High School Field Day. It’s an event that the entire high school has heard of, experienced, and expects. It’s safe to say that field day is an annual tradition, and the stakes were high as it was the first major Student Council event of the year. Our Council members pondered how to bring out the best of both previous field days.

Last year, the Student Council returned from COVID restrictions and had two field days that were modeled very differently. We received feedback that the first field day helped athletic students shine, but also that our very last field day was inclusive. Eventually, we decided to maintain structure through clear sign-ups and communication, give students autonomy by allowing them to choose which station to sign up for, and incorporate a wealth of events intended for the entire high school student body.

On field day, we saw a blend of smiling and impassioned faces during the long-awaited tug-of-war tournament, a new human formation color team activity, spikeball stations, and even obstacle courses.

We concluded the event with a student vs. staff basketball game in the gym. The student team redeemed themselves after losing to the staff team last year by scoring at the last second, giving them the game! As students exited the gym, we handed out ice cream sandwiches and popsicles and watched as they enjoyed a cool, sweet treat.

While setting up for the event, I remember several grade reps exclaiming, “There should be a fitness test for Student Council!” I recall nodding in agreement under the sweltering heat while dragging a cornhole board that felt like it was made of lead. I’m grateful for our Student Council members’ efforts on the day of the event and believe they helped make the event a success. But boots-on-the-ground work aside, planning field day was a whirlwind of experimentation while maintaining school traditions, and we’re glad that the event was received with such enthusiasm.

We hope to return with even more fantastic events soon!