Students in Kenora Catholic's Hockey Skills Development Program are shooting for success and building confidence and skills on and off the ice. The program recently wrapped up its season, leaving students with new-found hockey skills, friendships, and memories to last until the ice sets again next season.
Over the past few weeks, students in Grades 4 - 6 from St. Louis Living Arts School, École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys and St. John Paul II School have been hitting the ice for weekly sessions focused on developing their stickhandling, skating, passing, and shooting abilities. Coaches, many of whom are former players and current teachers at Kenora Catholic, provided expert guidance and encouragement to students while they honed their skills.
According to Megan Derouard, Athletic and Active Living Lead, the program was a huge success. "We saw significant improvement in every student who participated. But more importantly, we saw them develop a love for the game, new friendships amongst our schools and a passion for staying active and having fun."
Evan, a Grade 6 student from St. John Paul II, enjoyed the program. "It's a great opportunity to learn to skate, play the little skills games and meet new friends from the other schools."
The highlight of the program for Ali, a Grade 6 student from St. John Paul II School, was skating. "I really like hockey, and I enjoyed skating around the rink with friends."
Daphne, a Grade 5 student from École Ste-Marguerite Bourgeoys said she learned new skills. "It was fun because I got to do it with some of my friends, and I learned a lot about crossovers and got to practice new skills with Coach William."
Opportunities for experiential learning and physical fitness are essential strategies at Kenora Catholic for student mental health and academic success. "Our Hockey Skills Development Program is so important for our students because it gives them the opportunity to be physically active, boosting their self-esteem and helping them to feel better and concentrate at school. When all of this comes together, it helps our students thrive academically, socially, emotionally and physically," says Derouard.
Kenora Catholic's hockey skills program is just one of many extracurricular activities offered to students throughout the year. With the success of this season, plans are already underway to continue to provide even more opportunities for students to stay active and engaged throughout the school year.
