The Ducks will visit Helen Estock Elementary School in Tustin this Friday, Nov. 13 for the 18th annual Ducks S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation and Education) Reading is the Goal Day. Staff members from the club will make personal classroom visits to children in preschool through sixth grade throughout the day in celebration of the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. reading program. The event will culminate with an assembly for children in grades three through five featuring special appearances from Anaheim Ducks players Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Poehling in addition to mascot Wild Wing. Ducks’ DJ and in-arena host JoJo Maestrado will emcee the assembly.
Helen Estock Elementary School is an active participant in the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program, which includes physical education, reading, and STEM/STEAM initiatives. As part of Reading is the Goal Day, Ducks staff members will visit classrooms from 10 a.m. to noon PT. Each visit will include a discussion on the importance of reading as well as a question-and-answer session for the students. The annual Reading is the Goal Day will conclude with an hour-long assembly beginning at 1:30 p.m., where Gauthier and Poehling will read a hockey-themed book and answer questions from students.
Reading is the Goal presented by Concordia University Irvine, a division of the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program, is free to all first-grade through fourth-grade students in Southern California and is made possible by the Anaheim Ducks Foundation. The program rewards students for their time spent reading per day within a four-week period. S.C.O.R.E. aims to convey the importance of reading as the foundation to success and to begin cultivating a love for reading amongst the participants in the program. 15,000 students from over 530 classrooms will benefit from the four-week reading program during the 2026-27 season.
The award-winning Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program was developed in 2005 with the ultimate goal of promoting healthy living and academic excellence to all students in Southern California. Through its initiatives, Ducks S.C.O.R.E. has contributed to the educational landscape within traditional and non-traditional settings while impacting over 60,000 students annually.
In addition to Reading is the Goal, S.C.O.R.E. includes school supplies donations and the First Flight Field Trip as part of its in-class education initiatives. The physical education component of S.C.O.R.E. was designed to teach students positive character traits and the importance of healthy living, while also teaching the fundamentals of hockey. All Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program initiatives are free of charge to schools and students through funding from the Anaheim Ducks Foundation and the NHL Industry Growth Fund. The mission of the Anaheim Ducks Foundation is to facilitate and support programs that produce positive change for children and families throughout Southern California by providing educational opportunities, broadening access to the sport of hockey, and addressing the health and wellness needs of our community.
For additional information on the Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. program, visit https://www.ducksscore.com/.
