By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— When the senior class of Pelham High School took the football field April 15, they found an array of Ping-Pong balls, hula-hoops, Frisbees, pool noodles and more waiting for them.

It was the first Senior Field Day and the students had divided themselves into 20 teams to compete against one another in 10 wacky games, developed by three of Pelham’s teachers: Julie Nelson, Alisa Creel and Jessica Schach.

“It started out as an informal way to celebrate graduation with the senior class,” Nelson said. “We have a formal way—our senior luncheon—and so this was a good compliment to it.”

Most of the senior class, about 163 students, comprised the 20 teams, and each team came up with a name and uniform for the event. Students came sporting everything from teal baseball camps to neon green shorts to socks to red bandanas.

Nelson said the three teachers found ideas for games online, and created events for the students to score points.

Students rotated through games of corn hole, hula-thon and a Frisbee throw in addition to some less common activities. In the “Junk in the Trunk” games, students fastened Ping-Pong filled Kleenex boxes around their waists and attempted to shake all the balls out.

Nelson said they taped paper plates to brooms for a “Ka-Broom” competition where students tried to hit marshmallows like baseballs into Solo cups.

“We tried it last night,” Nelson said of “Ka-Broom.” “It’s kind of hard.”

After the teams cycled through the all the events, the seniors participated in a relay race to help determine the day’s winners.

Nelson said this was the first time the teachers have ever hosted an event like this for the senior class, so she was nervous to see how it turned out.  She added that the students seemed excited about it.

“I don’t know if we are more nervous or excited,” she said. “We want them to have a good time, so we hope they do. We’ve planned it, so we’ll see.”

At the conclusion of the games, the students enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers on the field prepared by PHS principal Dr. Jason Yohn. Pelham Burger King provided breakfast biscuits for the students prior to Senior Field Day.

The Senior Luncheon will take place at Vulcan on Thursday, April 28, with graduation following about a month later on May 26.