Many students at Patrick M. Villano School look forward to Field Day each year because of the games, activities, and time spent outdoors with classmates. This year, however, some changes to the event have caused mixed reactions among students.
One major change is that Field Day will now be a half-day event instead of a full-day event. Another change is that third graders will not attend this year. In past years, third graders visited Villano during Field Day to tour the school and participate in activities.
“I’m happy that the third graders aren’t participating in field day with us, but at the same time, I also feel bad because they can’t experience the amount of fun we had in third grade at field day,” Ethan Lantigua, a sixth grader, said.
Lantigua also shared his opinion about the shorter schedule. He said he dislikes Field Day becoming a half-day event because students will have less time to play and participate in activities.
Field Day will take place on May 21. Students from every grade will participate in outdoor games and activities such as water balloon tosses, tug-of-war, obstacle courses, and more. High school students and parent volunteers will also help run activity stations throughout the event.
“I dislike that field day is becoming a half-day event because it is our last year at Villano, and I would like more time to have fun,” Reed Martire, a sixth grader, said. Martire also said he likes that third graders will not attend because there will be more space for fourth, fifth, and sixth-grade students.
Field Day is designed to encourage teamwork, school spirit, and friendly competition. A DJ will also play music during the event to help create an energetic atmosphere for students and staff. Not all students enjoy every part of Field Day, however.
“I don’t enjoy Field Day as much since there are a lot of insects, and some activities aren’t really that good,” Joshua Choe, another sixth-grader, said.
Choe explained that tug-of -war is fun, but holding tightly onto the rope can hurt your hands after a while. Staff will support a quieter space with individual activities for students who want some shade and down time. Bubbles, paper, and pencils have been provided to students in the past.
