A special surprise visit caught students at Buffalo United Charter School off guard when members of the Buffalo Bandits stopped by for a memorable, interactive assembly. Several players and Rax, their mascot, visited the school to address the students about the importance of being a team player, share information about healthy eating habits, and discuss tips on finding your passion.
Scholars were split into two teams to complete various challenges, each emphasizing the power of teamwork. Four members of the professional box lacrosse team, Josh Byrne, Dhane Smith, Chris Cloutier, and Rax the mascot, challenged students and staff to complete the challenges while encouraging their teammates.
“The students were full of cheers and even stomped their feet. They were happy to cheer on their teams,” said Heather Czaja, second-grade teacher at Buffalo United Charter School. “They were full of smiles!”
Each team had three members head to the front of the assembly to work together to put on all the lacrosse equipment. The members who were not chosen to put on the equipment were encouraged to cheer on their team.
“It is important for our students to understand the importance of working as a team. The students needed to work together to achieve success in putting on the lacrosse gear,” said Czaja. “When they cheered each other on, they were able to focus on building positive relationships with each other. They were also building each other up rather than down which promoted a sense of community.”
Throughout the presentation, the Bandits players showed off various trick shots in a competition to score the most points. Students were encouraged to cheer on their team’s player to inspire more points! The final challenge featured two students from each team aiming to make shots while Rax guarded the net all while their teams cheered them on. The students on each team chose a teacher who also worked to score even more goals for their team.
Several teachers also were able to show off their Lacrosse skills. “Dr. Wilson was able to make a goal, which earned our entire school tickets to go see the Buffalo Bandits in a live-action game!” said Czaja.
About Buffalo United Charter School
Buffalo United Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Buffalo, New York, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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