Hop for HeartKids is set for a major launch with new Curriculum-aligned resources designed to enhance student engagement and promote physical activity for healthy hearts, and minds.
The statistics are stark: eight babies are born every day in Australia with a congenital heart condition; four lose their life under the age of one every week.
Sadly, heart disease is the leading cause of death for infants in Australia. Critically, 50 per cent of these eight babies will require life-saving heart surgery, which can only be performed in four major cities: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.
These children often face additional challenges, such as developmental delays and milestone setbacks, making early support and awareness crucial. HeartKids aims to educate schools and communities about childhood onset heart disease (CoHD) and support affected families through comprehensive resources and programs.
This year, it is launching Hop for HeartKids, a pre-school and primary school hopping challenge helping students gain healthy heart habits while raising funds for kids living with CoHD.
Ms Sami Glastonbury, National Philanthropy and Development Manager at HeartKids, says it can be challenging for families when their child with a heart condition reaches school-age.
“When parents fill out medical forms as part of enrolment, schools immediately ask about existing conditions. Once parents reveal a heart condition, it can trigger alarm bells for teachers who aren’t informed about heart conditions,” she says.
“That’s why we’re bringing Hop for HeartKids into schools and linking it to the Australian Curriculum – to give students a fun, healthy activity that also builds awareness and compassion. Chances are they’ll have a peer with a heart condition at some point, and this helps create a more inclusive and understanding environment.
“We want to make it engaging, raise awareness about HeartKids, and support families in feeling more comfortable talking about their child’s condition.”
Experienced teacher and professional coach Ms Jane Hamdorf from Hamdorf Consulting is working with HeartKids to implement the Hop for HeartKids program into schools. With more than 30 years of teaching experience across a variety of year levels, her professional journey has encompassed various leadership roles within education. Her career has included teaching in multiple schools within the Catholic education system, most recently at St Francis Xavier’s Catholic school in Wynn Vale, South Australia.
Ms Hamdorf is currently developing comprehensive lesson ideas for HeartKids with a strategic, multi-disciplinary approach.
She understands the challenges of introducing new programs in schools, which is why her core philosophy centres on making materials teacher-friendly.
Curriculum integration is a key focus. She’s not limiting the resources to the health curriculum but creating cross-disciplinary opportunities.
“HeartKids lesson plans are linked to multiple subjects including art, maths, English, health, PE, and science with its focus on the human body,” Ms Hamdorf says.
Currently targeting reception, or Prep, to year six, Ms Hamdorf sees broader potential. She’s incorporating diverse learning approaches, including literature-based activities like using New York Times bestseller Oliver Jeffers’ The Heart and the Bottle with accompanying educational exercises.
Her lesson development emphasises engagement and real-world connections, with materials aiming to help educators easily integrate HeartKids’ message. She is particularly passionate about highlighting fitness’s broader impact.
“The importance of fitness in relation to not only heart health, but mental health is so important, especially in this screen-age,” she says.
Her ultimate goal is creating resources teachers will enthusiastically adopt: “They can just pick this up and run with it.”
For more information, visit https://www.heartkids.org.au/
