A constant wave of cheering, chanting and singing could be heard Friday as fifth-graders from every elementary school in the Bellingham School District hopped off school buses and filed into the Civic Stadium grandstands.
The annual fifth-grade track meet returned, giving students a full day of competition for the first time since 2019.
Staff and administrators around the district start planning the event early on in the school year.
Rowan Rail soars through the air during the long jump event. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
Director of athletics and activities Laurel Peak said it was clear from the start the track meet was something physical education teachers in the district were looking forward to.
“They all, as a group, feel really strongly that this is an exciting culmination of their track unit for their P.E. classes, but also as an opportunity for the whole district to come together and celebrate being active,” Peak said. “As we got closer to the event, you could just tell people were excited.”
All 14 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District participated. Students from the Bellingham Family Partnership Program were also included.
Triple jump winner Gabi Jude, center, smiles from atop the podium with Ruby Trulson, left, and Michela Pihos-Heim. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
The track meet attracts an array of spectators outside of P.E. teachers and students.
“We had principals there, district office admin there, [superintendent Greg Baker] was there for a big portion of the day, our assistant superintendent was there,” Peak said. “Without a doubt, folks feel really strongly about this event even despite waking up to pouring rain. People were really excited and you could just feel it when you walked in there.”
Leading up to the event, there’s an incredible amount of planning for staff and administrators, Peak said.
The transportation director lays out a plan to get every student to Civic Stadium, every P.E. teacher has a plan for what to do with their classes and staff is scheduled to run every event.
Every fifth-grade teacher is also at the event, supporting students from the stands with families.
Silver Beach’s James Fahey-Smith and Alderwood’s Michael Datskiy race in the 50-meter dash. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
When it came time to hit the track, the students were ready to go. In school, the students all do different units in track and field as part of their P.E. classes.
“They learn the skills related to each of the events,” Peak said. “The P.E. teacher works with the students to get them signed up for different events the day of. Not every kid does every event, but every student participates in an event.”
Being able to put the event on for the first time in three years was heartwarming for everyone involved.
“They’re all cheering and singing and it’s fun to see kids so authentically excited,” Peak said. “It’s so important for them to feel connected to their school, their classmates, their teachers and I think they feel connected to the broader school district. That sense of belonging just genuinely matters. That’s a thread we want to maintain through their K-12 experience.”
