Photo courtesy of Jared Lawson Houghton Elementary students playing tug of war as part of this year's Field Day. The activities the students participate in factor in all the skills they learned throughout the year in their physical education classes.

HOUGHTON — Houghton Elementary School students (K-5) enjoyed the sunshine and each other at their annual field day Monday at the elementary school. Originally scheduled for today, the event was moved up a day to avoid today’s rainy forecast and to take advantage of temperatures near 80. The day saw a variety of physical activities for the students to partake in along with a lunch and water activities later in the day. This is the 15th year for the field day.

Houghton Elementary Physical Education teacher Jared Lawson said the school has events throughout the year which celebrate art, music and reading but Field Day incorporates all of the skills the students have learned during their physical education classes into a day of games. The day consisted of several different types of games, which were based on grade level. Some of the activities included capture the football (which is a spin on capture the flag), a cleaning game called cleaner yard, relay races and tug of war.

The fifth graders get to finally participate in an event they have watched others participate since they were in kindergarten … the water balloon fight. Lawson said the fifth graders are always looking forward to the event and will often ask him once they become fifth graders if it is finally the year which they partake in the water balloon fight.

“They see all the things that they get to do as they grow up. And so it’s a good way to kind of continue along their elementary career and enjoy the things that the older kids were doing ahead of them,” Lawson said.

Houghton Elementary Principle Cole Klein said the event is emotional for the fifth graders since it is one of the last events they will have together as a class before moving on from elementary school.

“Each class is unique, and it’s always mixed emotions at the end of the year with our fifth graders leaving the building and spending their last week here before going up to the middle school next year,” Klein said. “So there’s always mixed emotions. We’ll be sad to see this group go. They’re a great group of students, and had some great memories with the fifth grade.”

Lawson said events such as this have drawn interest from students towards physical education.

“Every year we’ll have some of the older kids say, ‘Oh, I want to be a gym teacher when I grow up.’ Which is great to hear, because education right now is kind of going through a rut with getting teachers and everyone in. But again, if these events that we do throughout the year, if it can kind of get kids motivated as they continue on in their own career as a student, or even further on as a teacher, even if it’s one, I’ll take that. It would be inspiring for them to be doing that,” Lawson said.

Lawson added he was very grateful for the volunteers because without the parents, kitchen staff and other school personnel the day would not happen.