Fun-Tastic Field Day at FPS welcomes all abilities
Children of all ability levels in grades kindergarten through 12th are invited to attend Fun-Tastic Field Day from 2 to 5 p.m., Sunday, March 10, at Farragut Primary School.
The FPS Parent Teacher Association has been working with associate professor Dr. Angela Wozencroft of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Department of Kinesiology Recreation and Sports Studies, and the City of Knoxville on the event.
Though in its third year, Fun-Tastic Field Day is being held in Farragut for the first time.
“This event began three years ago after talking with community providers for individuals with disabilities who expressed a need for an inclusive field day program such as this,” said Wozencroft, who started Fun-Tastic Field Day with funding from a state grant.
She said the event targets “individuals who have multiple disabilities in grades K-12 in Knox County Schools, these individuals’ family members and friends without disabilities and school physical education teachers.
“Through this program, we hope to provide an inclusive field day experience for individuals with and without disabilities as well as an educational opportunity for both UTK students and physical education teachers to learn how to program and work with individuals with disabilities specifically,” Wozencroft added.
Wendy Stiles, FPS PTA president, said PTA became involved this year for two reasons. First, she said she came to realize its PTA needed a special education chair within the organization.
They didn’t have to look far to find one, as PTA member Lindsay Willis’s son, Benjamin, is in the special education program at FPS, and she eagerly agreed to take on the new role, Stiles said.
It was through Willis that the connection was made with Wozencroft and the already established Fun-Tastic Field Day event.
“(Willis) suggested the collaboration, and we thought it would be great if the Farragut community got involved,” Stiles said. “We are all about the kids, community and the teachers, and we are really excited about getting to host.”
“(FPS) has been extremely helpful and supportive of this program, namely principal Gina Byrd and the PTA,” Wozencroft said. “Their willingness to allow us to use their facility and equipment has been unwavering.
“We hope to continue to offer this program at FPS again each year each spring, with the intention of growing it, which could potentially lead to the need for a larger site,” she added.
Activities planned included modified field day activities such as the dizzy bat relay, egg race, shuttle relay, tunnel ball relay, disc golf, beanbag toss, noodle hockey, mii-golf, hula hoop ring toss and scooter relays.
Although the event is free of charge, those attending are asked to register through Eventbright at https://funtastic_field_day.eventbrite.com to give organizers an idea of how many will attend.
“We can and will accommodate those who show up without registering,” Wozencroft added.
Stiles said food trucks will be on site selling refreshments.
“People have been so kind to me,” she said. “This is a happy place to be. It is a warm and welcoming environment, and everyone has just been wonderful.”
For more information, call 865-974-4363 or e-mail trcamps@utk.edu/.
