Future Kiwi Athletes Spotted at Preschool Tabloid Sports and Cross Country

If you'd had a peek in the Jubilee Sports Centre on our Shore Road campus Friday morning, you would have been met with an unusual sight. Squeals of delight from some much smaller students and highly entertained parents filled the building in a hive of activity. Every corner had a different activity, with groups of children trying their hand at anything from stilt walking to chicken throwing.

In an action-packed morning of Tabloid Sports and Cross Country, the girls and boys at the Preschool got their first taste of school sports. With last year's event cancelled, like many others, there was great anticipation for students and parents alike. Perhaps the biggest question on everyone's minds was who would win the infamous parents' cross-country race?

As the excited faces streamed into the hall in the morning, they were met with eight different sports stations. The versatility of the events meant there was something for everyone. The high jump, hurdles, and sack race had them bouncing off the floor, whereas the egg and spoon race and stilt walking required a tricky mix of concentration and balance. There were a few throwing events, like the bean bag throw and turkey toss for the future shot putters in the group. There was even a soccer kick competition for budding All-Whites and Football Ferns.

A fan-favourite activity was the sack race, with little heads peaking over the edge of their wallowing sacks as the blob-like shapes bounced forwards. Parents had their cameras ready to capture every moment of delight from their children. The other event that caused a few chuckles was the chicken toss. You'd never seen so many plastic birds flailing in all kinds of directions! Despite that, with incredible precision, some children tossed the turkeys into the hoops on multiple throws.

After each group had tried their hand at all the Tabloid Sports, the children took a short morning tea break while the teachers prepared the cross country. The ran started with the three-year-old girls, then boys, who ran about 100m down the field to a crowd of cheering parents and teachers. The four-year-old girls were next, followed by the boys, who each ran one lap of the field at a very impressive pace. Finally, the parents raced with just as much, perhaps more competitiveness than their children!

It was special to have some of the girls from the Girls’ school help with the activities and cross country. Seeing younger students interact and be cared for by senior students is part of our tradition at Saint Kentigern. The way they cheered for the Preschool children as they ran or jumped was so encouraging, and we are grateful for their service and presence.

Thank you to the student and parent helpers, teachers, and all the supporters who came to show their support for the youngest in our community. We look forward to being on Shore Road more often with our move to the new Preschool in a couple of months.