On Wednesday, April 26, the entire day for our fifth through eighth graders was devoted to our Middle School Spring Fling. The day included an opening kick-off event, three main areas with a multitude of activities (Field Day Fun, Front Lawn Fair, and Student Choice Chill Time), and a closing day advisory service project. Needless to say, it was a day full of smiles and active community bonding time!
Prior to the big day, advisors randomly drew cards of adjectives and animals to determine their Advisory Spring Fling Team mascot. Some teams lucked out with such names as Baumgartner’s Fearsome Puppies, Halverson’s Proud Jellyfish, Griffin’s Glamorous Shrimp, or Wallace’s Delightful Rolly Pollies. Then, each advisory picked a team color and boisterously demonstrated their team’s cheer during the kick-off event in Mary Eliot Chapel.
Spring Fling 2023 was not taken for granted, having last happened in 2019 prior to the pandemic. The planning team this year was thrilled to bring it back to its full effect and even added a few special components to make the day truly unforgettable. “When we started planning Spring Fling 2023, we wanted to incorporate things from past Spring Flings, add in elements of our former Mental Health Days and the Eighth Grade “Just Because” Day, and give our Middle Schoolers an awesome, full day of fun and relaxation before we hit the final month of school and finish this marathon,” said Jason Roberts, Middle School Choir Teacher. “It turned out to be a wonderful capstone day for our students as we come to the final month of school! I saw smiling faces, laughing children, teamwork and support, and, most importantly, happiness.”
At Field Day Fun, students enjoyed a variety of games. They played Two Ball Knock Out, Hungry Hungry Human Hippos, Powerball, Get 20, and competed in a Kickball Tournament. Over at the Front Lawn Fair, Middle Schoolers slid down a blow-up slide, raced through an obstacle course, had some friendly competition over some lawn games, and, a favorite, dunked some of their favorite teachers in a Dunk Tank (a big shout-out to the following, brave Middle School teachers for allowing students to have a blast dunking them in the water: Callie Bambenek, Summer Beasley, Megan Caulfield, Mark Duvall, Kristina Jones, Krystal White, and Blake Whitney).
During Student Choice Chill Time, students selected their own activities. The options were to take a campus walk, read and relax, swim, watch a movie, go to Open Art or the Makerspace, have a Just Dance party, or play board or card games, trivia, Minecraft, tennis, or squash. Another highlight of the day was the grab-and-go lunch from the Middle School Dining Hall which included a picnic-style meal of burgers, cheeseburgers, and hot dogs.
Finally, the day concluded with a Middle School community service project. In advisory, students created a “Birthday-In-A-Box” for children experiencing homelessness on their birthday. Partnering with a local foundation called It’s Your Birthday, Inc., students gathered items to go inside these birthday boxes. They brought in toys, books, games, and gift cards to fast food restaurants, Target, and Walmart. They also had the option of contributing to an Amazon gift card so that the organization could purchase items for the boxes as needed. At the end of Spring Fling, students decorated their boxes with wrapping paper, stickers, ribbons, and bows.
Spring Fling 2023 would not have been possible without our expert planners, Roberts and Kelly Walsh, Middle School English Teacher. “I was overjoyed by the sense of community that could be seen at every twist and turn throughout the day,” said Walsh. “Students and teachers were simply having a blast together! The enthusiasm, joy, and unity were palpable. It has been a long time waiting (due to Covid) to reconnect as an entire Middle School community, and I can confidently say that our goal was achieved during Spring Fling.” The whole day, with Roberts and Walsh leading the event, was a true team effort of the Middle School faculty and staff. Thank you to all who made it a very special day for the fifth through eighth graders! It was a day that will not be forgotten.
Now, let’s bring on the last month of school!