Sports Day 2012 on PhotoPeach
Thanks to your fantastic family turnout, we enjoyed a great time at Sports Day this year. A decision was taken by the staff and by the Parent Council that we would introduce more competition into the event. However, that has proved a bit controversial. A number of children found it very upsetting that they didn’t win a race and get a winnner’s sticker. However, many people feel this reflects our experiences in life where we don’t win everything and that this builds our resilience. What are your thoughts? Please comment. We will also be asking you this in the last newsletter of the year so you can have your say on a tear off slip there too.
It’s the first time we have tried sports this way and we will certainly learn from our mistakes. We’ve made a big list of those already eg £1.50 was really too dear for an ice cream, confusion amongst staff about when children could have an ice cream, can we get the grass marked out for races etc
However, our thanks go to the staff and Mrs Sellwood for running the events, to our P7 helpers for giving us much needed assistance and to you for all coming along and supporting us in what was a great afternoon of fun and competition in sport.
I think it is important for everyone to realize that not everyone can be a winner at everything. Those who excel academically may not be good on the sports field and vice versa but everyone is good at something it just might take a while to discover. School life should reflect real life and we should prepare our wee folk the big bad world.
As for the ice cream van, yes £1.50 was extortion for a wee cone and perhaps ice-poles (for sale) would be a better idea for spectators and the participants receiving one free would go as a reward for taking part. The complimentary tea & coffee was a nice gesture, thank you!
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Apart from the ice cream van I thought the Sports Day was very well thought out.
I think is important we encourage children of all ages to participate in sport and that less fit or more academic children don’t get the message that sport isn’t for them.
But kids know who has won and who hasn’t, just like they know which kids are good readers or which kids draw the best. We want the school to reward the children’s efforts and I don’t think this needs to be any different on Sports Day.
I thought it was good that the events were pitched at the right level so that most children were able to complete most events — I think it would discourage the children to have events that only a few could do.
Also I thought it was right that girls weren’t made to race against boys.
The parents races were a good idea and a cause of great excitement to our kids — its just a shame I didn’t get chance to take part this time.
I thought the element of competition was great to see and echo the other two comments made. The races were all set really well and the children seemed to enjoy them on the whole. The teas and coffees were great for the parents but I wasn’t so keen on the ice-creams. I felt guilty giving my children a cone when others did not have. It seemed to cause some confusion with staff also. The ice pole at the end of the day was a nice touch however. Overall a lovely afternoon.
We really appreciate your comments above and hope more folk can comment. We want to work with you to get Sports Day right for children and families. It’s such an important, traditional school event. I hope lots of people return their feedback sheet on this week’s newsletter and we’ll publish any comments here on the website – anonymously so do write in.