“London Teacher Inspires Students Through Blue Jays Fandom”

Rui Castelhano, an elementary teacher in London, Ontario, arrived at his school full of joy on Thursday following the Toronto Blue Jays’ triumph over the New York Yankees with a 3-1 series win in the American League Division Series.

Dressed in Blue Jays attire, including a branded jacket, a team shirt, and a Blue Jays lanyard, Castelhano radiated happiness.

Expressing his passion for the Jays, Castelhano mentioned, “I like the kids to know that I’m a Jays fan. Sometimes kids don’t think you’re human because you’re a teacher.”

Teaching Grade 6 at Saint Marguerite D’Youville Catholic Elementary School, Castelhano enjoys sharing his love for the Jays and sports with his students.

In his classroom, Castelhano displays a collection of posters and newspaper clippings related to the Jays. Figures of Josh Donaldson and Mark Buehrle as bobbleheads adorn his bookshelf, while gifts from former students, such as drawings and letters with the team’s logo, decorate the room.

Beyond his outward display of fandom, Castelhano integrates baseball into his teaching methods, making it an essential part of his educational approach.

Regarding this approach, Castelhano noted, “The kids are more engaged. They’re enjoying the class, they’re asking more questions, they want to know more, and they actually want to learn more.”

Castelhano uses the Jays to teach statistics in the classroom, bringing in baseball cards for students to analyze data, understand percentages, and calculate averages.

He emphasized, “Sports is math and they can actually apply it in their regular days. I’ve been at this so long that you can make anything a little bit cool. You’ve got to look at it in many different ways.”

Although Castelhano is new to teaching at Saint Marguerite D’Youville, he has been leveraging the “Blue Jays experience” to connect with his students for nearly twenty years, even taking former classes on trips to Jays games.

Principal Alisha Gingerich highlighted the significance of Castelhano’s approach in engaging with sports fans and athletically-inclined students, fostering better academic connections.

Gingerich explained, “When he can engage with those students, he can get them interested in the academics and make that relationship and connection with them. If you have a good relationship with your students, then they are going to learn more effectively from you.”

A longtime Blue Jays fan since his own Grade 6 days, Castelhano has been collecting baseball cards and attending games since the opening of the Rogers Centre (formerly the Skydome).

His dedication to the team has only grown, attending every home opener game for the past fifteen years. His personal memorabilia collection surpasses that in his classroom, featuring posters, vintage team photos, and jerseys of various colors.

Commenting on his collection, Castelhano shared, “I’m working on building my whole room – my man cave. I’ve got a lot of Jays stuff around and it just keeps growing.”