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Y! MyWebSouth Elementary Ms. Muscle Contest
Teachers at South flex for cash
Students look at photos and guess which arm muscle belongs to educators.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Extras
Fairfield South first-grader Payton Oder, 6, places money in the box by Ms. Muscle No. 1. He says he thinks he may know to whom the muscle belongs. 
Fairfield South teacher Holly Houchins displays her Ms. Muscle trophy, won two years ago.FAIRFIELD — There's really no rhyme or reason to the voting process at South Elementary School.
The winner of Ms. Muscle often is selected because the children are convinced the biceps belong to their teacher. Others just feel like dropping coins into that particular box that day.
"I know who it is," Payton Oder, 6, said pointing to the large photograph revealing a flexed arm.
The first-grader patiently dropped in one quarter at a time from a plastic bag, all into box number one.
First-grader Ashanti Ghee, 6, said she just liked muscle number three, suspecting perhaps it might be her teacher, "because that's all her muscle."
The owner of the muscle that gets the most money gets to be crowned Ms. Muscle 2008 and will keep a trophy in her classroom. The money will go toward T-shirts for the student council.
Physical education teacher Debbie Hasselbeck said she came up with the idea after recalling a fundraiser at her high school, "Miss Muscle and Mrs. Legs."
She conducted the contest two years ago and said students had so much fun with it, she decided to try it this year.
"They're so funny," she said of the students. "They say 'is one of those you? I know who that is.' They just all think they know that it's their teacher."
The 2006 winner, Holly Houchins, still has the trophy in her room, but the crown and Dum-Dum sucker bouquet are long gone.
"The kids did say they thought I was in (the contest) and was number one, because they saw the freckles in the picture," she said. "When I was announced, my students were really excited."
Principal Leslie Laney said the event, which culminated Friday with a reveal of the mysterious biceps owners, has been a way to unite the students.
"I just think it's a fun activity to get the kids engaged," she said. "They love their teachers by this time of year. I think it just promotes some team spirit. We start to feel like a family. School needs to have some fun in it."
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.
