The Great Pig Race 2012

This week marked the 2nd annual Great Pig Race at my school.  It was the reward for a fundraising earlier in the year.  1 classroom from each grade level K-5 that had sold the most items received a pig.  Our classroom pig was fuchsia, hot pink.  (It took the boys a little time to be okay with the pinkness of the pig).  

We voted on a name for the pig who originally came in a box and was called Mr. Bacon...go figure.  When the votes were counted "Lil' Diva" was the winner.  The week was spent preparing for the pig race.  There were 2 categories for the race: the fastest pig and fashion-wear. The girls had the best time bringing in clothes and outfitting Lil' Diva. (At one point she wore a santa outfit.)  Of course the boys thought Mr. Bacon had lost all of his manliness and really had to work hard to adjust to the way we had dressed their Mr. Bacon.

Lil' Diva

Of course the pig race didn't happen until the last hour of the day on Friday.  Do I really need to mention how much learning DIDN'T happen that day? :)  Oh well...

The race was in the gym and all the winning classrooms gathered together in a huge circle, armed with posters and chanting their pig's name.  There was an excitement in the gym that reminded me a bit of the first year our high school went to the state play-offs.  

Finally, after much ado with introductions, biographies of the pigs, and prolonged waiting, the race began.  From the moment the race began, the pigs acted as if they were real.  They would stop and oink.  They wandered around.  One set of pigs would continue to stop and oink at each other.  However, when the dust settled, there was only 1 pig winner.  It wasn't my class. :(  (We believe the dress got caught on Lil Diva and slowed her down.  If we participate next year, we will go more aero-dynamic.) We came in 3rd amidst the cry from the crowd that the winning team pushed their pig from the starting line.  Maybe it happened, maybe it was sour grapes...we'll never know until the video is reviewed. :) The decision stands though.  

...and they're off!


Go Lil' Diva, Go!

Sadly, Lil' Diva is not the 2012 Fashionista either.  The honor went to a pig dressed in a flag cape. This year simple was more, I guess.  

I thought about all the time we had spent that week working on outfits, coming up with a full page biography for Lil' Diva, checking batteries, voting on names...and I reflected on how that had helped us with learning our performance standards and preparing us for the state standardized test in April.  I couldn't think think of one standard the pig race helped us with. But, you know what?  My kids had FUN!  Fun all week.  There are so few times in education now that kids get to just stop and have a good time.  I wouldn't want to have a pig race every week but, watching my students work together, compromise, laugh, and come up with silly stories about Lil' Diva's life was worth the time it took for us. I have become pretty proficient at making up time.  We will still be ready for that state test!