Young Woods Elementary School confirmed its end of a bargain made last fall, so that Cole Strange and the New England Patriots returned to Providence on Wednesday to reward those with perfect attendance through the first half of the school year.
“It’s a lot of hard work that the kids have put in, not only for them to be able to see one of us from the team come back, but if that’s a little bit of motivation, it’s really cool that we can help them along with that,” Strange said. “It’s a really big deal that so many of them have had perfect attendance this whole time. That’s a really great thing.”
Back in September, the Patriots Foundation and cornerback Jalen Mills had their first visit to Young Woods, hosting a pep rally to encourage kids to show up to school every day. Mills and two cheerleaders answered questions in the gymnasium, and challenged the elementary school students to improve their participation.
No days off, so to speak. Since then, about 200 students have purchased and maintained perfect attendance to this point in the year.
“Last year at this time, we were at about 78% student attendance every day, which was extremely low,” said Dr. Jackson Reilly, principal at Young Woods.
“I just started here in January and one of our big initiatives was to get students to come to school every day. So when (the Patriots) reached out and Jalen came in September, and now here with Cole today, we’re happy. to say that we’re up to 92% attendance every day. we’re doing 14% better year over year, and that’s kind of trickled down into everything. we do a fantastic morning enrichment program and we have 100 kids who come in for an extra hour, twice a week, and they want to be here.”
Dr. Reilly reiterated how much the pep rally inspired not only the students, but their families as well.
“It means so much to this community,” the principal said. “We’re an inner-city school. We have amazing kids, and even seeing the families show up today, they really, really appreciate all the support we get.”
As students enjoyed a celebratory breakfast in their cafeteria, decorated with handmade signs welcoming the Patriots back, Strange talked about how his dad instilled the importance of showing up every day. That way of thinking helped him fulfill his dreams.
“I had perfect attendance because my dad just didn’t have anything else,” Strange said. “But the Patriots are the same.”
Before the end of the breakfast, in-game announcer Mike Riley and Cole Strange offered another proposition: if students keep it up for the rest of the school year, the Patriots will be back in June.
“That’s what our kids need to see,” Dr. Reilly said. “It’s looking at these people that they see on TV all the time, they follow on Instagram, and when they hear ‘Hey, I’m proud of you,’ these kids feel seen. A little girl just came out and said this that’s a day she’ll never forget. How cool is that?”
How do you get NFL players autographs?
Can you get autographs at Patriots Training Camp?
Good news for fans ready to attend New England Patriots practice this season: autographs are back. On the same subject : Biden’s rickety polls reveal flaw in his media cheerleaders. The Patriots released their 2022 practice guidelines this week and announced that, unlike the past two seasons, “autograph sessions are scheduled to take place after each day of practice.”
Are Patriots joint practices open to the public? This year marks the 63rd annual Training Camp for the Patriots, including their 20th consecutive camp at Gillette Stadium. New England Patriots 2022 Training Camp is presented by Optum and all outdoor practice sessions are open to the public and free to attend.
Can fans go to Patriots Training Camp? Fans planning to attend practices are encouraged to check the Patriots website or app for daily updates. Fans can also call Training Camp for updates by calling (508) 549-0001. We hope you will explore all the fun activities, games and photo opportunities along the Fan Walk and Play Football area.
What time should I get to Patriots Training Camp?
Training practices are free and open to the public. Training entrances will open approximately 1 hour before practice begins each day. Read also : Upstate native to cheer on Panthers in Super Bowl. Ninety Patriots players report to training camp at Gillette Stadium for daily practice sessions under the watchful eye and often loud instruction of their coaches.
How early can you get to the Patriots game? Patriots: Club, Suite and Optum Field Lounge access is three (3) hours prior to kickoff. All other gates open two (2) hours prior to kickoff. Revolution: Stadium gates open one (1) hour prior to kickoff. Season member gates open one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes prior to kickoff.
What can you bring into Patriots Training Camp? Fans can bring their own folding chairs and strollers. While bags are permitted at the Training Center, we encourage fans to use clear bags for speed of inspection and check-in.
