Our Favourite Moments of 2020-2021
New Rocks & Rings Programs Are Here to Stay
June 8, 2021
FREE DOWNLOAD: 5 Holi-Days of Fun
December 16, 2021
In a year like no other, we are so proud of the way students and teachers across Canada adapted to make things work, and that we were able to play some part in it. As the new school year approaches, we’re taking a moment to reflect and look back at some of our favourite parts of the 2020-2021 school year.
Two New Rocks & Rings Programs Developed
Rocks & Rings introduced two new ways for students to experience curling: “In The Classroom”, our online education portal, and Rocks & Rings Rentals. The official launch of Rocks & Rings In the Classroom took place on October 1, 2020. Curriculum-based digital learning modules for grades 1-6 in French and English were offered to teachers across the country, and the response was overwhelming! As this eliminated the need for on-site instructors and equipment, we were able to reach students in even the most remote areas, such as Pond Inlet, NU, and Onion Lake First Nation, SK. The ease of accessing these resources has diversified our exposure, ensuring every student in the country has the chance to learn about curling through our programs. We also invested in more equipment across the country to allow more schools the option of renting while many schools were not allowing outside visitors.
Rocks & Rings Plants the Seed for a Lifelong Love of Curling
Here at Rocks & Rings, we always look forward to hearing stories of students who continue their love for curling after we leave the gym. This year, we met Makiya Noonan and Chris Pratt. Makiya had the program visit her school when she was 7 years old and immediately fell in love with the sport. Her parents enrolled her at the Richmond Curling Club and she has been curling competitively ever since. Chris first had Rocks & Rings visit his school in 2012/2013. Chris and one of his friends got involved with curling and haven’t looked back. Whether he is attending Briers as a fan or playing recreationally, Chris’ love for curling has never faded. He is now managing a team in Ontario and he says “It never would’ve happened without Rocks & Rings.”
Contests & Giveaways
Rocks & Rings hosted a variety of social media contests and giveaways this season. Giveaways included official Rocks & Rings face masks, a Rocks & Rings in-school session, signed FloorCurl equipment by John Epping’s team, and a FloorCurl starter set signed by Kaitlyn Lawes and John Morris. The Activity Card Challenge was a giveaway that celebrated Curling Day in Canada in cooperation with Curling Canada and all our Egg Farmers partners. The activity card was downloaded nearly 1000 times so students and families could participate in the fun. It was so well received that we put out a Rocks & Rings-themed scavenger hunt a few months later to keep students and families engaged in the sport of curling while at home. The scavenger hunt was downloaded nearly 400 times in a span of 4 days.
Special Guest Lisa Weagle Hosts First Virtual Rocks & Rings
With virtual teaching being a huge part of the 2020-2021 school year, Rocks & Rings created a virtual session to help teach students about the sport from a distance. Even without the equipment present to play with, they had a great time learning about curling, engaging in fun games, seeing videos, and even doing art sessions with Olympic curler Lisa Weagle. Students were very excited to ask this professional curler all sorts of questions. The virtual sessions are something we are continuing to build on as a first introduction to the sport before students experience Rocks & Rings in the school gym.
With this school year behind us and a brand new year just around the corner, we look ahead to many exciting things coming up in 2021-22. Check out our blog post announcing some new programs and additions, and stay tuned for more updates!
Click here to learn more about Egg Farmers Rocks & Rings presented by Curling Canada and how you can bring it to your school. As always, a huge thanks to our generous sponsors & partners for the major part they play in making all this possible.
Share the Fun on Social Media
We LOVE to see the fun students are having with our Rocks & Rings program. Share your experience on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #rocksandrings.
