Math Night at Mark Twain Elementary: Numbers, Pizza, and Community Sum Up a Fantastic Event
Mark Twain Elementary School was the center of mathematical education and entertainment with their school’s Math Night! This event welcomed students and their families to engage in a variety of fun learning activities to spark interest in mathematics
Mark Twain Elementary School was the center of mathematical education and entertainment with their school’s Math Night! This event welcomed students and their families to engage in a variety of fun learning activities to spark interest in mathematics. With hands-on exhibits and enthusiastic volunteers, the atmosphere was filled with excitement and curiosity, making it a memorable evening for all attendees.
School leadership came together with the desire to create an event where students and their families had a space to learn and have fun. They landed on the idea for Math Night and reached out to the Seattle Universal Math Museum for their expertise in creating exciting math experiences. Principal Tess Johnson said, “it’s our goal to engage the whole family in our students’ learning, and Math Night was a way for us to nurture our children’s love of math and learning, alongside the wider school community.”
As families arrived, they could stop through the Mark Twain cafeteria and enjoy pizza as a kickoff to the fun to follow. Families then made their way to the school gym to find booths of games, challenges, and puzzles highlighting the importance of math in everyday life and the goal of fostering a love for learning among students. The event aimed to enhance math skills as well as strengthen the connection between families and the school community.
As the evening ended families had smiles and came away with new experiences and a newfound enthusiasm for math. The success of Math Night at Mark Twain Elementary demonstrated the power of community engagement in education. By bringing families together to celebrate learning, the school fostered a love for math and strengthened the connections within the community and the school. Events like these remind us that education is a collaborative effort and together, we can inspire the next generation of thinkers and problem solvers. Mark Twain scholar Nicolas mentioned that Math Night, “showed me games I could play while still doing math. I like to build things, and I didn’t know that was math.”
“My favorite activities were when I got to build things, and play with puzzles and shapes”, added 2nd grader Zariah, “I like when math is a challenge, where everything is different, and there’s more than 1 answer.”
Mark Twain’s Math Night aligns with the district’s strategic plan Goal 1, The Early Years: Building the Foundation, and Goal 4, Content-Area Competence: Mastery of All Subjects. By laying the foundation through engaging activities, and offering alternative learning activities to propel mastery, coupled with the support of community partners like Seattle Universal Math Museum, FWPS scholars can achieve at high levels.