This week, as Olympic fever swept across the globe, the William Floyd School District joined in the excitement with its own celebration of the Winter Games. While many of the world’s greatest athletes gathered in Milan Cortina, Italy, for the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, William Floyd Elementary School hosted a memorable version of its own Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
All 40 classrooms at William Floyd Elementary participated, representing a total of 21 different countries during a spirited “Parade of Nations.” Students proudly marched through the hallways and into the gymnasium, showcasing their assigned countries with flags, costumes, and decorations. Celebrating the Winter Olympics has been a time-honored tradition at William Floyd Elementary, taking place every four years since the 2006 Winter Games. To conclude the pageantry, each class selected one student to serve as a torchbearer. The torch was passed from class to class before lighting the ceremonial Olympic cauldron, officially signaling the start of the games.
Throughout the Olympic-themed activities, students will continue learning about their assigned countries through the school’s “Passport of Nations” project. Each class is completing a research project highlighting facts, culture, and history of its country, which will be displayed on tri-fold boards in the school’s media center. Students will visit the exhibit, view each project, and earn passport stamps as they learn about all 21 nations.
The opening ceremony also featured several musical performances. The William Floyd Elementary School Chorus, accompanied by the American Sign Language Club, performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America.” Students representing this year’s host country of Italy performed the Italian national anthem, “Fratelli d’Italia.” The ceremony also included fun facts about the participating nations, Olympic events, venues, athletes, mascots, and the Olympic Creed. Highlights included the reading of the winning essay from the schoolwide Olympic Creed contest and a special appearance by the 2026 Winter Olympics mascot, Tina the stoat.
The event provided students with a fun, educational, and memorable way to celebrate the Olympic spirit.