There's no way around it! To capture this day of pure joy and spirit could only be done with a million pictures! I hope you have a few minutes, because this is my longest post ever!
Just before setting out for our first Olympic event, we took a photo of Team Matheson...
ready for all the fun we could imagine having on this first ever Red and White Olympic day at our new Kindergarten to Grade Four school!
The first event was the slalom, where they had to move through the pylons on a scooter and pole their way using plungers. Notice that they are brand new, still have the price tags attached!
It wasn't as easy as they thought it would be as those plungers had a tendency to suction right onto the floor! Whose idea was it to give them to the kids?? (Ha! Ha!)
Love the intensity! She's shouting "Stick and pull" as the technique she wants her team mate to try!
Sticking wasn't the problem, it was the releasing that was!
Love this guy! He's playing camera man and giving a running commentary "..and he's rounding the third bend but oh! no! he's off his ski..."
Second event was the luge, where the kids tried to stay on the scooters on their backs, pulling themselves along on the rope line.
When they got to the end, they got onto their tummies on the scooters to do a skeleton run to the beginning again.
Here's my grade partner, who was the one who had this crazy idea to begin with! Love that girl!
Four man bobsled races were next, down the twisty turn course.
Staying together was the challenge...
never mind trying to win against the other team!
Goodness sakes, did we ever laugh...
as each team had their own way...
of trying to get to the end of the course,
like holding on for dear life!
Third inside station was perfect after all that activity.
Every student got to make their own medal, using metallic markers and glitter.
Sorry to the custodian who had to clean the glitter all up...
...but the smiles were worth it!
Last morning event was speed skating, using carpet squares as the skates.
Skating was the easy part.
Keeping them on your feet wasn't!
After a lunch break and rest, the groups switched and it was our turn at the outside events.
Two by two, the students competed in the biathlon, running the winding course
then taking aim to get the tennis balls through the hoops suspended on the soccer goal posts.
(You do what you can do!)
I know this isn't really an olympic event, but in Canada, wouldn't you expect a dogsled race?
The students get to change places at the other end, so that each person got to be a the puller and the rider. Both positions were equally as much fun.
We borrowed these snowshoes from another school, and just getting them on over the kids' boots could have been an event in itself!
Who knew you could hop the course in snowshoes? Look closely, he's in the air!
My little one who had never experienced snow before, couldn't stop grinning!
What stories she will have to tell about her winter in Canada!
Sometimes, you just need to take a rest!
Can you see that ice chunk near the blue circle? The pails of ice that were to act as the rocks in curling
couldn't keep up with the banging and abuse of being tossed towards the rings. By the time we got to this event, all that was left was the ice,
but that didn't stop the fun!
What would a Canadian winter Olympics be without our beloved sport of hockey?
The students stick handled the ball through the pylons, then tried to score on the net.
At the end of the day, all of our littles came together in our Multipurpose room. We thanked God for the lovely weather and opportunity to be together in friendship and sport. We watched a news reel of some of the Canadians participating in the Sochi Olympics this week,
and then we watched a video/slideshow of our day put together by our own music teacher. It was so much fun!
We ended with 'O Canada' which was sung with such passion and fervour that I got choked up and couldn't sing! I know my job is to teach these littles the Alberta curriculum and though I think I do a bang-up job, let's face it. They aren't going to remember the lesson on adding large numbers that I spent hours putting together with Smartboard and iPads and hands on games. But there's no doubt in my mind. They are going to remember our Olympics Day and be proud Canadians!
