Triton  Elementary  Field  Day  

The  objective  of  the  Triton  Elementary  All  School  Field  Day  is  to  support  our  vision  of  a  community  of  learners,  working  together  to  accomplish  more  than  one  can  accomplish  alone.    This  objective  will  be  met  by  creating  family  groups  and  carefully  guiding  students  through  a  

sequence  of  team  building  events  that  will  encourage  Collaboration,  Community,  Commitment,  and  Leadership.  This  event  will  help  students  and  staff  continue  to  build  stronger  relationships  

and  a  network  of  resources  at  Triton  Elementary  School.  

 

Ruby  Payne  and  her  research  in  her  book  entitled  Framework  to  Understanding  Poverty  explains  that  “no  learning  takes  place  without  a  relationship  of  significance.”  Over  the  last  six  years  I  have  encouraged  the  Triton  Elementary  Staff  and  community  to  invest  in  the  student  of  our  school  in  any  way  possible.  Since  this  challenge  Triton  Elementary  has  started  such  initiatives:  Blessings  in  a  Backpack  that  provides  food  for  students  who  may  not  have  sufficient  food  over  the  weekend,  Kids  Hope  USA  Mentoring  program  that  trains  and  develops  mentors  to  come  into  the  school  to  invest  in  one  child,  one  hour,  one  time  a  week,  and  last  but  not  least  the  initiative  in  which  I  am  writing  about,  The  Triton  Elementary  All  School  Field  Day.  

This  is  not  your  typical  field  day.  As  you  will  see  in  more  detail  at  http://tritonfieldday.weebly.com  this  is  not  necessarily  an  event  where  the  best  athlete  will  rule  the  day,  but  an  event  where  sixth  graders  will  have  to  rely  on  Kindergarteners  within  their  family  group  to  maximize  their  potentials.  Students  will  work  together  to  complete  13  tasks  throughout  the  day  as  a  family  group.  There  will  be  four  family  group  meetings  leading  up  the  Field  Day.  Within  these  meetings  students  will  get  to  know  one  other  and  their  family  member’s  unique  strengths  through  a  series  of  carefully  planned  team  building  activities  supervised  by  Triton  Elementary  Teachers  and  Instructional  Assistants  (First  meeting  activity  is  included).  5th  and  6th  graders  will  be  given  the  responsibility  to  lead  a  very  structured  task.  Often  we  ask  our  older  students  to  be  leaders,  but  often  we  do  not  put  them  in  a  position  to  experience  success  in  leadership  at  a  young  age.  We  will  do  just  that  as  we  continue  to  instill  in  our  students  that  leadership  often  times  requires  one  to  put  others  needs  over  self.  

I  am  so  looking  forward  to  not  only  culmination  activity  but  also  the  process  that  is  going  to  lead  to  students  and  staff  being  more  connected  and  vested  in  one  another.  If  you  have  any  more  questions  about  this  activity  I  will  be  more  than  happy  to  speak  to  anyone  who  wants  to  know  more.  All  funds  donated  above  and  beyond  t-­‐shirts  and  medallions  for  each  student  will  go  to  the  Triton  Elementary  PTO.  The  Triton  Elementary  PTO  supports  TES  classrooms  and  such  initiatives  as  Trojan  PRIDE  (Positive  Discipline  System),  Honor  roll  recognitions,  Perfect  Attendance  recognition,  and  incentives  for  staff  and  students  such  as  lunch  or  snacks  for  ISTEP.  

Thank  you  for  your  Interest  in  the  Triton  Elementary  Field  Day  and  we  would  greatly  appreciate  your  thoughtful  consideration  of  support.  

 

Jeremy  K.  Riffle,  TES  Principal