On Tuesday, April 21, St. Mark Catholic School proudly hosted its first Special Olympics Sports Festival, welcoming students in Grades 1 through 8 for a day of inclusive and active fun.

CDSBEO students from St. Mark, St. John Bosco, J.L. Jordan, and St. Francis Xavier Catholic Schools joined together, along with neighbouring schools from the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB), including Wellington Public School, Centennial ’67 Public School, and Maynard Public School. Families were also invited to attend and cheer on the athletes throughout the day.

The event began with opening ceremonies, where Grade 7 student Ben Nixon shared the Athlete’s Oath. After a quick dance warm-up, the students broke into groups to rotate through various activity stations.

Throughout the day, students participated in 10 different activities, including Soccer Ball Handling, Frogs on the Lily Pad, Parachute, Hoop Rescue Relay, I Spy, Bowling, Corn Hole, Tee Ball and an Obstacle Course. The stations encouraged movement, teamwork, and trying out new skills. Across each activity, students were seen cheering each other on, offering encouragement, and celebrating one another’s efforts.

The Grade 7 and 8 students at St. Mark took on significant leadership roles to make the day possible. They led the groups, ran the individual stations, handled registration, and managed the canteen. They were also responsible for the setup and cleanup of the equipment. Their hard work and initiative helped create a welcoming environment for all the participants.

This event was a team effort. A big thank you goes out to the St. Mark staff and students for their planning and organization. We also want to thank Emily Marino from Special Olympics Ontario for her help in facilitating the activities, as well as Developmental Services of Leeds and Grenville (DSLG) and KidsInclusive for their support.