Scheduling these days is difficult because it really disrupts the regular class schedule. This being the case, I don't think we could easily reschedule due to weather.
The PE teacher is very, very clear to both parents and students that the event will go on unless there's lightening or the weather is so severe it's not safe. Otherwise, we just move forward. Last year had some scattered showers and the kids got a bit damp, but nothing major.
If it were just too bad of weather to continue, I think we'd move inside and do the best we could for the Fall one. The Spring one would probably just be cancelled and some the competitions absorbed into the week's PE classes.
We call ours "Sports Day" and our PE teacher organizes all of the events. What we do is supply ribbons, (if you're planning on doing this make sure you really shop around because we let our PE teacher order them last year and we spent probably 4 times as much as we should have). I am already looking for this year. Also, we have rented a snow cone machine for the kids but it turned out to be a disaster because it was very sloppy for the volunteers and the kids were getting aggravated while waiting in such a long line to get a snow cone. We also send out volunteer slips for people to sign up to help out and the teachers also help with their class. :eek:
We call ours a "Fun Day" and it's held on the second to last day of school. Last year it did rain and we had to hold it for the first time inside. It wasn't nearly as fun as it should have been outside but we did manage to put the two blow up toys (jumpolene and obstacle course) in the gym but then there was no good place for the relays except in the hallways. Rather than doing running relays they tried to do things like frog jumping relays. The face painting was fun inside or out and we cancelled the tug of war and the water baloon toss.
Thank you to everyone for your great ideas and helpful information. We agreed to hold the Track and Field Day at our meeting last night and we are really excited about it! With two daughters, I wouldn't have thought of some of the events that were listed. My thoughts tend to run along the lines of jumprope, etc.
If anyone else has any helpful feedback, I would love to hear about your experiences.
Also, for those that have held these events, how did you prepare for bad weather? Did you set alternate dates in case of a rainout or muddy fields? That's my one worry, is that we'll do all this planning and getting the kids excited and then have all the spring rains and have things postponed.
I think our PTO budget for Track and Field (total - both events) is $750. We supplement the costs of ribbons and other supplies.
There might be some bus costs, as I don't think they let the kids walk anymore, even though it's pretty close. I think they rent one bus and just shuttle all the kids there in shifts. One year the teacher rented one of those blow up bouncy structures. The little kids who don't do track and field got to take turns visiting it by class. That was a huge hit.
Our kids wear nametags that list the events in which they are registered. The indiviual teachers keep up with the schedule and have their kids ready to go at the right time.
All the food, fruit, drinks, and the Fall supplies (pumpkins, wagons, costumes, masks, wrap, etc.) are donated by parents via lots of notes sent home in backpacks.
We have a zany track and field day in the Fall if possible and then a regular one in the Spring. Our P.E. Teacher is in charge, and she organizes them wonderfully. In both cases, it's only the older kids (2nd-5th). We're a Pre-K through 5 school with about 500 kids.
Fall T&F is held at our school and is a hilarious event held on or near Halloween with an assortment of relays, pumpkin races, mummy wraps, wagon races, etc. The PE teacher lays out the big area behind the school with 3-4' wooden stakes and ropes such that there's a big playing field (maybe half as big as a soccer field.) On the side lines are squares roped off and labeled for each class. (They bring chairs from the classroom). This really keeps things organized rather than just having everyone sitting anywhere.
There are multiple events, and each child signs up for 3 or 4. Practice and assignments are all done in PE.
Parents donate supplies and concession items with each grade given a type of thing to bring. We always have fruit, popsicles, gator aid, juice, water - never candy or sodas. May have granola bars, etc. Parents staff the concession stand and help as volunteers.
I don't know as much about the Spring Track and Field. It's more traditional competitions and is held at the track/football field of a nearby high school. I think there's a group at the highschool that operates a concession stand as a fundraiser, so we don't donate as much stuff for that one.
