On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Loker Elementary School students attended Wayland High School for the day after multiple pipes burst inside of Loker.

Due to the water damage, on Monday, Feb. 6, the Loker administration canceled school. However, instead of canceling school again on Tuesday, Loker students and faculty decided to have a field day at the high school.

“The burst pipes shut down our boiler room and our kitchen, which did not allow heat or water in our building, so we were not able to hold school at Loker,” Loker Elementary School Principal Brian Jones said.

Loker students have attended WHS for a day in the past, once in 2016 and once in 2019. Using these previous experiences, Jones created a plan for the field day.

“We had to put together a schedule and make sure that we had a balance of fun athletic games, but also a quiet area where students could play games,” Jones said. “We also had a read aloud.”

However, the change from the normal schedule meant that Loker teachers and parents had to adjust their plans.

“I had to put my plans aside so that I could be ready to have field day today,” third grade teacher Rose Marie Furey said.

In order to help out, some parents, including Loker parent Kerry Kaufman, decided to volunteer during the field day.

“I volunteered with a few other parents to do the face painting,” Kaufman said. “However, we were pleasantly surprised with the high school students volunteering to help out.”

Some high school students assisted with the field day activities throughout the day. Sophomore Rachel Goldstone assisted with face painting and parachute games.

“I had a free period and went to the field house to help out in any way that I could,” Goldstone said. “But first, we went around and asked teachers if we could help out, as we didn’t want to be overbearing. I thought helping out was very fun, and it honestly brought me back to being in elementary school.”

Loker teachers and parents appreciated the help from the high school students during the field day.

“The high school students were all smiles and did a fantastic job,” Kaufman said. “The Loker kids were so pumped to meet the high school students.”

Jones enjoyed the opportunity to use the WHS field house for the day and provide students with a memorable experience.

“We are thankful for the high school teachers and the students for welcoming us so much,” Jones said.