Somerset School wins area's first heart school award

REWARDS: Children from Somerset School receive their Heart Start and Heart Schools Award. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Somerset School is the first in our region to win the Heart School Award from the Heart Foundation, recognising their commitment to being a heart healthy community.

Eleven children from Somerset School began promoting their ideas through a health team called the Nutritional Ninjas, using resources provided by the Heart Foundation. They took fruit and milk from the Fruit in Schools and Kickstart Breakfast programmes and created smoothies which were an instant hit with their peers. The school is also in line to win a second award for other initiatives they introduced throughout the year.

"Students and staff have also worked hard to promote healthy lunches to the school community and have recently made changes to their weekly lunch order," Heart Foundation health promotion co-ordinator Mariana Alletson says.

The school also participated in Foodstuffs' Food For Thought education programme as part of the award.

Principal Robyn Tootill is thrilled to have the initiatives added to the school curriculum.

"We know healthy and fit children are more ready to learn. They're happier and enjoy being at school."

Heart disease is the number one killer of New Zealanders each year with one person dying every 90 minutes.

The Heart Foundations' commitment to educating young New Zealanders has meant they have been actively involved in schools since the 1980s.

"The programmes and names have changed over the years but we've had a presence in schools for a very long time," Ms Alleston says.

The heart schools initiative was rolled out in 2011 and now has a website allowing schools to interact with the Heart foundation in between visits.

"It suits this techno-savvy generation," Ms Alleston says.

"They send in photos and videos of what they're doing within the school environment so we're able to assess their progress."

The Heart School programme is a free activity available to any interested primary, intermediate and secondary school in New Zealand. For more information go to learnbyheart.org.nz