“Try your best, have lots of fun. Smile and shake, when the game is done!” In and out of the gym, George Grant Mason Elementary students will be now living by these words. February’s character trait of “sportsmanship” was introduced on February 1 during a read aloud led by Physical Education teacher Emily Dowling. “Lucia Lacorte, Poor Sport” by author Christianne Jones and illustrator Marisa Morea was Dowling’s pick to exemplify to students how to act when you win and lose in sports and life.
Lucia Lacorte, who just loves playing games, doesn’t love losing and makes it known to the members of her game club by yelling and crying when she doesn’t finish on top. Lucia is not much better when she wins - dancing around the room and rubbing it in when the game is over. It is the same way her grandpa acts after he beats her in a board game one evening; something that makes Lucia feel awful and wanting to change her ways. Back at her game club she introduces their new motto “Try your best, have lots of fun. Smile and shake, when the game is done!”
Dowling kept that page of the book up on the board as she asked students to consider what being a bad and good sport sounds, looks and feels like. “Raging!” is what one third grader called the actions of a sore loser. When it comes to being positive after the match is done, “Good Game” or “GG” as Ms. Dowling calls it, was the answer of several students.
After her talk, there were high fives all around the GGM multi-purpose room. Now watch for them in the main entrance of the building. In the coming weeks, paper high fives will appear when a student does or says something that represents good sportsmanship!
The February 1 event was a perfect way to celebrate World Read Aloud Day.