anna Hytinen, a 2nd Grader.

“By the time we leave, they are signing and dancing about nutrition and about low–fat milk and fruits and vegetables,” Brown added.

The tour made its way to Lakeview in Negaunee in the afternoon, and will head out to Sawyer Elementary Wednesday morning. Those interested in potentially bringing the tour to their school this spring should head to jumpwithjill.com/michigan for more information.