East Grand Rapids — It’s long been a tradition at Breton Downs Elementary for fifth-graders to take on some responsibility at the end of the year by teaching their younger schoolmates how to participate in the school’s field day activities in late May.
With field day fast approaching, students in Tarwo Konbloa’s fifth-grade physical education class are working hard to keep that tradition alive.
During a recent visit to Breton Downs, the gymnasium was a flurry of activity as students broke into groups and started to plan out how to approach the task of guiding the school’s kindergarten through fourth-grade students through various games, sports and contests.
Konbloa roamed around the room offering guidance here and there, but he wanted the students to take the reins and embrace having a leadership role. He explained that he gets them started, helping them sort into groups and figure out which activity they’ll be teaching. But after that, much of it depends on the students themselves.
“I give them a baseline and they have to be creative after that,” he said. “They construct how it goes; they lead with the activity.”
Collaboration and Teamwork
Students Ryder Ismirle, Henry Fackler, Gavin Nakelkirk and Jack Simcoe are working as a group to show kindergartners how to play a game called Sink the Ship, which Ryder broke down for SNN as if he were explaining the game to a younger student.
“You have four mats on each corner of the gym, and you have 16 bowling pins — four in front of each of the mats,” Ryder said. “And then you have about 15 dodgeballs and you have to throw them at the pins. The last one to have all their pins up wins.”
They practiced setting the game up, dragging mats, bowling pins and balls to different corners of the gym before starting up a practice game.
As they played, they talked through the rules to make sure they were all on the same page. They also considered the logistics of how the game will work on the Breton Downs tennis courts when field day arrives.
Though they were just starting to plan out their teaching strategy, Ryder said he’s already learning more about the value of patience and teamwork. He’s looking forward to putting his teaching skills to the test at the May 22 field day.
“I’m extremely excited,” he said. “I’ve really wanted to teach this activity at field day since I was in third grade, and it’s just really exciting to finally be able to do it.”
Elsewhere in the gym, Dominic Westgate, Carson Hiller and J.D. Ludeman pondered how best to design an obstacle course with younger students in mind.
“We’re just going to show a little bit of creativity and show them how this obstacle course requires teamwork, and how it’s maybe good to get outside and do some stuff,” Dominic noted sensibly about his group’s field day plans.
Lola Davison’s group chose to teach a game called Over and Under, which Lola explained.
“Basically, the bucket’s going to be filled with water, and you’re going to be passing it over, and then someone will pass it under their legs, and it’ll just keep going,” she said.
After a run-through of the games, the groups took turns presenting to Konbloa, practicing how to introduce themselves and demonstrate their activity to their younger schoolmates.
Having fifth-graders teach the activities to younger students is a time-honored practice Konbloa is happy to continue.
“One of my goals is to keep up the traditions that have been rooted within the school that have been having a positive result,” he said. “I’m always about collaborating and teamwork, and I feel like the tradition, it’s inclusive to the whole school.”
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