If primary school students had been at school this June, track and field day would have been a highlight of their year-end activities. But with kids and teachers staying home to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no possibility of typical track and field competitions.
At Riverside Public School, phys ed. teachers and Grade 7/8 students stepped in to organize a fun virtual track and field day on Wednesday, June 17 that students in Grades 1 to 6 could enjoy with their families.
The motivation behind the fun event was to fill the need for students to engage with each other, even from a distance. Practice and competition were brought to everyone’s home via video, almost as if they were practicing their skills during phys ed, classes with teachers Kendra Lane and Rob Heffernan.
“We knew that our wonderful intermediate students [Grade 7/8] were also experiencing a lot of change, likely missing friends, and school leadership opportunities,” said Lane.
So they called on Riverside’s Grade 7/8 students to be school leaders one last time before the end of the school year.
Students recorded videos of each challenge with guidelines for safety, equipment, and the rules for participants to follow and, most of all, have fun while completing them.
“It was the perfect way to provide them at least one last opportunity to be leaders for our students,” Lane added. “It was the perfect pairing and we were so thrilled that our intermediates rose to the occasion.”
There were nine challenges to choose from (click the links to see video of each): Yoga Warm Up, Captain Clean’s Bottle Flip Challenge, Mrs. Lane’s T.P. Toss, Free Throw, Bowl Ball, Multi-Ball Bucket Toss, Paper Airplane Toss, Chopstick Toss, and Jump Rope Challenge.
Teachers thank students Breckin Clement, Elsie Moore, Brianna Verheye, Ella Mangaroff, Kiela McPherson, Ella and Keaton Ouderkirk, Victoria Lunman, Isaac Mills, Wyatt Fisher and Julia Langfeld for sharing their talents with the Riverside families.
Principal MaryLou Lefler said, “A huge thank you to Mrs. Lane, Mr. Heffernan and the Grade 7/8 students who helped to create an amazing day of track and fun! Riverside students of all ages participated and demonstrated their Rams spirit despite being distanced.”
Seventy-one participants took on a challenge or two—and some even did all of them—and sent in photos or videos as proof. As incentive for participation, each received a certificate for a single scoop cup or cone of ice cream donated by Nancy Wenger from the Nutty Chocolatier.
“It was a great event that Mrs. Lane wanted to try… We were very pleased with the turn out and it was great seeing videos of all the kids smiling and having a blast,” said Heffernan.
Lane added, “It was so great to see the kids challenging themselves and having fun.”
See video highlights from the day on YouTube here.
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