Taking part in the Jump Rope For Heart programme has been a win-win for many New Zealand schools.
As well as increasing children’s participation in physical activity, the fundraising component of the programme is giving schools a much needed financial boost.
Havelock North Primary Sports and PE Development Leader, Samantha Newton, said her school first got involved in the programme after it was looking for new ways to increase students’ involvement in regular exercise.
“At the same time, we were working towards a much-needed upgrade of the school’s sports and PE equipment. The Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope For Heart programme ticked all of the boxes.”
While Havelock North Primary has been involved in Jump Rope For Heart since it started 31 years ago, last year was Samantha’s first experience at running the programme. Based on the success of that, she signed up again this year.
“I had a dream run with Jump Rope For Heart last year. The programme provides all the resources you need, such as teacher guides and starter packs for the kids. They even provide draft letters to send home, so all I had to do was set a date – it couldn’t be a more user-friendly programme.”
Samantha said the children loved the daily exercise and enjoyed competing with friends and other classes.
“The Skip-a-thon day became a major school event. We had streamers, bunting and balloons decorating the turf, Jump Rope For Heart music playing and lots of happy children skipping.
“The most important thing was the level of enthusiasm we got from the kids. By the time we got to the Skip-a-thon, they were 100% engaged and the carnival atmosphere harnessed that excitement and brought the whole thing to life.”
The students worked towards achieving skipping goals so that by the end of the term they were confidently skipping in pairs, long ropes and a variety of other ways.
Havelock North Primary encourages its students to be physically active on a daily basis. They hold PE lessons twice a week, as well as the occasional class game.
Physical activity not only contributes to health and fitness, but also helps shape part of the brain that is responsible for movement. It plays a crucial role in a child’s overall growth and development.
Samantha said the key to success in rolling out Jump Rope For Heart is good organisation.
She recruited the support of two other people from the sport and PE group and made sure all teachers had access to Jump Rope For Heart resources.
“The resources are fantastic. They are a time-saver, detailed and very child-friendly, which is important as the whole school receives copies. They are the first thing I have gone back to, as I start planning for the event again this year.”
In 2015, Havelock North Primary raised $5,000 through Jump Rope For Heart, allowing them to fully utilise the 50% rebate on offer to schools.
“We were able to put 50% of the money raised from the programme towards refreshing the school’s PE equipment, along with the purchase of new gear as well.”
Many other schools have also benefitted from the rebate component this year including Meadowbank Primary which raised $19,508 for an outdoor covered area and St Joseph’s School, Onehunga which used its funds to buy a defibrillator, after a teacher had a heart event on site.
The other 50% of funds raised go towards supporting the Heart Foundation’s vital work of fighting heart disease which is New Zealand’s biggest killer.
Samantha said she wouldn’t hesitate to encourage other schools to take part.
“The event encouraged daily fitness for our children and got families together at the Skip-a-thon. Even better, the children embraced fundraising for a great cause. This enhances the overall learning experience, as service to their community is put into good practice.”
Fast Facts on Jump Rope For Heart
Keeping kids physically active has never been more important. New Zealand has the third highest rate of overweight and obese children in the OECD which is putting their health at risk.1
The Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope For Heart programme teaches and encourages children to keep physically active for their heart health. The programme, now in its 31st year, also educates teachers on the benefits of having a balanced and healthy lifestyle, which they’re able to pass onto their students.
Skipping is lots of fun but it is also hard work. It requires concentration, balance and coordination, as well as numeracy, team work and leadership skills.
Since it was established by the Heart Foundation in 1985, over 2.4 million Kiwi children have been kept active and fit through Jump Rope For Heart. Many people reading this article will have taken part in it.
Schools have the option to take either a 25% or 50% rebate (conditions apply).
Let’s keep the skipping movement going in New Zealand, while also supporting the fight against heart disease. For more information on taking part in Jump Rope For Heart, visit www.jumpropeforheart.org.nz or call 09 571 9187.
1OECD Obesity Update June 2014