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How to Take Your
Jump Rope For Heart
Event to the Next Level
$27,000
$47,000
$105,000
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David Dixon, Hayward Primary School, Hayward, Wisconsin, 2014 JRFH grant recipient
We have had three events in Hayward, including
this year, and each year we have almost doubled
our total money taken in: 2012—$27,000, 2013—
$47,000, 2014—projected at $105,000. The main
reason for the growth in our fundraising dollars is
that we have found ways to increase our number
of jumpers and we involved our community in the
big event. It is hard to raise $100,000 with only
100 kids jumping (they would have to average
$1000 per student), but if you have 2,000 jumpers
and each raises $50, reaching $100,000 is
more achievable.
During 0ur first event in 2012, 900 kids
participated and raised $27,000 (an average of
$30 per student). In 2013 the number of jumpers
increased to roughly 1,200 students, and they
raised almost $48,000 (an average of $40 per
2012 2013 2014
(projected)
X 90 =
X 1200 =
X 2000 =
$27,000
$30/student
$47,000
$40/student
$100,000
$50/student
2012
2013
Joint Projects Office•SHAPE America
1900 Association Drive • Reston, VA 20191
lmunley@shapeamerica.org • 1-800-213-7193
2014
jumper). This year, 2014, the number of jumpers
went up to 2,000 and they raised an average of
around $50 per jumper to reach our $100,000 goal.
We also involved the entire community in the
event — our middle school students, high school
students, high school sports teams, and a Hayward
area Native American school to push our number
of jumpers up to the 2,000 mark. Even local
community groups come and jump in our event,
including our city police, the county sheriff’s
department, community veterans, local snowmobile
groups, the rotary club, and local fire department,
with each group making a donation and jumping
with the kids! We also raise money by getting
sponsors from area businesses and we put their
logo on the back of the Jump Rope For Heart
t-shirts.
Last but not least we promote Jump Rope
For Heart to our kids and community as an
opportunity for us all to give of our time, money,
and energy to help others. This is the key to our
success at Hayward. You can also raise $100,000
at your school! Remember that $50 saves a life.
At Hayward, raising $100,000 with 2,000 jumpers
we saved a whole town!
The Kiski Area
Intermediate
School Changes
their Event!
Jennifer Brell and Malinda Valenti, Kiski Area
Intermediate School, Sarver, Pennsylvania,
2014 JRFH grant recipient
Have You Heard?
Jump Rope For Heart has a collection of free kid-friendly music
playlists available on Spotify to add a beat to your JRFH/HFH
event and physical education classes.
JRFH v.5 - http://bit.ly/1fJNjo1 NEW! JRFH v.2 - http://spoti.fi/1eD0EHV
JRFH v.4 - http://spoti.fi/1erpm4u
JRFH v.1 - http://bit.ly/1btDRfH
JRFH v.3 - http://spoti.fi/1cformt
Playlists are posted monthly on the Jump and Hoops
Facebook page, along with tips, program information,
and school shouts!
https://www.facebook.com/jumpandhoops
Three years ago, Jennifer Brell and Malinda Valenti,
health and physical education teachers at the Kiski
Area Intermediate School in Pennsylvania, changed
their Hoops for Heart event to “Hockey for Heart.”
This change was a result of lack of participation and
funds raised during the “Hoops for Heart”. Trying
something new helped to spark the interest of
students and resulted in a significant increase in the
amount of donations raised. The “Hockey for Heart”
event is a single-round elimination tournament
where seventh- and eight-grade students create a
team of 11 players. Each player donates $10.00 to
participate in the event, which is held in the
morning and runs for two weeks. Once a winning
team from each grade is determined, the physical
education teachers hold a morning assembly where
students in the school donate $1.00 to watch the
student championship game. The winner from that
championship game faces off against teachers
during an afternoon assembly where students
donate $2.00 to watch the game. During the
student vs. faculty game, we have the students and
faculty wear their “Red Out” T-shirts to show
support for those who have family members or
friends with heart disease. All money raised during
the tournament and assemblies is directly donated
to the “Hockey for Heart” (Jump Rope For
Heart/Hoops For Heart) event. The goal is to beat
heart disease one donation at a time!
