Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins visit Lake-Noxen first grade class
Dallas Post
HARVEYS LAKE — Handstands, unsolicited writing on the white board and teasing other students would easily result in a note to parents from Lehman-Noxen Elementary School first-grade teacher Gennifer Pauley.
But when Tux, mascot for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ hockey team, pulled his fun-loving antics in her classroom Tuesday, she stood by and smiled as she watched her students laugh and react to the mascot.
The students earned the academic break after taking on a challenge to read as many books as they could between Oct. 3 and Nov. 11. The dare was through the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins’ Robo’s Readers program.
“The students finished 724 books,” Pauley said.
Tux was joined by hockey players Teddy Blueger and Thomas DiPauli who came toting four large cheese pizzas from Grotto Pizza at Harveys Lake.
Tux’s chaperone, Brian Troiano, director of ticket sales for the Penguins, came equipped with plenty of Sharpie markers for Tux, Blueger and DiPauli to autograph hats, shirts and team photos for the children.
Troiano said the Robo’s Readers program was started a decade ago by former player Darcy Robinson who had dyslexia.
Robo’s Readers is geared to promote literacy by encouraging students to read, Troiano said.
Pauley’s class of 19 students read the most books in the kindergarten through third-grade division out of 31 participating school districts.
A fifth-grade class at Rice Elementary School in Mountaintop won the fourth, fifth and sixth-grade division, Troiano said.
Blueger and DiPauli talked with students about their favorite books, favorite animals and favorite color while Pauley distributed slices of pizza.
But Tux continued to get into mischief.
First-grader Richard Logan left his desk and a slice of pizza unsupervised for a few minutes only to return and find Tux sitting at his desk eyeing up the pizza.
Tux kept everyone’s attention as he did a handstand in front of the classroom and tried to eat a box of Capri Sun juice pouches, but his beak could not break the cardboard box.
First-grader Vincent Marcin could not stop laughing at the mascot’s shenanigans.
“I like Tux,” Marcin said. “He is funny and he farts.”
Lake-Noxen Elementary School first-grade students play ‘Seven Up’ with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins mascot Tux.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TDP022617Read1.jpgLake-Noxen Elementary School first-grade students play ‘Seven Up’ with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins mascot Tux. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post
Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class loved the fun-loving antics of Tux from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins hockey team.
Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class loved the fun-loving antics of Tux from the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins hockey team.
Sean McKeag | Dallas Post
Tux squeaked his way through a story book during a visit to Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class at Lake-Noxen Elementary School.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TDP022617Read3.jpgTux squeaked his way through a story book during a visit to Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class at Lake-Noxen Elementary School. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins mascot Tux poses during a visit to Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class at Lake-Noxen Elementary School.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TDP022617Read4.jpgWilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins mascot Tux poses during a visit to Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class at Lake-Noxen Elementary School. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post
First-grader Kaidence Gray looks at Tux as he entertains the first grade class. Also pictured are students Cooper Evans, behind her, and Coldyn Harris.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TDP022617Read5.jpgFirst-grader Kaidence Gray looks at Tux as he entertains the first grade class. Also pictured are students Cooper Evans, behind her, and Coldyn Harris. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post
Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins hockey players Thomas DiPauli and Teddy Blueger, along with Brian Troiano, director of ticket sales for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and Tux brought pizza to Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class at Lake-Noxen Elementary School for reading the most books in the kindergarten through third-grade division in the team’s Robo’s Readers program.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/web1_TDP022617Read6.jpgWilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins hockey players Thomas DiPauli and Teddy Blueger, along with Brian Troiano, director of ticket sales for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and Tux brought pizza to Gennifer Pauley’s first-grade class at Lake-Noxen Elementary School for reading the most books in the kindergarten through third-grade division in the team’s Robo’s Readers program. Sean McKeag | Dallas Post
Program run by Penguins encourages children to read
By Eileen Godin
egodin@timesleader.com
Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews.
