Elementary Field Day Newsletter: How PE Teachers and Principals Prepare Families for the Big Day

Field day is the event elementary students talk about for weeks before it happens. It is one of the rare school days where physical activity is the entire point and every student participates. The difference between a well-organized field day and a chaotic one often comes down to communication: families who were prepared versus families who showed up with questions no one had time to answer.

The field day communication timeline

Send the first field day newsletter two to three weeks before the event. This gives families time to arrange volunteer schedules, find athletic shoes that fit their student, and make sure their student is not absent on field day for a doctor's appointment that could have been scheduled on a different day.

A reminder newsletter one week before the event, and a brief final logistics note the day before, complete the communication sequence. The day-before note should be short, just the essentials: what to wear, what to bring, when dismissal is and whether anything changes that day.

What families need to know

The field day announcement newsletter should cover: the date and time, which outdoor spaces will be used, the activity rotation structure if applicable, what students should wear and bring, what the rain or extreme heat policy is, whether families are welcome to watch, and volunteer opportunities with instructions for signing up.

The clothing and supplies section is more important than it sounds. Students who arrive in jeans and sandals for a day of running and outdoor activities are at a disadvantage. A clear note that students should wear athletic shoes, comfortable clothes suitable for outdoor activity, and bring a water bottle and applied sunscreen prevents that situation.

Weather and heat planning

Field day in late spring often coincides with warm weather that requires heat safety considerations. Communicate your program's heat policy clearly: what heat index threshold triggers modifications or cancellation, what modifications look like, and how families will be notified if the event is cancelled or moved indoors.

Include the sunscreen reminder prominently. Young students who spend several hours outdoors on a warm day without sunscreen protection are at real risk for sunburn, and many families do not think to apply it before school.

Volunteer communication

Field day typically needs more volunteer support than most school events. The newsletter should include specific volunteer roles, the time commitment for each, and a clear sign-up process. Vague requests for "help with field day" generate fewer volunteers than specific roles with specific time commitments.

A brief training or orientation note for volunteers, whether in the newsletter or in a follow-up communication to confirmed volunteers, ensures that the people helping run the event know what they are responsible for.

Making field day feel special in the communication

The field day newsletter is an opportunity to build excitement. Write about field day with energy. Note which activities are returning from last year and what is new this year. Remind families that this is one of the few school days that every student participates in equally, and that their student has been looking forward to it.

The communication itself sets the tone for how families experience the event. A newsletter that communicates field day as a celebration treats it as one.