2 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Let’s Get to the
Heart of the Matter
Missed the National Convention & Expo in St. Louis? In her session on promoting
Jump Rope/Hoops For Heart, Arkansas State JRFH/HFH Coordinator Cathyrn
Gaines offered the following ideas to fire up your event:
Jump Rope For Heart
Sell t-shirts Students can create a design for a shirt, and then you or
a parent can find a local printer to create the shirts. Add $2 or more to
the cost, sell them to the school and community, and wear them with
pride on Fridays.
Sell jump ropes Purchase with PTO money or a grant, and sell them
for extra dollars.
Coin jars in the classroom Encourage students to donate coins
toward JRFH; count them at the end of each week and promote each
class’s progress. Have a school assembly to end the Jump/Hoops
event and the class(es) with most funds raised gets to pie
teacher/parent/principal in the face.
Jump Rope movie night (Family Fitness Night) at school Students
donate $5, jump for 1 hour, and watch a sport- themed movie (Space
Jam, Jump In, etc.). Parents get a night out and you promote physical
activity and JRFH. Serve drinks and snacks, collect donations from
teachers or the community. Ask for volunteers (teachers, parents,
Cathyrn Gaines, Arkansas State JRFH/HFH Coordinator,
Arkansas Elementary PE Teacher of the Year
college students) to help with sign-in, throwing ropes, serving
snacks, and clean-up.
Host a 5k ($15 for 1k, $20 for 5k) Get sponsors for shirts, fruit,
water, and numbers. Get volunteers to bring tables, music, a
starter’s pistol, timer, golf cart, etc. Find friends, family, and
community members who have been affected by heart disease
and showcase their stories.
Jump Day Students jump as long as they can with a counter. For
every jump, they get a little smiley-face sticker to wear.
Jeans Day/Week Ask teachers to pay $5-$10 to wear jeans for
a week. Testing week is always a good idea.
Hoops For Heart
Hoops for Heart collegiate champions A traveling trophy goes
to the college or university that raises the most money in their
Hoops For Heart event. For the past four years, Arkansas TECH,
which uses Hoops For Heart as a class project (organization and
administration), has won the title. The cost involved is
approximately $100 plus printing and postage/mailing of the
information.
Coin drive – Have a coin drive competition between students in
sixth, seventh and eighth grade during Spirit Week. The winner
gets to pie a teacher in the face (17 staff volunteers).
Students vs. Faculty Basketball Game Students pay $2 to get
out of class last period to watch the game.
ArkAHPERD 3-on-3 basketball tournament Must have space
for event, sponsors, insurance, t-shirts/awards, door prizes,
volunteers, registration forms, and an entry fee.
Get others involved in your State Association – Recognize top
coordinators, everyone who hosts an event receives a free
ArkAHPERD membership, or raffle items at your State
convention.
T-shirt sale In Memory of/In Honor of hearts and basketballs.
3 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Try to instill in them the desire to help
others and make it fun. With this you will
leave them wanting more each year and
looking forward to next year’s event.
Building a Tradition
Beth Siegfried, Concord Elementary, St. Louis, Missouri, 2014 JRFH grant recipient
At our school, Concord Elementary, Jump Rope For Heart is a
tradition. We began doing JRFH in 1991 and have not missed
a year yet, raising over $275,000 for the American Heart
Association. Students in grades 3-5 begin preparing for our
event in January, with the actual jump being held on or close to
Valentine’s Day. During this time we teach lessons about heart
function and heart health, including the importance of exercise
and proper nutrition, and we practice new jump tricks. We also
introduce jump bands and Chinese jump ropes as additional
jumping options.
Prior to 2011, our school enrollment was approximately 850
students and we continually finished as one of the top three
schools in our state in fundraising, even though we only jump
with our third through fifth graders. Limiting this event to only
these three grades builds anticipation with our younger
students and they cannot wait to begin jumping and raising
money. Due to restructuring within our district, our school
population has dropped to just under 600. But even with these
smaller numbers our students have raised over $7,000 year.
When we kick off our event in January, an informational letter
and a permission slip are sent home with students. We do
require that permission slips be turned in, holding our students
accountable. Once the permission slip is received, the students
are given their envelope and they begin asking for donations.
