On Thursday, May 25, the air was cool and the sun was bright as our Middle and Upper School students hopped off buses at Randall’s Island, excited for their much-anticipated Field Day activities to get underway. Dressed elaborately in Green-and-Gold regalia (including capes, tutus, crowns, face paint and headbands galore), the students spread out across the fields for rounds of energetic competition. Highlights included wiffleball, kickball, soccer, capture the Gator, limbo, the faculty-student relays, minute-to-win-it, dance/karaoke, egg toss and, of course, the Tug-of-War tournament. After the Class 12 Greens defeated the Class 8 Greens in the nail-biting finals, the seniors clasped hands and sang the School song, a perfect ending to a beloved Chapin tradition.
Friday, May 26 was a beautiful morning for our Lower Schoolers to enjoy their own Field Day at Asphalt Green. Informed by a “Surf to the Turf” theme, the students arrived dressed in pairs of colors by grade (Kindergarten: purple and yellow; Class 1: green and pink; Class 2: blue and orange; Class 3: red and turquoise) and jumped right into thoughtfully designed contests that kept them moving while building balance, dexterity and flexibility. Crowd pleasers were “beach ball bonanza,” island team tag,” “wave jumper,” palm tree relay,” “green sand sprint” and “fish bowl.” For the grand finale, LS teachers gave their all to the faculty relay as their students cheered them on. Congratulations to the Kindergarten teaching team for their winning performance. The final activity was a tribute to Class 3 and their last Field Day in Lower School. As their teachers formed a tunnel with their arms, the students paraded through, beaming with pride.
Field Days would not have been possible without our terrific P.E. and Athletics team. Special thanks also to Nurse Parker and all the teachers, professional community members and Facilities department for their invaluable contributions to this joyous celebration of Chapin spirit. We’ll soon learn which team earned the most points at Field Day and throughout the year to have their banner hung in the Athletic Center. Go Green! Go Gold! Go Gators!
