The morning of May 21 dawned bright on a cloudless sky. A blanket of heat promises summer is on the way - but first! A cool breeze flutters a web of streamers lining the G.O.D. Int’l pavilion, overlooking the soccer field. As the clock ticks toward 9am, parents begin to gather and Academy for G.O.D. staff, unified by rainbow tie-dyed tee shirts (Field Day on the front, This is Who We Are theme on the back) set up tents and stations on the field.

Field Day at the Academy for G.O.D. 2021 kicked off with a dance competition led by Trinity Thomas and her daughter, Ari. Parents watched, danced, and cheered for their kids from the pavilion overlooking the field throughout the whole event.

It means only one thing. Time for the 7th Annual Field Day, a much beloved event at the Academy for G.O.D., enjoyed by parents, staff, and most of all, students. The music fades in, DJ’d by Headmaster Gregg Garner, and students begin to stream on to the field, running to their team tent, denoted by color. Blue, turquoise, green, yellow, red, orange, purple - all decked out in face paint and tie-dyed tee shirts to represent. From 9am-12:30pm, the competition unfolds - a series of events including a traditional relay, Bible trivia, Heroes of Faith themed scrabble, and an extreme egg toss (read: water balloons launched at teachers, parents, and Principal Castro decked out as the school mascot, the Phoenix.)

When asked about her own experience of field day as a child, Celesta Bargatze, mother of four Academy students, said, “When I was in school, we had field day, but it wasn’t like this. It was a lot of races, the 5 fastest kids always won, and then there was a tug-of-war at the end. It celebrated athleticism, but it wasn’t fun for everyone. This is a completely different kind of field day. The kids look forward to it all year.”

This year, High School students were assigned the role of coach for their teams. Teachers stepped back and observed, only occasionally guiding the older students to be the example and give clear instruction to their teammates. Student leadership is a strong value at the Academy for G.O.D., and the upperclassmen know how much the younger ones look up to them.

Teams are made up of all ages from kindergarten to High School. Every activity is linked to an academic discipline (Creative Arts, Social & Emotional Learning, Language Arts and STEM) a goal (honesty, demonstration of skills and information learned, teamwork) and an opportunity to display team dynamics: selflessness, strategy, encouragement, unity, communication, obedience, cooperation, positivity.) Masters of Ceremony Craig Duffy (Elementary teacher) and Stephen Ownby (athletic director and High School teacher) monitor, award points, and encourage the kids throughout the day.

Field day is just as full of life for spectators as for the kids. Parents can watch the whole event while enjoying biscuits and gravy made by parent Missy Brooks, or volunteer to make snow cones from fresh juice or popcorn to refresh their kids. Students are ceremonially appreciated throughout the morning for outstanding participation on sports teams, extracurricular committees, and awards given throughout the year for character and outstanding performance. Every aspect of field day reflects something that is true about this school. It is an intentional event, meant to appreciate our students, our values, and to give glory to God.

Cloud of Witnesses Scrabble challenged students to first identify what Hero of Faith was being described, then work together to organize themselves with members of other teams to spell out the name of that individual. The first group of students to organize themselves with a correct spelling received the most points for their respective teams.

Heather Horst, mother to two students who have been at the Academy for three years, said of the event: “Field day was full of contagious happy energy, all the fun food like popcorn, fresh juice icees and corn dogs! Watching the kids and adults run around the field had me wishing I was a kid all over again! My boys were bursting with excitement! We are so thankful for this amazing school!”

When asked what Field Day at the Academy for G.O.D. is all about, Deputy Headmaster Corey Foster said, “Field day at the Academy is a snapshot into every aspect of holistic education that our students receive on a daily basis. From engaging challenges that require critical thinking, linguistic skills, social emotional awareness, and biblical knowledge to students knowing their strengths and the strengths of others. From God’s Word being highlighted to the values from it being implemented in the interactions of both students and staff. From kindergarteners to high schoolers displaying unity to the older serving the younger. Field day is a celebration of who we are.”