Rodeo visitors thrill school children

Sisters Elementary School students got a visit from some rodeo personalities at their end-of-year assembly last Friday morning.

Barrel man and clown, JJ Harrison, helped give out prizes and taught a few rodeo-style dance moves to the students, parents and teachers present.

One stoic non-participant, Carlos Guzman, the school ELL teacher, was observed in the back row. Harrison invited him up front for a private lesson, and Guzman obliged by teaching a few moves in return. Harrison, a former teacher with a finely honed ability to engage audiences, soon had the whole assembly laughing and dancing.

Rodeo queen Cassie Sanders made an appearance and shared her queen's speech with the students.

Queen Cassie said, "You don't have to be rich or famous to make a difference in the world." It's a message she feels strongly about and enjoys sharing with children.

This year's rodeo specialty act, Tomas Garcilazo, an internationally known charro, entertained the children with a demonstration of his formidable rope artistry skills. He is a third-generation charro, and travels the world sharing Mexico's national sport, La Charreria, at rodeos, stock shows and equine events. His rope routine, done to music and confined to the small stage, was impressive.

One of the school mottos is Be the 3: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible. Harrison related the ways that rodeo echoes that motto. Using an example of a bronc rider who scores high helping another rider who might score even higher, he asked a rhetorical question, "Why would he do that?"

A lone voice from the crowd called out, "To be respectful." Harrison stated that in over 50 rodeo assemblies he'd done, that was the first time the question was answered correctly.

One lucky student, Sabrina Reifschneider, was chosen as an outstanding example of Be the 3. She got a rodeo clown makeover, walking off stage in a pair of baggy blue shorts and a JJ Harrison T-shirt.