Teachers earn an A+
for their performance

Kids Stuff
By William Feldman

Welcome to Kids Stuff. Today’s column includes the winners of the Flyers’ World Teachers Day contest; exciting news for 20 kids from Overbrook School for the Blind; and info about the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation.

FLY, TEACHERS, FLY
The Philadelphia Flyers’ World Teachers Day annual recognition was celebrated on Oct. 5. The Flyers like to honor their fans for their commitment to education and development in the classroom. The contest was open to elementary and high school students to nominate teachers.
Two teachers were chosen for their creative teaching and the long-lasting impact they’ve made on their students. The two teachers chosen were from the School District of Philadelphia.
The first teacher selected was Anthony TuFoura, a college adviser and study skills teacher from Olney High School West. The nominating students were Ja’lin Nelson, a senior, and Tito Burgos, a junior, who wrote a poem about their adviser/teacher and the emphasis he placed on the importance of higher education and academic success.
The second teacher selected was Lauren Pollock, a third-grade teacher from Webster Elementary School. The students’ submission emphasized the creativity she uses in her lessons when teaching all subjects, plus how excited the students get when they have her as a teacher two years in a row.
Both teachers were surprised with this honor when Flyers alumni Keith Primeau walked into their schools to tell them the good news. They were also given two tickets to the Flyers home opener on Saturday, Oct. 13.
"Lauren is a terrific teacher, and I can attest to the fact that the Flyers made a wonderful choice in selecting her as the recipient of the award," said Webster Elementary School principal Christine Connor.
Ms. Pollock is a Millersville University alumni and part-time graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in special education at Arcadia University. I had a chance to catch up with Ms. Pollock, who has been with the Philadelphia School District for five years.
She knew even by the age of 6 that she wanted to become a teacher. She notes that her favorite areas, especially if she had more time, are in social studies and literacy. Ms. Pollock was surprised with this honor.
"I was shocked and could not speak," she said with a big smile.
Ms. Pollock commented that her favorite moment as an educator is, "just seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces and teaching them something new every day."
She has advice for other teachers to help best communicate with their students.
"Make it fun. Let the kids get to know you personally and make it fun," she said, adding this advice to others who may be considering a career in teaching:
"Look at what your teachers do now and what they like, and incorporate that and keep working in school and just do their best."
In five years, Ms. Pollock hopes to still be teaching, specifically second-graders. By the way, she commented that she is a Philadelphian and a fan of all Philadelphia sports teams. However I got her to divulge her favorite Philadelphia Flyer, Daniel Briere. If I had to guess, I would have thought the answer would have been Keith Primeau (LOL). Unfortunately, Anthony TuFoura did not come to the Oct. 13 game so I was unable to interview him.

A VISION OF FUN
Students at the Overbrook School for the Blind got a feel for the game of hockey.
Last year, I had a chance to meet some great kids from the school. If you do not remember, Disney afforded them a chance to have a "meet and greet" with Superheroes Mr. and Mrs. Incredible and pair up with a non-costume skater for a private, side-by-side skate lesson.
This year the Philadelphia Flyers players and coaching staff volunteered and shared their love for the ice with 20 students from the school. They partnered with students as they skated around the ice and got a feel for the game of hockey. The students also experienced some fun activities including beeper ball, which is a game of catch commonly played with individuals who are visually impaired.

CHARITABLE ENDEAVOR
The Philadelphia Flyers hosted their annual Cancer Awareness Night on Tuesday, Oct. 16, to raise awareness and show support for the cause. The Flyers donated a portion of their proceeds from ticket sales to the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation and Breastcancer.org.
The 2007-08 season marks the NHL’s 10th anniversary of Hockey Fights Cancer. The Flyers showed their true commitment to this cause by wearing pink Hockey Fights Cancer decals on their helmets during all regular-season games in October.
"My mom is a breast cancer survivor and it means a lot to me to be able to encourage others to become educated about this horrible disease," said Flyer Mike Knuble.
The Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation’s mission is to unite with the community and work together to promote awareness of ovarian cancer by educating women and physicians about the disease, to advocate for early diagnostic testing and more effective treatments and to raise funds to help advance research toward a cure.
The Flyers recognized Adriana D’Alessandro as the community teammate at the Oct. 16 game. Adriana is the co-founder of the Sandy Rollman Ovarian Cancer Foundation and has dedicated the past seven years of her life to help conquer the disease.
After watching her sister Sandy slowly succumb to ovarian cancer, Adriana, only 21 at the time, decided to start the foundation to honor her sister’s memory and educate others about the prevention and early detection of the disease.
Fans were also able to help the Flyers by going to a charities booth behind sections 102/103 and purchasing a Flyers Cancer Awareness pin. All proceeds from the sale went to Flyers’ Charities, which help support women’s health initiatives.
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Answer to last week’s cryptogram: A HAPPY FAMILY SPENDS TIME TOGETHER
Columnist William Feldman can be contacted by e-mail at wmkidscolumn@aol.com