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Math means more
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Dobbins Family Night was divided into second- and fourth-grade areas with stations that made math fun with teamwork. At the measuring station, Sophia Thompson (left) gets some help from her dad, Mark.
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At the bean-counting station, Matthew Commons (left) asked his mom, Sherry, a few tough math questions.
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Teamwork made many of the stations fun. At the second-grade measuring station, Molly Malmer (left) was a team player with her mom, Monique.
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Even the greatest mathematicians need a break. Joey Villani (left), Rocco Parente, Alex Rapp, and Eric Rapp all gave their brains a rest for a few moments.
By SARAH FOOR
For any student, math is hard work. After particularly taxing math classes, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in equations, operations and multiplication tables.
However, the Dobbins Elementary PTO and principal Cheryl Borovitcky have a simple cure for avoiding math exhaustion — make math a fun, family activity.
The PTO-sponsored Family Math Night on March 10 welcomed second- and fourth-graders and their parents for explorations of time, money, geometry and measurement through parent and child teamwork.
“Math is particularly important to us because we’re challenged with it every single day, at every age,” shared event co-chair Carla Bobbey. “The PTO is passionate about this family night because it’s a subject that is extremely important to our parents and our students.”
“We have a serious purpose here, but we also like to prove to our families that math can be a lot of fun when you’re doing it together,” said fellow co-chair Judy Nittoli.
Guests at the event were welcomed at the door with a folder of math brain teasers, and gifts of protractors for the fourth-graders and math cards for the second-graders.
Math games were offered for each grade’s skill level. Fourth-grade students like Sophia Thompson explored stations where the students measured their own height and arm span, and worked on their calculator skills. Second-graders like Molly Malmers had to figure out different ways to get to 100, and sharpened their skills with money in the “Dobbins Market” play grocery store.
“At Dobbins, we’re passionate about parent involvement, no matter what the subject,” Borovitcky said. “In previous years, many of the parents have told me that they’ve forgotten how truly difficult some of these math concepts are! Family night gets them involved in the process and everyone learns by doing — it’s really a wonderful night.”