Hawley Elementary School and Middle Gate Elementary School each bookended the 2025-26 school year with school spirit and friendly competition by recently holding annual field days.

Hawley held its field day on May 29, while Middle Gate held its field day on June 4. Parent volunteers went all out on both occasions to make each school's field day special.

For Hawley students, the bright spring sun and gentle breeze made it the perfect day for them to enjoy a variety of fun outdoor activities and games. A total of 16 stations were set up on the school's field, ranging from kickball, potato sack relay, and home run derby to tug of war, a DJ playing live music, and inflatable axe throwing.

A station that was especially popular with students was the sponge relay. This station involved students using a large sponge to soak up water, running to a bucket, and squeezing out the water into a container. However, perhaps their favorite part was getting the chance to splash water on their friends, or even their teachers.

Another fan favorite station was the fire truck. Newtown Hook & Ladder firefighters parked one of their fire trucks next to the field and let kids spray water from the vehicle's hose.

A horn went off every 12 minutes, and the students rotated to a new station. A pizza truck even stopped by for lunch, making sure no Hawley student went hungry during the school's big field day.

All the while, students sported different colored shirts depending on their grade. Kindergartners wore yellow, first graders wore green, second graders wore gray, third graders wore purple, and fourth graders wore blue. Fourth graders had a particularly special shirt, as the back of it read "Hawley School Class of 26." Every fourth grader even had their first name and the initial of their last name on the inside of the 26.

Alison Carmody, the school's assistant principal, said the event is what it is thanks to the many volunteers who help run it. Sixty-five parent volunteers were in attendance, with a few running each station. Each one happily explained the rules for each activity and was ready to help at a moment's notice.

"The PTA tells us the vision, and then anything we have to do from there, we follow through on it," Carmody said.

Hawley PTA Co-President Jessica Briante, who led the event with fellow co-president Jen Levy, said they keep making it bigger and better.

"I love that you've got the classic field day activities that have been passed down years and years, and then you've got these extra activities, like the fire truck, that make the day so fun," Briante said.

Hawley Principal Christopher Moretti called field day his "favorite day of the year."

He added, "This is parents, teachers, staff, the community, kids all coming together just for a day of fun. And that's all it is, it's fun. If you look at everybody, they are laughing, smiling, and just having a great time together."

It was the same story for Middle Gate's field day nearly a week later.

There were 14 stations set up around the perimeter of the school, featuring activities such as Connect 4 relay, bucket ball, perfect pass, an inflatable obstacle course, and more. Students could also beat the heat at the popsicle station, where they lined up to get a sweet treat from Jim's Ice Cream Truck.

For many classes, the field day excitement began before the big day itself. Students and teachers designed their own shirts representing their classes to wear on field day. First grade teacher Chandra Salvatore's class sported red shirts that read "Mrs Salvatore's Scarlet Macaws," featuring an image of the titular bird along with words such as collaboration, perseverance, kindness, and strength. Meanwhile, second grade teacher Shannon Pierce's class wore bright blue shirts with the phrase "Pierce Power" and a graphic of a thundercloud.

The hot weather was balanced out by the winds coasting through the air, making it a beautiful day for students to play outside and indulge in some friendly competition. All the while, 75 volunteers set up across the many stations helped explain each activity to students. Also ready to help were Middle Gate physical education teachers Megan Memoli and Krystle Benedetto, who organized the school's field day together.

"The stations are obviously fun, but they also give students a chance to work together while playing some silly yard games," Memoli said. "There couldn't be a better day for it ... It's just a great time for everyone."

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.