same game bags to all students whose families could not attend the event so that they and their parents had the same opportunities to play the math games at home.
Connect Families and Students with Math in the Community. Busy work schedules and concerns that they will not be welcome keep some parents from attending activities held in the school building. Some schools conduct various activities in the community to reach more and diverse groups of parents. Lee Hall Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, held its annual math night at Family Night at Bottom Dol- lar Food Store. Families received grade-specific math activities to complete by checking items throughout the store. For example, fifth-graders had to find items from specific food groups, such as fruits, meat, or dairy, to create a healthy menu for less than $20.
Children also received a book to take home and adults received coupons and other prizes. Additional community support came from a local credit union, which set up a booth with information for families about budgeting and savings plans.
Conduct Involvement Activities Regularly. Although most parent involvement activities occur once, some schools implement ongoing initiatives. When volunteers are involved, it helps to have a regular schedule for them to follow. Fairmount Elementary School in St. Peters, Missouri, worked to boost students’ math success by training volunteers to practice math with students on Flashcard Friday. Every Thursday, teachers received a list of the volunteers for their classrooms. On Friday, the volunteers received a Flashcard Friday nametag, a set of flashcards for their assigned grade level, and a thank you note for volunteering their time. They checked in with their assigned teachers and worked with pre-selected students. The clear organization of this activity and students’ responses and increased skills made this an attractive initiative for many volunteers.
SAMPLE SCIENCE INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES
Conduct Hands-On Activities. Students are more likely to complete activities that are hands-on and fun. Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, held Silly Putty Family Night to teach students and families about polymers and how to conduct science experiments with these materials. Children made silly putty with their parents and participated in hands-on experiments with their freshly made product. They left with their own silly putty and instructions to make it at home. Because the only two ingredients are starch and glue, families can make more silly putty at home and conduct other experiments with the goo. Not only did students and families learn more about sci- ence, but they also found that learning can be fun!
Connect with Experts in the Community. All communities have hidden experts who are waiting to be asked to share their knowledge and skills. William Hubbard Middle School in Forsyth, Georgia, discovered that one student’s grandfather was an avid astronomer. The ATP planned Dessert Under the Stars to draw upon this volunteer’s knowledge. Parents, students, and others rotated through experiment stations focused on Astronomy, Life Science, and Earth Science. Several parents provided homemade desserts for refreshments. By planning and sharing leadership for a science event with parents and community members, the school relieved science teachers of some of the stresses of plan- ning an event. More importantly, students benefited from several community members’ expertise.
PAGE 24 • Connect ©SYNERGY LEARNING • 800-769-6199 • MARCH/APRIL 2012
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