43
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The PTO brought in Dan Felger of Felger Exotics to show the children and parents some animals, such as a rabbit and a marmoset. The children pet the animals and talked to Felger while in line for their professional photo with Felger's kangaroo.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Dobbins Elementary PTO brought in female instructors and students from MCCTC's STEM program for their father daughter night. Pictured, the STEM students showed the daughters how to use a program to roll a ball around on a table.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Dobbins Elementary father daughter night featured a dance in the gymnasium with music by DJ Bob Hlinka of Music Man DJ Services. Pictured are Bob DiFabio and his daughter Juilanna.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.The PTO of Dobbins Elementary organized the father daughter night. They set up a station where parents and children could get their pictures taken with a small kangaroo. Pictured are Alivia Carbone and Tony Cruz.
Photo
Neighbors | Zack Shively.Dobbins Elementary had a father daughter night on March 20. The night included a series of different stations, including one where the child and parent worked on a project together. Pictured, Sofia and Frank Elia work together to make a birdhouse.
By ZACK SHIVELY
Dobbins Elementary invited fathers and daughters to the school for a night of entertainment on March 20.
The school’s PTO organized the night. They placed each father and daughter pairing in a group and had the groups move between the five stations they set up for the night.
“We want the girls to enjoy their evening with a special male figure in their life,” said Shelly DiFabio, the PTO chair for the event. She wanted to give the students a chance to experience things that they might not have before.
As an example, the PTO brought in Dan Felger of Felger Exotics. He brought in a bunny for the students to pet, but he also brought in a marmoset, an animal that students are less likely to have the chance to pet.
The PTO also organized a photo area in a classroom near the back of the school.
The photo area had a bench for the child and parent to sit. Felger brought in a small kangaroo for the fathers and daughters to hold while they took the photo.
STEM instructors and students from MCCTC’s STEM program had a display in the activity room. They spread into different groups and watched as students and instructors used an application on a tablet to move a ball on the ground or on a table. They showed the children how to move the ball. Then, they let the children use the tablets.
Each of the students and the instructors were female, which DiFabio said was be great for the young female students to see. The instructors were Mara Banfield, the director of the STEM program, and Rachel Young, the STEM Coach at MCCTC.
The event had a dance in the gymnasium as well. The PTO darkened the room and had a couple dance lights shining while DJ Bob Hlinka of Music Man DJ Services played music.
In two rooms of the fourth-grade hallway, The parents and children made hands-on crafts, such as a birdhouse. They took their projects home with them after the event.
Parents and children took a break from the activities of the night on the stage of the auditorium where they ate pizza and drank water. The PTO also provided mints, fruit, chips and ice cream for the fathers and daughters.