We talk with our students about why they are jumping and how
to ask for sponsors, but ultimately it is between them and their
families. We really emphasize that any donation, no matter how
big or how small, is helping to save a life.
While we hold fast to our traditions and work to raise as much
money as we can, setting a goal each year as to what we want
to raise as a school, we do change things up to keep our
students interested. We have challenges to see which class can
get all their permission slips in first, who can be the top
fundraiser in each grade, and which class can raise the most
funds. Some examples of the rewards for meeting these
challenges are extra physical education time, having the
physical education teachers trade places with the principal and
assistant principal for a day, receiving a prize donated by a local
business, or having the gym named in your honor for a year. Our
students take on these challenges and work hard to earn their
extra rewards.
On the day of our actual JRFH event the atmosphere is electric,
with students jumping in teams of their choosing. Prior to our
jump the students will have selected their teams, created a
team name, and made a team poster to hang in the school.
Many of our teams also design their own t-shirts that they wear
for the event. They are awesome! Each grade level jumps for
one hour and during that time they can use both long and short
ropes, jump bands, and Chinese jump ropes. We also hold
contests during the event, awarding small prizes donated by
local businesses. Afterward, students receive a healthy snack
and then head back to class, hot and sweaty, but happy and
feeling good about having helped someone else.
These are just a few of the things that make our Jump Rope for
Heart event such a huge success. One component I have not yet
talked about is our parents. They are so supportive in helping
their children raise money and in helping with our event and
providing snacks. We definitely could not do this without them.
Also, our teachers and younger students get involved as well.
Our teachers participate in “Go Red” for women and our
younger students donate their change to help their buddy
classes. Even though not all are jumping, it truly is a schoolwide event.
There are many ways to run a successful Jump Rope for Heart
event. I have provided a few ideas but I really advise to just
make it your own. Teach your students new jumping tricks. They
love learning them! Try to instill in them the desire to help
others and make it fun. With this you will leave them wanting
more each year and looking forward to next year’s event.
4 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Meet the SHAPE America
2014 Jump Rope For Heart and Hoops
For Heart Recognition Award Winners
JIM BROWN | 34 years as a JRFH event coordinator
Physical education teacher at Slate Creek Elementary in Newton, KS
4 For his JRFH program, Jim Brown has designed a circuit by using task cards
to help students learn about each part of the heart as they move from station
to station. He says that as he continues to use this activity, he finds that
students are more knowledgeable about the heart than in the past.
4 He has also taken students outside for a lesson in which they plug up a
garden hose and see how even a partial blockage can affect water flow. He
likens this to the circulatory system and how decreased blood flow affects
the function of the heart. “I think it is important that [students] understand so
they can start making heart-healthy choices now,” Jim says.
DAVE JONES | 26 years as a JRFH event coordinator
Physical education teacher at Pleasant Ridge Elementary School in Glenview, IL
4 Recognizing the importance of getting school and community buy-in and
support for JRFH (or any fundraiser for that matter), Dave Jones stresses the
importance of flexibility and perseverance. Dave's event includes support from
every business and local government agency and participation from nearly
95% of students, who have raised close to $850,000 in 25 years!
4 His event engages students in teams where they participate in jumping
competitions, team dances, and poster contests. Alumni and heart disease
survivors are also included in the program to connect students to the
program's mission. Most importantly, all students are acknowledged for their
participation regardless of funds raised.
CHRISTEN WEATHERFORD | 12 years as a HFH event coordinator
Physical education teacher at Deer Creek Elementary in Edmond, OK
4 Colleagues describe Chris Weatherford as a role model and asset to the
profession in her ability to engage students to be physically active and
make heart-healthy decisions.
4 Chris organizes assemblies with local heart disease survivors,
workshops with NBA players, and school health fairs. Under Chris's
leadership Deer Creek Elementary has received an award of excellence
for being a Certified Healthy School and an Oklahoma Healthy Fit
School. Chris also mentors emerging professionals and those new to
the JRFH/HFH program.
5 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Congratulations!
