It’s not every day that children get to meet a published author or a Major League Baseball player, but fifth graders at McKenna Elementary School in the Massapequa School District had the pleasure of connecting with both on Feb. 4. Angela O’Hoppe, an educator in the Sayville School District and former speech therapist at McKenna, read her recently published book, “If You Choose to Believe Them.”
The story is about her son, Logan O’Hoppe, a catcher for the Los Angeles Angels, who attended his mother’s first author appearance as he was still available for a few more days before heading to spring training.
The book is a true story of how Logan defied the odds to achieve his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player. The messages of self-belief, resilience and perseverance encourage children to listen to the people who say, “Yes, you can,” while blocking out the negative voices.
Angela O’Hoppe, who was a speech therapist at McKenna from 1994 to 2004, read to approximately 85 students who eagerly anticipated the visit. They cheered as they watched a short highlight video which included footage of Logan being drafted, his first major league hit, his first grand slam and exciting plays in the field.
The hallway leading to the library was lined with red and white balloons – the Angels’ colors – as well as posters that students made featuring the team logo and inspirational messages, acrostic poems written from the word “Believe,” and writing pieces about their own dreams. All students and staff were encouraged to wear red. The visit was organized by fifth-grade teacher Megan Cumming and speech therapist Denise Watson, Angela Hoppe’s former colleague at McKenna.
After reading her book, Hoppe asked her students to share their personal dreams, and reminded them to surround themselves with people who will encourage and nurture those ambitions. The program concluded with a question-and-answer session with Angela Hoppe and Logan.
Principal Amanda Lowry and assistant principal Mary Anne Ferraro noted the book was read in all fifth-grade classes, making Ms. O’Hoppe’s visit even more special for them. After listening to the story, students engaged in thoughtful discussions about goal-setting and activities that directly connected to the book’s message. Lowry added that this message aligns with the district’s social-emotional learning initiative, RULER.
“We are so happy and grateful that Logan took time out of his busy schedule to come here and share his story with each of the kids, along with his mother’s wonderful book that highlights his journey,” Lowry said. “Together, their story shows students that with belief and determination, they too can rise above challenges and achieve their goals.”
