Rocketing into Field Day

Students prepped and ready to race in their potato sacks!
Photo courtesy of Joshua Daniel O.

By Mackenzie Dysinger

Students from the rocketry class debuted their creations on Tuesday, May 18th, as the first event of Upstream Learning’s field day. Adults and children both watched in delight as one rocket after another raced into the sky.  After the last rocket was launched and a few hot dogs were consumed, younger students grades pre-K through fourth participated in a variety of foot races. There was the classic 100 yard dash along with more unique field day events that left spectators laughing on the sidelines, such as the three-legged race and the infamous potato sack race. While the younger kids ran, students grades fifth through twelfth were able to participate in field day by playing a rambunctious game of capture the flag in the woods. Students were seen leaping over stick piles, sneaking through underbrush and running speedily amongst trees in hopes of scoring a point by capturing the opponent’s flag. 

After a few points had been scored and the younger children had completed their foot races, the two groups swapped places. Younger children played a series of organized games in the field while the older students, after returning from the woods, participated in their own set of races. In between events, thanks was given in the form of fresh flowers to all the adults that made field day possible. However, students and parents alike gave a special thanks to retiring administrative assistant Mary Howarth-Hernandez for her outstanding commitment and care for all the students at Upstream Learning. 

The day was finished off together as all ages competed in an egg relay and water balloon toss contest. Students were divided into groups of four and then given a spoon, an egg and instructions on the relay. Smiles were found on every face, from the smallest kindergartener to the oldest senior, as each student carefully ran their egg that sat in a spoon from one end of the field to the other. The groups of four were then split into pairs in order to prepare for the best event of the day--the water balloon toss. As is expected from large groups of children, the water balloon toss did not last long before a classic water balloon war broke out.  Parents ran from the field towards the safety of the food tables while students threw the last remaining balloons at each other. The day ended as only field days should with groups of exhausted, water soaked, and  happy children.