Temple University Athletics
Solana Lee’s fifth grade class at Howard Pence Elementary School
San Diego’s Pence Elementary Adopts Temple For the Year
8.7.14 | Women's Volleyball
Temple Owls are everywhere!
Thanks to Solana Lee's fifth grade class, future Temple Owls now reside at Howard Pence Elementary School in San Diego, Calif.
Lee, the former Temple volleyball [1999-2002] team captain, has taught at Pence for six years. Each year, every class selects a college to represent and follows that college for the entire academic year.
"Our school is part of a program/philosophy called No Excuses University," Lee explained. "It is a campus-wide initiative focused on exposing kids to their future as college graduates. The idea is to get kids in the mindset that they WILL go to college in the future, something that many can't imagine before they come to our school."
Everyone at Pence participates.
"Each classroom (kindergarten through 6th) chooses a college/university to represent," Lee continued. "It is a fantastic opportunity to broaden their academic and world view. Ask any kid at Pence what year they will graduate from college, and they will cheerfully scream, in the case of my 5th grade Temple Owls, '2026!'"
More than 30 universities are represented this school year, which began two weeks ago. And the students learn about more than just a school's sports teams.
"My class was SO excited to learn about Temple University," Lee shared. "We did a map activity to calculate how far away Philadelphia is from San Diego, talked about the sports teams, and learned about the history of the school. Later this year when we study the beginnings of our nation in social studies, we will be tying it in to Philly's historical heritage of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc."
In addition to learning about Temple, Lee's fifth graders also show their true colors on a weekly basis.
"All 23 of my students are wearing Cherry and White every Friday for the rest of the year, and proudly shout 'We the T' when I ask them who they are," she said.
Getting Temple gear to Southern California was relatively easy.
"I had some things-- my old uniforms, volleyball and baseball media guides, poster, a pennant."
After emailing the volleyball office, the class received a surprise in the mail.
"TU athletics sent us an incredible goody box. So amazing," Lee said. "We opened it together in class, and the kids were beyond excited. TU football, basketball and women's sports posters are up in our room. We made the Temple T out of our names. The kids proudly have the stickers on their binders/pencil boxes, and the Cherry On posters went like hotcakes."
Sharing her love of Temple with her students has been easy for Lee.
"I am so proud to be associated with such a wonderful institution that would go out of its way to make this potential college experience so real for my students. You are surely going to have some Owls coming your way in the next few years."
-- By Cathy Bongiovi
Thanks to Solana Lee's fifth grade class, future Temple Owls now reside at Howard Pence Elementary School in San Diego, Calif.
Lee, the former Temple volleyball [1999-2002] team captain, has taught at Pence for six years. Each year, every class selects a college to represent and follows that college for the entire academic year.
"Our school is part of a program/philosophy called No Excuses University," Lee explained. "It is a campus-wide initiative focused on exposing kids to their future as college graduates. The idea is to get kids in the mindset that they WILL go to college in the future, something that many can't imagine before they come to our school."
Everyone at Pence participates.
"Each classroom (kindergarten through 6th) chooses a college/university to represent," Lee continued. "It is a fantastic opportunity to broaden their academic and world view. Ask any kid at Pence what year they will graduate from college, and they will cheerfully scream, in the case of my 5th grade Temple Owls, '2026!'"
More than 30 universities are represented this school year, which began two weeks ago. And the students learn about more than just a school's sports teams.
"My class was SO excited to learn about Temple University," Lee shared. "We did a map activity to calculate how far away Philadelphia is from San Diego, talked about the sports teams, and learned about the history of the school. Later this year when we study the beginnings of our nation in social studies, we will be tying it in to Philly's historical heritage of Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc."
In addition to learning about Temple, Lee's fifth graders also show their true colors on a weekly basis.
"All 23 of my students are wearing Cherry and White every Friday for the rest of the year, and proudly shout 'We the T' when I ask them who they are," she said.
Getting Temple gear to Southern California was relatively easy.
"I had some things-- my old uniforms, volleyball and baseball media guides, poster, a pennant."
After emailing the volleyball office, the class received a surprise in the mail.
"TU athletics sent us an incredible goody box. So amazing," Lee said. "We opened it together in class, and the kids were beyond excited. TU football, basketball and women's sports posters are up in our room. We made the Temple T out of our names. The kids proudly have the stickers on their binders/pencil boxes, and the Cherry On posters went like hotcakes."
Sharing her love of Temple with her students has been easy for Lee.
"I am so proud to be associated with such a wonderful institution that would go out of its way to make this potential college experience so real for my students. You are surely going to have some Owls coming your way in the next few years."
-- By Cathy Bongiovi
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