Back Row (L to R): Mimi Sprague, Mary Ann Porter (Principal), Matthew Olejnik, Noel Anderson.
Middle Row (L to R): Kristen Kainrath, Lisa Dalton, Debbi Joseph, Ashlee Cook, Jill Stoner.
Front Row (L to R): Jeff Gericke (SFCP Committee Co-Chair),
Mariella Romano (SFCP Committee Co-Chair), Susan Acanfora (SFCP Committee Co-Chair),
Kristine Gericke.
Meet the Challenge to Involve More Families: International Night
Teamwork and good planning were the keys to the success of Prairie Elementary School’s International Night in the 08-09 school year. The activity aimed to increase students’ cultural awareness through food, artifacts, crafts, fashion, children’s books, board games, and interviews with 17 family ambassadors representing 10 homelands (China, Columbia, England, India, Italy, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Uruguay, and Venezuela). The school ATP, parents, community partners, and the students all were important at this International Night. A local college provided its collection of international flags. Students completed a “Globe Tracker” Scavenger Hunt card by finding the cultural indicator, obtaining a “stamp” signifying success, and submitting the completed card for a chance to win a Globe or Atlas.
Guided by parent and other volunteers, students examined and received India’s Henna Tattoos and dressed in a sari, created Japanese Origami, constructed an ancient Egyptian cartouche, and more. Food was donated by restaurants and families so that students and families tasted breads, cheeses, pierogies, cookies, juices, and other samples from various countries. Each display located each country to help students with geography. Students found that the cultures of Prairie Elementary’s community were diverse, interesting, and tasty!
Reach Results for Student Success in School: Improve Math Skills
Among many involvement activities at Prairie Elementary School focused on math, science, reading, well-being, and the climate of partnerships, MATHagascar Family Night was particularly exciting for students K-5 and their families. Games and activities were selected from Family Math Night-Math Standards I Action by J. Taylor-Cox to help students build math skills at every grade level. Games—set to a jungle theme—focused on number sense, algebra, geometry, measurement and time, and statistics and probability. Familiar games and brain teasers were revamped with animal images. There were 12 activity stations, two for each grade level, using dominos, magic squares, tangrams, scales, cubes, geoboards, graphs, and other easily available math supplies.
At each station, directions for each game were displayed on a trifold sign with title, materials, rules to play, and math standard that the game addressed. Jungle music set the mood. Over 200 students and parents enjoyed MATHagascar. Families received a math bag with brochures from the National Education Association (NEA) on students’ math and science skills and careers and various games that could be played at home to reinforce the evening’s fun and learning. The captivating theme combined with good planning for a solid and successful math night.
Visit the school at http://schools.naperville203.org/prairie/.