Class Huddles With Kindergartners

Hulking football players and peppy cheerleaders from Royal High School visited Vista Fundamental Elementary School on Wednesday to entice the youngsters and their parents to this week’s game against Thousand Oaks High School.

Standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing 215 pounds, 16-year-old Vince Ae, a varsity football offensive guard, knelt down and let kindergartners punch his shoulder pads and try on his golden helmet. Wendy Luce, 15, taught the 5-year-olds to chant, “One, two, three. Go Royals!”

Three football players, three cheerleaders and three members of the student government spent the rest of the morning going to each class, talking up team spirit and handing out free tickets to Friday night’s game, which begins at 7 p.m. at Royal’s new $3.6-million stadium.

One point of the visit was to get the younger children excited about going to high school, said Tim Piatt, a Royal teacher.

Another goal is to teach the high school students about public speaking, community outreach and other leadership qualities, he said.

Student body leaders in all grade levels must take Piatt’s leadership class, which runs five days a week and teaches youngsters about running meetings, planning events, resolving conflicts and setting goals.

In addition to elected student members, appointed special projects “commissioners”--who might be in charge of athletics or homecoming committees--also must take the class.

After the leadership class has completed its football season tour at several elementary schools, Royal students then plan to make rounds teaching youngsters about the dangers of drugs.