Field Day at West Madison Elementary School took a contemporary path with juggling, bug digging and disc golf.

“Field Day is a fun day at West Madison,” physical education teacher Joy Brindley said. “Field Day is fun for everyone, because it’s a day of play.”

To kick off Field Day, everyone met in the gym for a performance by the West Madison Juggling Team. Juggling team members are sixth-graders Sam Barr, Ethan Crosby, Davis Matheney, Daniel Payne and Karmahn Hall; fifth-graders Erin Chambliss, Jacob Colson, Elijah Madkins and James Rogers; and fourth-graders Wyatt Duthu and Are’mon Garth.

“The juggling team show was the best performance this year,” Brindley said. “The team didn’t have many mistakes. The crowd was appreciative.”

Next, Huntsville Community Drumline made its debut at field day. Youth from six to 19 years old can join the drumline and commit to rigorous training and a performance schedule.

Most playground activities were relay related. Grade levels rotated every 15 minutes in about ten events. Sixth-graders and parent volunteers coordinate events for grades 1-5. “Sixth-graders become teachers for the day,” Brindley said. “They do my job. I love to see this in action.”

Brindley enjoyed viewing grades K-2 in their water sponge relay, digging for bugs, sack race, shoe fly, scooter races and horse races. Grades 3-5 hammed it up as buddy walkers and in disc golf, tug-of-war and tennis ups and downs.

To end the day, a celebration for Jump Rope for Heart (JRFH) participants allowed 105 students to meet American Heart Association representative Jeremy Wicks. These students signed a silk JRFH banner, which will hang in the gym.

Brindley heard younger students saying, “This is the best day ever!” while sixth-graders commented that younger students were “so cute.”

“What made my day was two grandparents who said, ‘We’re so impressed with the kindness that sixth-graders show younger students,'” Brindley said.

Brindley appreciated help from PE assistant Regina Christian, parent volunteers and West Madison sixth-graders.