Regina Pats Hold Organization's First 'Hockey Day' Game
February 25, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Regina Pats News Release
Regina, Saskatchewan - The Regina Pats and Prairie Valley School Division have joined forces to combine education and sport in a day students will not forget. On February 29 the first ever Hockey Day Game in Regina will be held.
The event takes place when the Regina Pats host the Red Deer Rebels on Monday, February 29, in an 11:30 a.m. match-up at the Brandt Centre. Over 4300 students will be taking part. The majority are attending from the Prairie Valley including every grade four to eight student. The rest come from schools within Regina's Public and Catholic School Divisions along with the Prairie South Division.
"We are an organization committed to the community and doing what we can help youth prosper," said Pats President Todd Lumbard. "The Hockey Day game is our chance to give back in a way that we hope leaves a lasting impression with the kids about the value of education and sport."
In addition to exciting hockey, students will be engaged in learning opportunities thanks to a specially designed curriculum by the Prairie Valley. A 30-page teacher handbook has been put together that relates classroom subjects to hockey. It provides specific curriculum items for grades 4 to 8 across all subject areas, including arts, careers, English language arts, health, math, physical education, science and social studies.
The students have an activity book to complete including geography and anatomy lessons, player name word search and bullying awareness quiz. In addition, schools attending had students submit questions for Pats players. The answers will show on the score clock and appear in print materials at the game. Students from a Prairie Valley school will conduct ice temperature measurements at different points of the game. The measurements will study the effects a hockey game and the lighting of the facility have on ice quality and building temperature.
"We thank the Regina Pats and are pleased to be working with them to provide students the opportunity to explore curriculum through sights and sounds of a hockey game," said Ben Grebinski, Director of Education and CEO for Prairie Valley School Division. "We are proud of the work of our teachers and educational consultants and excited to introduce this tool to ensure that game day is a social and cultural experience and also a unique learning experience."
The Hockey Day Game tickets and transportation is free of charge to the schools in attendance thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsors.
"I wish I would have videoed the reaction of the class when I told them that we were invited and would be going. You would have thought they each won a new Xbox," said Rhonda Meena, a grade 4 and 5 teacher from Ecole White City School.
The Western Hockey League recognizes education is paramount in the development as a hockey player, but also as an individual. Over 400 scholarships are awarded by the WHL each year to current and graduated players pursuing a post-secondary career. Players are also offered a year's tuition for every year they play in the WHL to any post-secondary school within North America.
"Our season ticket holders deserve a ton of thanks for their support of this game," adds Lumbard. "This was a true team effort for everyone involved to make sure as many kids as possible could take part."
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