MONTICELLO, NY — Giggles. Squeals. Shouts of “Best day ever!” 

Passersby would have heard all that and more near Somerville Field on February 11 as the George L. Cooke Elementary School celebrated its inaugural Winter Fun Day.

Cooke’s wellness committee has been emphasizing outdoor activities for the 2024-25 school year. Supported by the generosity of local donors, and an Empowering a Healthier Generation grant from Sullivan 180, the school completed an outdoor learning area earlier this year. The area includes an outdoor classroom, walking trails, hills, bridges and other features designed to encourage students (and teachers) to spend more time outdoors.

That’s important, because research shows that the benefits of outdoor learning are vast, including an increase in focus, creativity, engagement and problem-solving skills.

As part of a commitment to developing students’ connection with the outdoors, the school invited interested second-grade students to become Nature Ambassadors—peer leaders who lend student insight to the outdoor learning initiative. The ambassadors felt that their classmates needed more opportunities to get outside during the cold winter months, and the concept of Winter Fun Day was born. From sledding down the big hill at Somerville field, to indoor “snowball” fights with cotton balls, the Nature Ambassadors planned a day filled with activities that all students could enjoy.

Over the past year, the school has been collecting donations of winter clothing and gear, and planning activities to ensure that all students are able to go outdoors during the colder months. The school also used a portion of the grant money from Sullivan 180 to purchase snowshoes and sleds. Thanks to the generosity of the community, students were able to choose indoor activities, outdoor activities on blacktop, or the full head-to-toe snowsuit experience of exploring Somerville Field on Winter Fun Day.

For many of the students, it was the first time they ever experienced the exhilaration of racing down a sledding hill with the wind whipping against their cheeks and their friends cheering them on at the bottom, and the squeals of pure delight reflected that.

For others, Winter Fun Day was a reminder that there is no such thing as bad weather—just bad gear. And for all involved, it was a day of creating core memories of winter fun with their friends and teachers.

Contributed by the Monticello Central School District.