Teachers, Principal Lose Weight, Gain Money for School

A message from Middletown Village School:

When does fitness + hard work x 3 = $5,930.00?  No, it’s not a trick math question.

The equation, rather, tells the story of how Principal Karen Zupancic and fifth grade teachers Damien Font and Susan Dzugan recently joined forces as “Team Village” to enter The Atlantic Club’s eight-week “Making the Grade Teacher Fitness Challenge.”

The group lost a good amount of inches and pounds, and won $5,930 for Middletown Village Elementary School in the process.

 “I have been in this school for seven years now,” said Carol Farina, co-president of Middletown Village Parent Faculty Association (PFA). “The loyalty, dedication and stamina of our staff never ceases to amaze me. Middletown Village is a very special place, with a principal and teachers who always go above and beyond and this Challenge is simply more proof that.”

The club’s challenge, which ran from Oct. 3 to Nov. 30, gave points for teachers and double points for principals to check-in at the club, work out in the gym, attend fitness classes, participate in evaluations and lose weight.  

The three worked all day with Village students and either woke up early or stayed late to attend the early morning or late afternoon classes that earned points for Team Village. 

Zupancic was one of only five principals from more than 40 teams who signed up for the challenge to participate. Team Village took top honors with 593 points over the course of the eight-week challenge with each point valued at $10.

In addition to the donation to Village PFA, The Atlantic Club has given Zupancic, Font and Dzugan a $100 gift card to the Milagro Spa.

The funds from the Challenge will be used to support additional classroom technology purchases that are on the teachers’ wish list. The club's representatives formally presented the $5,930 check to the school at the PFA’s Jan. 10 meeting.