Hornets Believe: Marks, McGregor Speak to Elementary Students
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
March 23, 2009
The fourth-grade students at Schamburg Elementary School in New Orleans are in the midst of preparing for an upcoming standardized LEAP test, which will be conducted in April. Although it probably won’t be on the exam, if the youngsters are asked to find New Zealand on a map, they’d now be able to correctly answer, courtesy of a visitor who stopped by their school on Tuesday, March 17.
Hornets reserve forward/center and New Zealand native Sean Marks spoke to children about the importance of being prepared and well-rested for the test. After being introduced by Hornets TV analyst Gil McGregor, Marks also provided a brief geography lesson by grabbing a globe and pointing out the location of his native land in the Southern Hemisphere.
“He’s not from Covington,” McGregor joked to the kids during his introduction of the 6-foot-10 visitor standing at the back of the classroom. “He’s not from Abita Springs. He’s not from the Northshore. He’s from a place they call ‘Down Under.’ ”
“This is where we are right now,” Marks explained, pointing to the Gulf South region of the globe he spotted on a nearby shelf. “Where I’m from,” he said with a grin, as he spun the globe to its other side, “is all the way down here.”
Marks and McGregor each emphasize the importance of preparation before the important test. Honeybees dance team members Brandi and Heather distributed checklists to the fourth-graders that will be filled out on test day, including boxes for items such as “I ate breakfast this morning,” as well as “My No. 2 pencils are ready and sharpened” and “I believe in myself!”
Each of the Schaumburg students who successfully complete their checklists will earn free tickets to one of the Hornets’ final two regular season home games, on April 8 vs. Phoenix or April 12 vs. Dallas.
“I try to compare what the kids have to do to get ready for a test to a gameday for us as players,” Marks said. “On gamedays, we have to make sure we are in bed at a reasonable hour so that we get our rest. We have to get a good breakfast and get good nutrition. And we have to believe in ourselves.”
By: Jim Eichenhofer, Hornets.com
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The fourth-grade students at Schamburg Elementary School in New Orleans are in the midst of preparing for an upcoming standardized LEAP test, which will be conducted in April. Although it probably won’t be on the exam, if the youngsters are asked to find New Zealand on a map, they’d now be able to correctly answer, courtesy of a visitor who stopped by their school on Tuesday, March 17.
Hornets reserve forward/center and New Zealand native Sean Marks spoke to children about the importance of being prepared and well-rested for the test. After being introduced by Hornets TV analyst Gil McGregor, Marks also provided a brief geography lesson by grabbing a globe and pointing out the location of his native land in the Southern Hemisphere.
“He’s not from Covington,” McGregor joked to the kids during his introduction of the 6-foot-10 visitor standing at the back of the classroom. “He’s not from Abita Springs. He’s not from the Northshore. He’s from a place they call ‘Down Under.’ ”
“This is where we are right now,” Marks explained, pointing to the Gulf South region of the globe he spotted on a nearby shelf. “Where I’m from,” he said with a grin, as he spun the globe to its other side, “is all the way down here.”
Marks and McGregor each emphasize the importance of preparation before the important test. Honeybees dance team members Brandi and Heather distributed checklists to the fourth-graders that will be filled out on test day, including boxes for items such as “I ate breakfast this morning,” as well as “My No. 2 pencils are ready and sharpened” and “I believe in myself!”
Each of the Schaumburg students who successfully complete their checklists will earn free tickets to one of the Hornets’ final two regular season home games, on April 8 vs. Phoenix or April 12 vs. Dallas.
“I try to compare what the kids have to do to get ready for a test to a gameday for us as players,” Marks said. “On gamedays, we have to make sure we are in bed at a reasonable hour so that we get our rest. We have to get a good breakfast and get good nutrition. And we have to believe in ourselves.”
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