Ensuring children develop a healthy lifestyle is important. A life-long love of sports is a great way to reinforce good exercise habits, and there's no better sport than Canada's past time: hockey. Kenora Catholic schools, including St. John Paul II, now offer a Hockey Skills Development Program to give students the chance to skate, shoot and score. While the program focuses on specific hockey skills, it also teaches children time management and fosters a sense of commitment. Children quickly learn to balance their school work and practice times. Overall, the Hockey Skills Development Program promotes a healthy lifestyle, all while having fun, where children are getting physical activity in while still learning at school.
The Hockey Skills Development Program was first introduced to St. John Paul II School in 2017. The program was so popular it was extended at SJP to be offered from December until March in 2018. Students are assigned ice times according to their school with a special session just for female players. As much as possible playing time takes place during lunch or after school so that students do not miss academic time. Parents must pre-register their children for the program.