It was deafeningly loud – elementary-schoolers, after all, aren’t known for their silence. The announcer counted down as students readied themselves on the track. A “go!” and a drop of the flag, and they were off. On April 25th, 2025, Mountain View High School hosted the annual Junior Olympics, a competition for students from fourth to sixth grade in the Los Altos School District that has lasted for 62 years.
In the Junior Olympics, students from all seven Los Altos elementary schools competed in a variety of athletic events. The event is organized annually by the PTAs from each school and parent volunteers, with the support of funding by the MVLA Foundation, said Erik Walukiewicz, LASD Assistant Superintendent for Business Services.
One of Walukiewicz’s favorite events was the “Mascot Mania,” he said.
“The superintendents gave the mascots some instructions and they had to go through this little obstacle course, which was a total blast to watch,” Walukiewicz said.
In the audience, many adults and parents attended the event to watch and support the participants as well.
“A lot of teachers are there to support their students, the parents and PTA are there…the kids get very excited to support their school, they all have their shirts with their Junior Olympics logo on it,” Walukiewicz said.
Students get to choose three different events out of seven. To prepare, students practice during PE class for events such as chin-ups, relays, and the softball throw, Walukiewicz said.
“During PE, their teachers actually evaluate them for certain events, and they will recommend them to do it,” parent and MVHS teacher Jennifer Chiu said. “But ultimately, it’s up to the kids to sign up and say whether they want to do it or not.”
This evaluation includes pacer tests and other tests to see how students compare to each other in a variety of ways, including pitch distance and ability to jump over hurdles.
The relay teams are determined by time trials, where the four fastest students make the top team, the next four make the second team and the third four make the third team, ATTRIBUTE. The torchbearers, meanwhile, are chosen for school participation and attitude, Loyola Elementary School principal Kelly Rafferty said.
“My older one actually got selected to be the torch bearer, which according to my former students is a big honor, because the teachers select the torch bearers out of the entire sixth grade body,” Chiu said.
Siblings are able to observe each other in the Junior Olympics, and many of them do. Walukiewicz shared a heart warming encounter with a student.
“I said ‘what school do you go to?’ and he said ‘I go to Blach, I’m in middle school, but I’m here to take pictures of my little brother,’ and you could see he was super proud,” Walukiewicz said. “I thought that was kind of a neat thing to see.”
The Junior Olympics serves as a way for students across schools to compete and have fun, organizers said.
“If you heard the screams and excitement, I think it’s pretty evident that it [creates] a lot of school spirit, and it’s nice to see schools competing in that inter-district rivalry,” Walukiewicz said. “It’s really neat to see the kids cheering for their mascots, to see the kids wearing their shirts with their school name and their logo in it…it’s a nice team bonding event for the schools.”
It also teaches them lessons about sportsmanship, teamwork and camaraderie, Chiu said.
“It is just a wonderful community event that teaches kids how to do sports in a competitive way,” Rafferty said. “Many students do not get a chance to participate in sports outside, so this is their first time doing something competitive with their friends.”