To the 2014 Grantees
SHAPE America is proud to recognize the recipients
of the 2014 Jump Rope For Heart & Hoops For Heart
Grant! These individuals have demonstrated passion
and dedication to the JRFH and HFH programs and
to promoting the message of heart-healthy living.
In addition to receiving a stipend to attend the
National Convention & Expo in St. Louis, grantees
were awarded a $1,200 voucher from US Games to
purchase PE equipment. Grantees also served as
panelists in a National Convention program session,
“The Next $2500 JRFH/HFH Grant is Waiting for
You!” where they shared their innovative tips for
holding successful JRFH/HFH events and will be
contributors to The Pulse, sharing articles and
activities to for coordinators across the nation to
develop their JRFH and HFH program.
Left to right, top row: Laura Munley (SHAPE America), David Dixon, Caryl Dazer, Julie Webb,
Malinda Valenti, Jennifer Brell, Jessica Prickitt; bottom row: Beth Siegfried, Michael Malone,
Gina Dean, Michele Whittingham
Caryl Dazer
Livonia Public School
Plymouth, MI
Gina Dean
Pocomoke Elementary
Pocomoke City, MD
“This opportunity opened
David Dixon
Hayward Primary School
Hayward, WI
my eyes and also a door
Michael Malone
Park Hall Elementary
Park Hall, MD
to new skills and ways
Jessica Prickitt
Linden STEAM Academy
Malden, MA
Meryl Reynolds
Crystal River Middle School
Crystal River, FL
Beth Siegfried
Concord Elementary
Saint Louis, MO
useful throughout my
Malinda Valenti and
Jennifer Brell
Kiski Area Intermediate School
Sarver, PA
career.”
Julie Webb
Woodland Elementary School
Olathe, KS
Michele Whittingham
Cherokee Trail Elementary School
Castle Rock, CO
of thinking that will be
—Jessica Prickitt, Malden, MA,
2014 JRFH grant recipient
Look out for the 2015 grant program application on www.shapeamerica.org this summer
for the chance to receive a professional development stipend to attend the SHAPE America
National Convention & Expo in Seattle, one-year SHAPE America professional membership,
teaching resources, and $1,200 for physical education equipment!
6 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Activity: Heart Attack Tag
Introducing Heart-Attack Risk Factors to Primary Grade Students
Michele Whittingham, Cherokee Trail Elementary School, Parker Colorado, 2014 JRFH grant recipient
To help the students at Cherokee Trail Elementary School understand the risk factors that can lead to a heart attack,
I teach a game called Heart Attack Tag to my K-3 students. The game is a simple way for my students to understand
both healthy and unhealthy habits that may cause or prevent a heart attack. This is a great lead-up activity to my
Jump Rope For Heart event.
Submitter: Michele Whittingham
School: Cherokee Trail Elementary School
Location: Parker, CO
Grade: K–3
National Standards: 4 & 5
STANDARD 4 The physically literate individual exhibits responsible
Colorado Standards: 1.1, 2.2
Standard 1.1 Demonstrate body and spatial awareness through movement
STANDARD 5 The physically literate individual recognizes the value of
physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression
and/or social interaction.
Standard 2.2 Physical and Personal Wellness: Understand the benefit
of exercise and a healthy lifestyle personal and social behavior that
respects self and others.
CSH Focus: (Coordinated School Health) Health education and nutrition services
Supporting Materials/Resources:
National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education (SHAPE America, 2014),
AHA’s warning signs of stroke web page, AHA’s Risk Factors for Heart attack prevention web site
Prior Knowledge: Healthy eating
habits, forms of exercise, drug and alcohol
awareness and resistance, smoking
resistance information
Learning Expectations:
Psychomotor: Children move in space safely by avoiding collisions with others, follow
safety rules for tagging, and walk/jog in open space.
Cognitive:
Children show an understanding of the risk factors for heart attack, and
the difference between risk factors that can and cannot be changed with
lifestyle choices
Affective:
Children work collectively as a team to tag others. Children experience the
enjoyment of exercise and a healthy lifestyle while participating in a game
Vocabulary: Cardiovascular, heart
attack, risk factors, drug and alcohol
resistance, exercise
Safety Considerations: Move safely in space without
colliding with others, tag safely and appropriately, watch out for
others who are on the floor as you run by one another
Introductory Activity: Explain: There are many
risk factors that could cause you to have a heart attack.
