Pies and painting
Near the pie throwing event, students were getting their faces painted, jumping rope, participating in three-legged races and freshmen were competing against upperclassmen and teachers in tug of war.
Between activities, some of the incoming freshmen shared their thoughts about high school.
Tabitha Bowers is worried about making friends and doing well academically, she said.
"I'm worried that people won't like me for me," said Bowers, 14, of Aberdeen, who wants to be a veterinarian. "But I'm looking forward to making new friends. People tell me that high school will be the best years of my life."
But that doesn't stop her from being afraid of the upperclassmen, she said. She said she's heard horror stories about Freshman Friday, a day when the upperclassmen allegedly torment the freshmen.
"My cousin told me he is going to throw me in a trash can and roll me down the stairs," Bowers said.
Freshman Friday is harmless, said Cox, 15.
"We just have fun," she said as she filled pie tins. "We don't mind taking a pie in the face today. We're just getting warmed up to get the freshmen back when school starts. But it's all just for fun."
Freshman jitters
Briana Freburger, a sophomore, remembers freshman jitters all too well, she said.
"The upperclassmen can be scary," said Briana, 14, of Belcamp, who was a field day volunteer. "I can relate to the freshmen because it wasn't so long ago that I was where they are now."
The key is to relax, she said.
"When you start high school, you have to stay calm, and stay away from the stupid drama," she said. "If kids do that, they will be fine."
The field day was designed to help kids meet peers who want to accomplish some of the same things, said Salina Williams, the former vice president of the school board, who attended Aberdeen High.
"There is so much peer pressure out there ... drugs, alcohol," Williams said. "Kids need to have positive influences in their lives to make good choices. Events like the field day give kids a chance to see there are kids who don't want those things."
'I made friends today'
Deana Trimble, of Forest Hill, who will be attending the Science and Math Academy, a school housed in the Aberdeen High building, said she didn't know anyone else who was attending the school before the event. However, she met some of her classmates at the field day, participated in one of the relays, and played games.
"I made friends today," Deana, 14, said with a big smile. "I haven't really thought about it before today, because I wanted to enjoy my summer. But it will be nice to see a familiar face on the first day of school."
Corrin Beach, a senior at Aberdeen, said the event would have helped make her transition into high school easier. She was a little disappointed they didn't start field day when she was a freshman, she said.
"It's hard when you go to a new school, and you aren't ready," said Corrin, 17, of Aberdeen.
Kathy Gentry, a Spanish teacher and department chairman at the school, agreed.
"High school can seem like a foreign world to some kids," said Gentry, who has been teaching at the school for seven years. "It's good to give kids a way to connect before the first day of school. It's good for the teachers because we can make the connection to the students from the start. And it's a chance for the older students to help the younger students along."
