Students Have a Field Day at Prairie Grove

It was only one afternoon of fun and games intended to build students' team skills and get some exercise.

But, for Prairie Grove Elementary School physical education teacher Jackie Camporese, the Field Day festivities held Friday, June 1, were the culmination of nearly two years of planning.

"I wanted to plan an end-of-the-year event to get all the kids together," said Camporese, of Cary. "As I'm walking around and see the kids smiling and laughing I know it's a success."

Camporese joined the Consolidated School District 46 staff last year. That's when she began thinking of activities and games for this year's special day entitled "Battle for the Beads."

Many schools hold races and competitions on field or olympic days and award prizes to the winners, who tend to be the most athletic. Camporese wanted to include activities all 600 children could compete at, regardless of their athletic prowess.

She also wanted kids to learn to work as a team so she came up with a bead-award system. Students earned beads for following instructions, finishing an activity station within a specified time limit and cooperating with their teammates.

"I wanted to choose events that all the kids would able to do successfully," Camporese said. "We also had to pick events that are suitable for kindergarteners through fifth-graders with some modifications."

In the end, about 25 parent volunteers along with the rest of the teaching staff, oversaw 12 activity stations including everything from the limbo to the bean bag toss.

This was the first year Prairie Grove hosted a Field Day, Assistant Principal Bethany Klinsky said.

"The whole reason we're having this is because of our new P.E. teacher, Mrs. Camporese," Klinsky said. "She's been working all year on this. She is really wonderful, and so are the parents. We are never short of parent volunteers, and it shows in the kids."