The risk factors that we will use in today’s lesson are
factors that are self-induced (those that you can control).
The four factors we will use are smoking cigarettes,
drug and alcohol intake, lack of exercise, and eating an
unhealthy diet (review the factors and how they affect
the body and heart). We will also use three healthy
habits in today’s activity: not smoking or doing drugs,
getting plenty of exercise, and eating a healthy diet
(describe the healthy habits and how they help prevent
heart attacks).
Equipment/Materials:
3 half cut swimming pool noodles in green
and 4 in yellow, list of risk factors for a heart
attack from AHA
Differentiation/Inclusion: Children in wheel chairs put a hand on
their heart and slouch in their chair to show they have been tagged. Children
with vision impairment will partner with an able bodied student to be a tagger.
Lesson Focus:
Rules of the game:
1. 4 taggers are chosen to represent the heart-attack risk factors. They are each
given a yellow noodle piece.
2. Risk factors try to tag the people in the game to give them a pretend heart
attack.
3. When tagged, a student is to perform their best dramatic “fake heart attack”
and gently fall to the floor.
4. The healthy habits taggers will then come to save the student who is having a
“heart attack” and tag softly with their noodle saying their healthy habit as
they do so.
5. Switch taggers until all have had a turn to be a healthy habit or a risk factor.
Conclusion/Assessment: After all have had a turn to be a tagger, students will gather and compare and contrast the risk factors and
healthy habits giving examples of each. The teacher will explain the benefits of living a healthy, active lifestyle and the impact of these on one’s life.
Students will discuss how they will implement these healthy habits in their daily lives.
7 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Convention Highlights
from St. Louis!
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8 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
More Convention Highlights!
Chad Triolet’s “J.A
.M (Jump and
Move) Practical Id
eas for JR4H”
session was so m
uch fun!
Mount Hope Show Me Jump Rope
Team had a fun day of physical
activity in the exhibit hall
Rubber
National Joint Proj
ects Committee M
ember
and New York Stat
e JRFH Coordinato
r Paula
Summit congratula
tes Rick LaPaglia
of
French Road Elem
entary for receiving
the
Top JRFH School Aw
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Chicken
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9 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014
Show & Tell
AAHPERD Becomes
SHAPE America
At the April 2014 AAHPERD National Convention & Expo in St.
Louis, AAHPERD officially launched its new name and brand:
Society of Health and Physical Educators, doing business as
SHAPE America. The vision of SHAPE America is "Healthy People
– Physically Educated and Physically Active!" Headquartered in
Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, SHAPE America is
the largest organization of professionals in physical education,
physical activity, dance, school health and sport — all
specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Its
mission is to advance professional practice and promote
research related to health and physical education, physical
activity, dance and sport by providing its members with a
comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support,
and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further
the health and well-being of the American public.
By working together as co-sponsors of the Jump Rope For Heart
and Hoops For Heart programs, SHAPE America and the
American Heart Association are making a difference in the lives
of students, molding a new generation of healthy, physically
active volunteers!
Get
Involved!
In what exciting and innovative ways are you bringing
heart-healthy living and physical activity to your
students? How is the JRFH/HFH program being
delivered across the curriculum in your school? What
are your best fundraising strategies? Bring national
attention to your school or district and write for The
Pulse. We accept articles, best practices, lesson
plans, and pictures.
The next deadline for submissions is July 1, 2014.
Email articles (or questions) to Laura Munley, Joint
Projects Manager, at lmunley@shapeamerica.org.
Set the Date!
Have you set the date for next year’s Jump Rope For
Heart or Hoops For Heart event? Now is a great time
to talk with principals, fellow teachers and parents
about reserving time on the 2014-15 school calendar
for a Fall, Winter or Spring event and also contact your
American Heart Association Youth Market Director to
schedule a quick meeting to sign your school up and
learn about the fun and exciting program offerings
available next year!
Email jump@heart.org to get started.
10 • SHAPE America • The Pulse • Spring 2014