Lower School students abandoned school uniforms and dressed in shorts and t-shirts for a day of games and competition during Lower School Field Day on Wednesday, May 18. The athletic field and track became a space for relay races and good-hearted fun as students laughed, cheered, and enjoyed a day of exercise and play.
Field Day had a Wild West theme and activities centered on that theme. Students panned for “gold,” digging for shiny pennies hidden in the long jump sand pit. They rode inflatable stick horses on the track, while trying to throw bean bags through “lassos.” They completed an obstacle course and ran several relay races including a sports relay and a water sponge relay (dunking a sponge into water, racing to a bucket, and squeezing out the sponge until the bucket was filled. In addition, students played on two inflatable water slides and tried to dunk favorite teachers in the dunk tank.
Two favorite activities of the day were the balloon stomp and the dunk tank. In the balloon stomp,
classes teamed up in a huge mass on the field to try and pop balloons tied to opponents’ ankles. The last “man” left standing with an unpopped balloon was the winner. Jamie Heiskell, Sarah David, Matthew David, and other teachers sat in a dunk tank while students attempted to drop them underwater with a pitch of a ball. However, feathers like Steve Henson, Lower School music teacher, came especially prepared for the tank, dressed in floaties to ensure his safety.
Over 100 parent volunteers chaperoned, monitored games, prepared snacks, blew up air balloons (300 of them!), provided water bottles (over 160), filled water balloons (450 of them!), hauled supplies from game to game, directed traffic, bandaged small boo-boos, volunteered for the dunk tank, and supported Lower School students as cheerleaders during the day-long event.
“It takes an army of people to run Lower School Field Day,” said Beth Figaretti, who coordinated the day, along with co-chair Dwayne Ellis.
“I was so grateful for the beautiful weather God provided with the breeze and cloud cover which kept the children cool,” added Jeannie Brostrand, Lower School principal. “The sun peeked its head through the clouds as if summoned and it was a great day. I sincerely appreciate everyone who made our 2016 Field Day one for the record books! “