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Field day is a ball for Maple Hills students

June 23, 2009

By Chantelle Lusebrink

By Chantelle Lusebrink
Classrooms may have computers instead of blackboards, and students may be researching online rather than checking out library books, but some things stand the test of time. You just don’t mess with field day.
That end-of-the-year, age-old tradition is still going strong and is better than ever at Maple Hills Elementary School.
“Everybody has a story about field day,” said Marsha Kauzlarich, an organizer and PTSA volunteer. “When I talk about it with people, like when I went to the QFC in Issaquah, they donated 10 percent toward the Popsicles and the guy that helped me said he remembered field day and loved it. He also went to Maple Hills.
“Kids look forward to it all year.”
On June 15, students raced from the auditorium to the fields surrounding the school to compete in games like tug-of-war, noodle races, hot shoot basketball hoops, jump rope, bean bag toss, hula hoops, wall ball and spoon races.
There were 25 events students could check off on their purple participation ribbons and several that earned them school records.
“It’s just fun,” fifth-grader Nathan West said. “My favorite part about field day is hanging out with my buddy Jake.”
“Yeah, and I like to play tug-of-war,” Jake Collins, his fifth-grade friend, added.
The event is so popular that Maywood Middle and Liberty High school students return to volunteer, but also to play.
“I just remember it getting better and better each year,” said Gabby Smith, an eighth-grader at Maywood. “Now, it’s the same. It’s simple and it’s still fun.”
“It’s a great way to celebrate the end of the year and it’s a tradition here,” said Polly Vaughn, the school’s physical education teacher. “We do some of these events in P.E. all year. But this is more of a celebration and it’s more fun, because we don’t dictate what they do. They have the power to chose.”
Reach Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink at 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.
Maple Hills Elementary School students, using a large nylon parachute to play parachute catch, run underneath by grade to get to the other side before it comes down to the ground. By Chantelle Lusebrink

Maple Hills Elementary School students, using a large nylon parachute to play parachute catch, run underneath by grade to get to the other side before it comes down to the ground. By Chantelle Lusebrink

Classrooms may have computers instead of blackboards, and students may be researching online rather than checking out library books, but some things stand the test of time. You just don’t mess with field day.

That end-of-the-year, age-old tradition is still going strong and is better than ever at Maple Hills Elementary School.

“Everybody has a story about field day,” said Marsha Kauzlarich, an organizer and PTSA volunteer. “When I talk about it with people, like when I went to the QFC in Issaquah, they donated 10 percent toward the Popsicles and the guy that helped me said he remembered field day and loved it. He also went to Maple Hills.

“Kids look forward to it all year.” On June 15, students raced from the auditorium to the fields surrounding the school to compete in games like tug-of-war, noodle races, hot shoot basketball hoops, jump rope, bean bag toss, hula hoops, wall ball and spoon races.

There were 25 events students could check off on their purple participation ribbons and several that earned them school records.

“It’s just fun,” fifth-grader Nathan West said. “My favorite part about field day is hanging out with my buddy Jake.”

“Yeah, and I like to play tug-of-war,” Jake Collins, his fifth-grade friend, added.

The event is so popular that Maywood Middle and Liberty High school students return to volunteer, but also to play.

“I just remember it getting better and better each year,” said Gabby Smith, an eighth-grader at Maywood. “Now, it’s the same. It’s simple and it’s still fun.”

“It’s a great way to celebrate the end of the year and it’s a tradition here,” said Polly Vaughn, the school’s physical education teacher. “We do some of these events in P.E. all year. But this is more of a celebration and it’s more fun, because we don’t dictate what they do. They have the power to chose.”

Reach Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink at 392-6434, ext. 241, or clusebrink@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.issaquahpress.com.

Written by Chantelle Lusebrink · Filed Under Schools, Schools Features 

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