Rebecca Zarrow admitted she was a bit nervous for the night ahead, and not because she didn’t think the Predators couldn’t beat the Islanders recently at Bridgestone Arena - although she was certainly pulling for that outcome.
Instead, the 12-year veteran teacher at Valor Flagship had butterflies thanks to her own recognition as the first recipient of the newly minted Smashville Schoolhouse honor.
“It is incredible, one, to have hockey and education come together in such a great way, but I also think for teachers to be recognized is just amazing,” Zarrow smiled. “Everybody knows that teachers do really hard work and are doing incredible stuff in the classroom…and for kids to get to see their teachers, and for teachers to feel honored, that sense of community is really incredible.”
Launched by Preds Chairman and Owner Bill Haslam, his wife, Crissy, and the Nashville Predators Foundation, the Smashville Schoolhouse program celebrates exceptional teachers who go above and beyond to help their students succeed, embodying the hard work, teamwork and success that defines Smashville.
For the remainder of the season, the initiative will honor a K-12 public school teacher during each Preds game at Bridgestone Arena. Each winning teacher, who will be known as a Power Play Educator - will receive a $5,000 reward, a portion of which will be dedicated to funding classroom supplies or a specific project that enhances student learning.
As a diehard hockey fan herself, Zarrow was proud to become the inaugural honoree. She plans to not only add some softer, warmer lighting in her classroom, but she’ll also invest in some young adult books to make sure her students “get excited about reading on their own and build that love for literacy.”
For the Haslams, launching a program like this was simply the right thing to do, and they’re excited to see the impacts Nashville teachers will continue to make in their students’ lives.
“Crissy and I learned when we were in office how important teachers are,” Bill Haslam said. “It’s a really hard job, and it's critical to everything else we're doing around. The Preds have had this incredible history of honoring military veterans. That's been such a great part of who we are, and we thought, ‘Why don't we take the chance to recognize teachers who are so important to what we do?’ So, we hope this becomes another great Preds tradition.”
Zarrow, who was recognized during the game on FangVision, and then got to meet winger Luke Evangelista following the shootout win, couldn’t help but grow her fandom thanks to the recognition from the Preds.
“I think it's beautiful, and it’s really like walking your talk and showing that this is a priority,” Zarrow said. “I do think the Predators organization does a wonderful job at really going out in the community, and not just with teachers, but all different events for different members of the community. It’s like everybody is really part of the team and part of making this happen and what happens in this building. That makes it awesome.”
“I used to always say, back when I was in office, that if you're having a bad day, go to a school and hang out with a teacher,” Bill Haslam said. “You’ll realize there’s really good work happening… Smashville’s kind of known for embracing the community. We’re about great hockey, but we're about a lot more than that. The whole community embraces the Preds because of a history of doing that. So, it's really fun to add another piece, if you will, to the giant puzzle that we put together to make Smashville such an important part of who we are in Middle Tennessee.”
For more information on the Smashville Schoolhouse and to nominate a teacher, click here.
