Jamestown Rebels hockey player, Brett Morich, “coached” Love Elementary School students during a recent visit.

The Jamestown Rebels hockey team is taking time out of their busy schedule to visit Love Elementary School this year. Recently, the team spent an afternoon of fun as a reward for good student behavior. To be eligible to participate, students learned about fairness, the monthly character trait, and had to meet the monthly criteria revolving around that trait, along with no major behavior referrals for the month.

The Love PBIS Committee planned the event with games such as: egg relay race, racing hippity-hop balls, using a flyswatter to move a balloon down a hallway, balancing a Frisbee on your head and scooter hockey. The entire school divided in mixed grade level teams and competed in the fun games with the Rebels.

“I reached out to the team to see if they would be willing to help with a PBIS activity,” said Love teacher, Jill Smeraldo. “Fellow teacher, Laurie Hind, had the idea to have the Rebels be team captains for each group of kids. I spoke with Coach Joe Combs who was more than happy to have the entire team participate. It is important to show the students that there are more than the four walls of the classroom or their home. Bringing in our outside community exposes students to opportunities and experiences they may never have. Our students need chances to meet positive role models who can show them that hard work and perseverance can make your dreams come true. We are hoping that we can continue to build a relationship with the Rebels team so that the students feel as though they are part of our Loving Lions Family. The more people the students have caring for them and providing with support, the more successful they will be.”

The Jamestown Rebels also come into Love School on Tuesdays. Three players, who rotate each week, come in to have lunch with second and fourth grade students. The players spend time working on sight words with the second graders and multiplication facts with fourth graders. The Jamestown Rebels enjoy their visits to Love School too.

“We love being part of the community,” said Tommy Gerace, Jamestown Rebels’ Director of Community Relations. “It’s important for us to show kids in Jamestown that teamwork, responsibility and positivity to other people, and other kids, in life is important. Hockey is a great way to showcase these traits and inviting us into Love School to show the students in person is really awesome.”