Windermere Prep Students Jump to Help Save Lives

Windermere Prep Third graders Kaiz Premji and Daniel Levin shoot hoops during Hoops for Heart at Windermere Prep.

Windermere Prep students recently jumped rope, made basketball jump shots, and ultimately jumped for joy adding up all the contributions they had collected for the American Heart Association.

Students in PreK-3 through second grade participated in the AHA’s annual Jump Rope for Heart and those in third through sixth tackled Hoops for Heart with record results. A preliminary count showed a total of $13,980 collected by WPS students to help fight America's #1 and #3 killers -- heart disease and stroke. This beat last year’s total of $12,855, which won 2005 county honors and ranked WPS as the leading school in the state of Florida that participated in a combined Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart program. WPS also ranked 35th of the top 100 schools nationally in this combined category.

This is the fifth year WPS has participated in these two programs that promote physical fitness, help students learn jumping and basketball skills, encourage community service, and raise money to fund lifesaving research and educational programs. “The whole idea is to get the kids moving and jumping,” said WPS Athletic Director Tom Raymond, who coordinates the event. Raymond was assisted this year by WPS physical education teachers Ken Ratcliffe and Carrie Miller.

Students collect donations for the AHA from family and friends who want to sponsor their jumping endeavors. A day is set aside, and the younger students hold Jump Rope for Heart that morning and the older ones Hoops for Heart in the afternoon.

Since the younger students have difficulty jumping rope, they are offered an alternative, where they have to jump over moving ropes and hula hoops as well as maneuver over a speed ladder. Some of the older girls opt to jump rope instead of shooting hoops. “We don’t mind, everyone is exercising for a good cause,” said Raymond.

For the second year, the WPS Physical Education Department sponsored a classroom door decorating contest. Students decorated their classroom doors to educate others on being heart healthy. Julie Tresca’s first grade class won the Jump Rope for Heart door contest and Cathy Novokowsky’s fourth grade class took the Hoops for Heart door honors.