Pre-school Sports Day

Pre-school Day Sports There were smiles galore when the children took part in a range of fun activities at the Pre-school’s highly anticipated annual Sports Day, where they tried everything from hurdles, a tunnel crawl, and balancing, to an egg and spoon race.

“Our main goal was for the children to have fun, take part, try new things, give their best, and celebrate their achievements. We were so proud of their positive attitude,” says teacher, Ashleigh Gargiulo, who is Head of Sport in the Pre-school, and has organised the event since 2019.

The children had practised their skills for several weeks before the Sports Day, both at the regular sports sessions held in the Pre-school on Tuesday afternoons by Ashleigh, and during extra sessions for children who don’t attend the Pre-school that day. “The group sessions are a great way for the children to try some new things and gain confidence, so the activities are not too new or scary for them on the actual Sports Day. We encourage the children to challenge themselves, without being too worried about the result.”

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, parents were unable to attend Sports Day this year, but the children did a wonderful job of supporting each other throughout the day, says Ashleigh. “Kindness and manaakitanga are a big part of our culture in the Pre-school. We encourage the children to cheer each other on, and give high fives, and this was even more important on Sports Day with parents not able to be there.”