Last May, as we were wrapping up the Lower School Field Day, a few Upper School students from Grades 6 and 7 approached me and asked, “Miss, why don’t we have a day like this in the Upper School?”

A few weeks earlier, I had been told that I would be the Learning Leader for the entire PHE department starting in August. So I replied, “Let me see if we can make it happen.” And we did.

Last Friday, the PHE department, in collaboration with STUCO (Student Council), ran the first-ever Upper School Sports Day.

If you’ve ever organized an event like this, you know it’s about much more than planning activities and rotations. We mobilized the entire Upper School—from Grades 6 to 11 (Grade 12 had exams the following week). It took hours of planning and coordination: students sharing ideas, custodians organizing extra equipment and water, setting up the sound system, nurses on standby, admin ensuring teachers were informed, and the office providing healthy snacks.

Students played a major role in bringing the event to life. They created posters, wrote activity descriptions, and contributed fresh ideas that made the day even more engaging.

Our goal was to provide a non-competitive, fun experience while promoting physical literacy through play. We included obstacle courses with different levels of challenge, water activities (essential in our tropical climate), traditional favorites like tug of war and three-legged races, as well as trust and cooperative games.

The weather couldn’t have been better—cloudy, breezy, and mercifully storm-free. Students arrived ready to participate, some unsure of what to expect, but all on time. We even started a few minutes early, which is not always the case!

The students leading the activities were outstanding. During our planning meetings, we told them, “This is how we usually play the game—but if you have a different idea and it works, we’re open to it.” That flexibility gave them ownership, which is essential for events like this.

Teachers were incredible as well—supporting activity leaders or rotating with their advisory groups. Spending three hours on the field, especially when you’re used to teaching in air-conditioned classrooms, is no small commitment.

We poured time, thought, love, and passion into this event. Its success came down to one simple truth: everyone contributed, everyone supported, and everyone played their part. It truly takes a village.

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Pair this blog post with the following:

Field Day Frenzy by Drew Burris

The Power of Meaningful and Joyful Experiences by Leticia Cariño

Field Day is not just for Elementary Students by Mary Jo Geddes

The Four Ps of Field Day by Drew Burris