Staley Da Bear helps Kennedy School students shake off winter blues

A special friend stopped by the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy School at St. Coletta’s of Illinois on Jan. 25 to help everyone shake off the winter blues.

Staley Da Bear, the official team mascot for the Chicago Bears, danced his way through the crowd of cheering students and staff, exchanging high fives with a multitude of raised hands.

“You ready to have a dance party?” his handler asked above the roar. “Let’s go!”

School administrators invited Staley to stop by the school to help motivate students as they settle into the second half of the school year.

About 70 students attend the therapeutic day school, including students from Thornton Township District 205, Thornton Fractional District 215, Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202, Crete Monee District 201-U, Consolidated High School District 230 and Flossmoor District 161.

Staley had everyone up on their feet dancing the cha-cha and Hokey Pokey in no time, eliciting laughter as he twerked to the beat of Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and LMFAO.

Between songs, his handler would ask Bears-related trivia questions, such as what colors are on the Bears’ jersey, who wears jersey #1 and which Bears player was known by his nickname “Sweetness.”

Before the end of the hour-long dance party, Staley had challenged students to a dance contest, which they gladly accepted.

“Did you guys have fun today?” they were asked at the end. “Yeah,” they responded in unison.

Based in Tinley Park, Kennedy School serves intellectually and developmentally delayed students ages 3-22. For more information, please visit www.stcolettasofil.org