Three months ago students at Seymour’s Chatfield-LoPresti school began a challenge to read 5,500 books.
They passed the 6,000-book mark this month with a week to spare.
So school officials treated students to a visit Tuesday from two pro hockey players currently on the roster of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Team captain Aaron Ness, 24, and Ryan Pulock, 20, visited the school to read books to students and then mix it up with them in a game of floor hockey.
Ness read “The Magic Hockey Stick” to kindergartners and Pulock read “Z is for Zamboni” to first-graders.
Principal Dave Olechna said the top two readers from each classroom were rewarded for their hard work by getting a chance to play with the pros.
“I am your biggest fan,” one kindergartner told Ness.
“Is hockey hard?” another asked.
The team mascot, Storm, suddenly appeared in the gym, much to the delight of students playing floor hockey.
Olechna even got into the act, taking to the floor and playing for a few minutes. He said he has played hocked recreationally, and his three sons played hockey in high school.
Several fourth-grade girls cheered on Olechna.
“You are fast, Mr. Olechna,” one yelled.
“I’ve never seen him run before,” said another
Fourth-grader Poorva Parajuli said her classmates’ hockey skills needed some honing.
“They don’t know what to do, so they all crowd around the puck,” she said.
Classmate Leah Cuadraeo said she had fun.
“I’ve played hockey with my dad,” she said.
Another fourth-grader, Natalia Lizak, notepad in hand, said she was waiting to get autographs from the players. She called their visit to the school “awesome.”
Olechna said the team generously donated tickets to a March 14 game at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport to any student who read at least 10 books.
The school launched the reading challenge in November, with a pep rally led by children’s author and illustrator Joe Shandrowski of Fairfield.
