Sportsmanship and Leadership at Salmon Arm West

There was a hum of excitement at Salmon Arm West Elementary as students welcomed some special visitors on Thursday, November 28, 2024. The Salmon Arm Silverbacks Junior Hockey Team players were at the school!

The Silverbacks spent time reading one-on-one with the students in the Grade 1 and 2 Class, taught by Sarah Croken and Sarah Schroder. Each student had the chance to partner up with a player or join a small group for a reading session.

Afterwards, the entire school gathered in the gym to watch the Grade 4-5 Class play an enthusiastic and crowd-pleasing game of floor hockey against the Silverbacks. The Grade 4-5 students played well, scoring several goals during the 30-minute game, drawing loud cheers from their classmates. The Silverbacks added to the excitement, encouraging audience participation with high-fives after goals and engaging in good-natured fun throughout the game.

Principal Laura Jegues shared how much the staff and students value these opportunities to connect with community partners.

“These opportunities allow students to put so many skills into practice, whether it be reading to the players, practicing how to interact with community partners respectfully, or working on their sportsmanship alongside professional athletes, we thrive on these learning opportunities for our youth. I can’t think of a better way to put our School and District strategic goals of Literacy and Human and Social Development into practice!” 

Joel Kipp, the Grade 4/5 student teacher working alongside Jake Jakobsen, volunteered to run a floor hockey team during lunch hours and took on coordinating the invitation with the Silverbacks.

“Welcoming the Silverbacks to our school was an incredible experience for our students. The Silverbacks players put on a great show and exemplified good leadership. I am very proud of our grade four and five students for their hard work and determination. It is the students who made this event a huge success by demonstrating excellent leadership and sportsmanship. They supported each other and played a great game against the Silverbacks! I would like to thank all of the students and staff at Salmon Arm West for embodying our school spirit and creating a welcoming environment for our guests. For me, every goal that was scored in the game was a celebration of coming together as a school,” said Kipp.

Principal Jegues added that the school hopes that the Silverbacks will be able to come back for another visit and game very soon!