Tulsa students enjoy a field trip to the hockey rink

It's not often students are allowed to yell and scream while in their seats during school. Unless of course if they are on a field trip. <br/><br/>News on 6 reporter Omar Villafranca tagged along

Tuesday, February 7th 2006, 10:50 am

By: News On 6

It's not often students are allowed to yell and scream while in their seats during school. Unless of course if they are on a field trip.

News on 6 reporter Omar Villafranca tagged along as several thousand Tulsa Public School kids went on a field trip to learn about teamwork, discipline and frozen water.

Tuesday with the Tulsa Oilers hockey team wasn't your typical school field trip and ice hockey is not your typical school subject.

Thousands of kids packed the Tulsa Convention Center to make noise for the Tulsa Oilers as part of the team's Tulsa Public School's day.

Donna Gilford, a teacher at Cooper Elementary School:" This is so awesome. They're glad to get out of school and then they get to support Tulsa, they're home team and we are just very excited." Tulsa Oilerâ€™s head coach Butch Kaebel: "we know how important home ice advantage is. Today is going to be a definite plus. They're going to be our 6th guy in the stands for sure for us."

Kids, who usually wouldn't get a chance to go a hockey game, got to see the game up close. And instead of eating in a cafeteria, kids ate in their seats.

The students weren't the only ones having a good time. Diane Hensley, a teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School: "teachers are having a blast, too, and that counts for alot."

Since this is hockey, an occasional fight breaks out. Teachers were ready with wise words just in case the kids saw the adults behaving badly. Donna Gilford: â€œwe've talked about it in school Character Council. This is part of the game of hockey. They've watched hockey games on TV. But we do know we do NOT do that in school."

And who said school wasn't fun?

By the way, Tulsa Oilers lost the game to the Youngstown, Ohio team by the score of 5 to 4 in a shootout.