WINCHESTER —It was a brisk Monday morning as Garland R. Quarles Elementary School students took turns running, walking and jumping around the designated Turkey Trot path.
With Thanksgiving on Thursday, Quarles students only have two days of school this week. The short running/walking course, equipped with a set of hay bales for students to leap over, was a way to get the students outside for some extra fun and burn off some of that excited energy that settles in before a break from classes.
“[I]f we were thinking that things were normal on a two-day week when we’re used to a five-day week, we’re kind of foolish. Because it’s different. And this is just something to look forward to,” said Quarles Principal Joanie Hovatter. “Plus, we love outside. Kids are out here at recess four times a day, and this is just another opportunity for them. They like being outside.”
The Turkey Trot has been going on for many years at Quarles, and is often an activity that the entire school community excitedly anticipates. Some of the kids who took on the course wore broad smiles as they raced against their teachers and peers. Others were locked in and concentrated as they made their way through the hay bales. And even in the face of the crisp, cool air, many shed their heavy coats as they worked up a sweat during the activity.
“It’s just, anything you could do to just make a day at school special for our kids and something that they remember,” said Eddie Simmons, a physical education teacher at Quarles. “And it’s just a way for us, as a group, to come together and just try to be together, and it’s just been a good outing for all of us.”
Maria Davis, a teacher’s assistant for one of Quarles’ prekindergarten classes, was having just as much fun as her students on the course, running next to kids and helping them jump over the hay bales.
“I like the opportunity to encourage them, and just to see, just little challenges like jumping over a hay bale can make a kid’s day,” Davis said. “So seeing the smile that that brings to their faces brings one to mine as well.”
A link to make donations through the parent-teacher organization (PTO) was also open during the event for anyone who wanted to contribute to student needs, like school supplies or classroom materials. Hovatter said that donations were not required for participation, and that the day was meant to give families a chance to join in with students and Quarles faculty/staff for a festive activity.