EES Field Day 2009

In spite of a foggy damp start, Field Day 2009 took place yesterday at Eldersburg Elementary. The sky cleared and the sun came out (as I can attest because I got a sunburn on my neck--just my left side though). The day was very hot and humid. In the mid-afternoon a thunderstorm rolled through, as such things tend to do with that kind of weather. Everyone headed indoors when the thunder started and Field Day came to a quiet end. Scores of hot, sweaty, red-faced children and parents walked sluggishly out the doors and headed for home. I imagine everyone did the same thing that I did when they got there--jumped in the shower!


Field Day, formerly known as, Play Day, is an invention that was new to me when I came to work in Maryland. We don't have it in the Midwest--at least not in my old school districts. Basically, Field Day is a whole day of P.E. Since 99.9% of children will tell you that their favorite class in school is P.E., you can imagine how popular the notion of a whole, entire day of P.E. is for the children. Field Day is spoken of in hushed tones of reverence. The day starts off with opening ceremonies on the blacktop. We say the pledge. The band plays--Louie Louie-this year. And the Third Graders do their special dance, which they spend weeks practicing. It's a blast watching those Third Graders busting out their moves.