The Lloydminster Public School Division has seen a lot of hockey games played at its schools lately.
The administration at the Division Office put out a challenge to all 10 of its schools to play the teachers in a game of ball hockey, to promote wellness through physical activity and teamwork. Wellness is a priority for the Division this year. On Friday, March 4th, the Division took on Rendell Park Elementary School.
The children were excited for the chance to skip out on some class time and cheer on their teachers in the game, often banding together to chant, “Go Rendell go” or “Let’s go Rendell!”
As the Division office had recruited a ringer player in Lloydminster-native and former National Hockey League player, Lance Ward, the Rendell teachers brought in their own ringer, Constable Grant Kirzinger of the Lloydminster RCMP.
Impersonating hockey player interviews on TV, Kirzinger commented on the game saying, “Not good. So far we’re down 5-2. So I think we’ve got to step it up a little bit. We’ve got to get the pucks in a little bit deeper and try to work away in the corners and grind this one out.”
Spectator, Cole Zevola, who was out watching his mother play on the Division’s team said that if he was out there playing, he’d have only one strategy: pass it to Lance Ward.
“It lines up with our priority that we have in the Division around wellness right now… and a great chance to build some relationships and have some fun with our staff. We’ve been doing a lot of work around resiliency with Dr. Unger, and just learning how to build environment that create resilient children… just working around fitness, relationships, mental health, all those sorts of things in our system,” says Todd Robinson, Director of Education with LPSD.
Six schools took on the challenge of playing the Division office. So far the administration has a 3-2 record after defeating Rendell Park. They’ve also played against Jack Kemp, Bar Colony, Bishop Lloyd, College Park. Another part of the wellness priority will feature a lesson in packing healthy lunches on a budget.