Northport high school students had the chance to test out their cardboard sled designs last week, racing down the snow-packed Braman Hill for the first time with their custom creations.
While many had a successful run down the hill, others wiped out midway through, but students will have the time to repair their sleds before the upcoming Northport Winter Carnival if they plan on attending the event set for Saturday, Feb. 28.
Northport 11th graders Isaac Petoskey and Nahwahquaw Laskey said their team initially attempted to create a sled based on a F1 (Formula One) racing car, but after realizing how difficult it would be to replicate, altered their original idea to resemble a hammerhead shark instead.
“It was really exciting to test the sled that we’ve been working on for a couple weeks… we tried to get a little angle on the front there to stop the snow from just stopping it (the sled). A lot of thought went into it, and it went pretty well,” Laskey said.
The team’s sled successfully made it down Braman Hill, so both teammates anticipate needing no repairs before the carnival. Both Petoskey and Laskey will be at the winter carnival also setting up for a game they created that they refer to as “frosty’s frenzy.” Petoskey describes the game as being similar to “capture the flag” but with a snowman theme, and will require participants to get the top hat from one snowman to another.
Northport teacher Nick Jeffrey has been helping to coordinate students’ games with the winter carnival this year. His high school students are part of a project-based learning class that were all tasked with building cardboard sleds using tape and decorations from school. In about two weeks, students brought their designs to life, with Jeffrey adding that it should be fun to see the kids interested in bringing their custom-made sleds to the race during the carnival. Northport middle school students have also been working on their own cardboard sleds, with the winning sleds slated to race at the winter carnival as well.
Other student-made games include “sled bowling,” which will allow the students to aim at and take down milk jugs set up on Braman Hill, as well as a snowball (bucket) toss toward different sized targets. Jeffrey said student games were tested by third and fourth graders and then selected by a team of four adult judges, but all activities were designed with keeping a number of things in mind including: Fun and engagement; creativity and originality; age appropriateness; safety; clear rules and organization; and having a winter theme and outdoor readiness aspect to it.
Erin Connolly of Northport Community Events, the nonprofit putting together the Northport Winter Festival, said it’s definitely exciting to see the students get involved with the games, adding that this year, they aimed to get the school back involved like in previous years. Volunteers with the Northport Carnival committee helped to bring back and organize the carnival in 2025 after the event had been in hiatus for years. The long-awaited comeback of the carnival attracted hundreds of community members last year, and they’re hoping for another successful event this month.
The school is often supportive and part of, in some capacity, many of the community events in Northport. The continuation of the district’s involvement in a beloved event like the winter carnival is something Connolly says she really appreciates.
“So seeing all the older kids participating — and I know a lot of the middle and high schoolers are excited and are planning on coming out — that is really exciting,” Connolly said.
Some of the activities open to both kids and adults and scheduled during the carnival include: the chili cook-off, milk jug curling, broomball tournament, cardboard sled competition, and the Braman Bolt. The Lions Club will also be back serving hot dogs, hot cocoa, cookies, s’mores, with other snacks on-hand for anyone in need of a treat throughout the day. For more information about the event, go to www.northportcommunityevents. org.
