Students at Smith Street Elementary School traded classrooms for relay races, obstacle courses and a dunk tank during the school’s second annual Field Day, an end-of-year tradition designed to celebrate teamwork and create lasting memories before summer break.
Held on the school’s grounds on June 3, Field Day brought together students from every grade level for a day of outdoor activities, games, music food and friendly competition.
Physical education teacher Freddy Vidal, organized the event, said Field Day is one of the highlights of the school year.
“It’s been a tradition here,” Vidal said. “It’s my second year here, so they’ve always had it, but when I came to Smith Street, I wanted to take some of my ideas and add my own, too.”
Vidal is familiar with Field Day events at schools as this was his second year helping organize the outdoor event at Smith Street. However, his experience traces back before coming to Uniondale, he taught in Westbury and drew on ideas from previous events while helping continue Smith Street’s longstanding tradition.
“It’s basically a gym all day for them, they’re all excited for it,” Vidal said. “They’re outside no schoolwork, for them it’s the best day.”
About a month before Field Day, he began preparing students for the activities while emphasizing sportsmanship, teamwork and positive behavior.
Students rotated through a variety of stations, including relay races, beach ball challenges, hula hoop activities and a popular dunk tank that drew long lines throughout the day.
Rising sixth grader, Olivia Grant along with Evita Joseph, Brielle Sanchez, Kayden Jenkins and Josephine Mejia Pelico, some attending Turtle Hook Middle School in the fall said the dunk tank was their favorite attraction.
“This day shows that it’s almost summer, where we get to be outside instead of what I like to call trapped,” Grant said with a laugh. “Basically, inside and we can be free, we can run around and have fun.”
Tamel Johnson said he enjoyed spending time outside with friends and participating in activities that aren’t part of a typical school day.
Students pointed to several activities that required teamwork, included, cornhole a beach ball relay and a hula hoop challenge in which classmates stood in a circle holding hands while working together to move a hula hoop around the group without letting go.
By the end of the day, students of all grades had a tug-a-war contest, where each team consisted of a class to see who will pull the hardest.
For Vidal, the biggest goal is creating memories students will carry with them long after elementary school.
“Today is just a fun time and (creating) memories, next year or maybe when they’re in high school they’re going to think to themselves or tell their classmates and say ‘hey remember we played this one game that we were competing against each other’” Vidal said.
Vidal said the event also helps build school culture, noting that former students sometimes return to visit and support the school community.
As the school year winds down, many fifth graders said they will miss the annual tradition when they move on to middle school next fall, but the memories of one last Field Day at Smith Street are likely to stay with them for years to come.
