03/14/2006
Washington Oak students get a jump on health
By: Jessica Selby



Amy McGovern, the physical education teacher at Washington Oak Elementary School, has taken her class to a different level.
She not only taught her students how to make themselves and their hearts stay healthy, she also showed them how they can help others do the same through the Jump Rope for Heart Campaign.
The Jump Rope for Heart Campaign is sponsored by the American Heart Association. This annual campaign, McGovern said, promotes the value of physical activity among students while showing them how they can, at the same time, contribute to their community's welfare.

"Most of my students have no idea that kids at this age, their age, can have heart problems," she said. "Having this program as part of our curriculum is a great way to introduce it to them."
"The program is designed in a way that allows the kids to have fun while they learn and raise money toward a great cause," McGovern said.
Each of the students in McGovern's third, fourth and fifth grade PE classes at Washington Oak voluntarily participated in the annual fundraising campaign. This year, McGovern kicked off the event by showing a video on heart disease. She then provided her students with an educational component on the subject before sending them out to talk to their relatives and friends about heart health when asking for their support.

The students were given three weeks to go out into the community and raise money. They were asking for sponsors for their planned physical activity.
Students were allowed to ask friends, relatives and neighbors but, McGovern said, no random door knocking was allowed.

In years past, the school has raised between $6,000 and $8,500 through sponsorships for the Jump Rope for Heart Campaign. This year, the students raised $6,860 and the counting is still going on.
Jessica Fusco and Thomas Collard, both fifth graders, tied as top fund raisers this year at $200 apiece and Debbie Kolling's third grade students earned the title of top class with $660.
"This is a very generous community at this school," McGovern said. "The students, their parents and the faculty and administration are always so giving to whatever the cause."

Once the student's had their sponsors, they spent each day of the physical education classes last week going through a series of jumping activities. They were speed tested; they learned new jump rope games like helicopter; they jumped in groups, with partners and solo; and they also tested their agility at the long jump.

"This is the best age group for children to be participating in programs like this," McGovern said. "Coordination-wise, they can establish the foundation for movement skills and, at the same time, have a positive learning experience that can help them establish a positive attitude and appreciation for participating in regular, daily physical activity.

"I specifically made it a point to tell the kids that, not only are they making their hearts healthy, they are also helping others to get healthy by raising money for research," she said.
This is the seventh year that the students at Washington Oak, under McGovern's guiding hand, have raised money for the American Heart Association through the Jump Rope for Heart Campaign.