By Tyler Dahlgren

It sure felt like summer in Franklin last Friday, with temperatures soaring into the 90s and an intense sunshine splashing down on the Flyers’ football field and the track that circles it.

There’s nothing more nostalgia-inducing than a good old-fashioned elementary school Field Day. The summer weather, coupled with the fact that it was the last day of school in Franklin, created the perfect setting for the young Flyers to have some flat-out fun. And did they ever.

“I’ve watched these kids from the first day of school build relationships with each other, with their teachers, and just build that sense of belonging in the classroom,” said principal Kelly Simmons. “With that comes the safety and ability to learn and progress and also make mistakes. Today, all that comes together. They overcome challenges and they cheer each other on. They’re not going to be great at every event, but it’s like we say every morning, ‘We work every day until we’re proud.’”

The Franklin Elementary Field Day has been a longtime tradition, but the event was tweaked when P.E. teacher and athletic director Leah Stall was hired nine years ago. Stall, who spent the day roaming and directing traffic, modeled her version of Field Day after a typical track meet, with field events like the softball throw, kickball, an obstacle course and long jump taking place in the morning and the running events in the afternoon.

It’s quite the spectacle, a far cry from sack races and melted popsicles.

“The kids get to sign up for the events that they want to participate in,” said Stall. “It’s just a lot of fun. Everybody stands out here and cheers and supports each other.”

Field Day is a community event, with parents, grandparents and other spectators flooding into the stadium bright and early to cheer on their favorite grade-schoolers. 

“What’s really awesome is that we have our Beef Boosters club grilling fresh burgers at lunchtime, and the parents and families get to eat with their children,” said Simmons.

When it was all said and done, 100 parent meals were purchased, and 400 burgers were grilled. Drinks, chips and cookies were provided by Cornerstone Bank, Rightway Grocery and Highstreet Insurance, the Field Day’s sponsors.

It takes a lot to pull Field Day off, said Stall. The Franklin FCCLA, along with advisor Mrs. Erica Bonham, play a big part in the planning. High school track athletes directed the events, and did so with big smiles on their faces.

“I definitely remember taking part in Field Day,” said Eraleigh Gregg, who helped run a softball toss station alongside fellow freshman Anna Lind. “It’s just fun to watch them make memories. We like helping out whenever we get the chance.”

At the end of the day, the high school volunteers voted on the class that showed the best sportsmanship throughout the day. This year, the 5th-grade took the top spot.

“We’re just so fortunate that our administration is so amazing at making sure the end of the year is something to celebrate,” said 5th-grade teacher Val Scott, who cheered her students on while beaming with pride. “This is a great way for us to be outside and to celebrate and cheer each other on. Our job is to tell the kids how loved they are, and I believe at Franklin Public Schools we are really good at telling kids that they’re loved and that they are important.”

Scott is a Franklin Flyer through and through. She spent the first 12 years of her career in education in Franklin, before moving away for 12 years. Now she’s back, and there’s nowhere she would rather be.

“I’m back to finish my career here, for 12 more years,” she said. “I came back home. I am blessed to have these amazing kids and their families who are so supportive. The community just loves these kids. You’ll see people here who don’t have children participating, but they’re here because they are Teammates, mentors, or they see them at church or around town. It’s really neat.”

Teamwork, Stall explained, is the theme of the day. Many of the events are cooperative, and she does her best to come up with new games from year to year to prevent Field Day from becoming stale. Tug of War, for example, is always a big hit with the kids.

“This is kind of like the last hurrah,” Stall continued. “It’s a fun way to end the year. It’s the last day they get to hang out together as an entire class, and it’s our way of celebrating everything they’ve accomplished throughout the school year.”

Because the district experienced zero snow days this winter, the first time that’s happened in Simmons’ 23 years in education, the last day of school was bumped up from May 20th to May 15th. The gift of an early summer only amplified the atmosphere. 

“It feels like summer,” Simmons said. “It’s a beautiful day.”