The click of chips, the rattle of dice and the distinct sound of
shuffling cards filled the air at Maddox Elementary School Jan. 29
for the school’s annual math night.
Lacey Fulton, Maddox math-night coordinator, said about 130
students and family members attended the event. Once they signed
in, most came to the gym, where they took seats at tables
participating in a variety of games designed to teach or support
grade-level math skills.
At one table, the cards were shuffled and then two or three
cards were turned over, face up. The game was to add up the numbers
on the cards.
A short distance away, there was a table holding tape measures
and rulers. The challenge of the game was to measure things, such
as the circumference of a basketball and the length of a tennis
racquet.
Katrina Jimenez, a third-grader, said she likes math because it
is fun to learn to do problems and she really likes it when she
gets the right answers to the problems.
Teacher Angela Poleschook moved from table to table, to help
students find a table with the right grade-level games.
The teacher said math night is an awesome way to get families to
spend an evening together to play games that help kids learn more
about math.
“This is a chance to have fun with math,” Poleschook said.
“Then, while they are having fun, the skills the students use in
the games helps to reinforce what we do in class.”
April York, parent of a Maddox student, agreed math night is a
good idea.
She said it offers a different and fun way to get kids to learn
about math. The night also provides a chance for students and their
families to meet and get to know the teachers and other students
and their families.
“It is a great activity for the kids and it’s great for the
families too,” she said.
There was a special treat for the elementary school students as
members of the Englewood High School boys basketball team
volunteered to be mentors for the projects.
Varsity guard Derek Cardona said he was having a good time
working with the kids.
“It’s sort of cool the way the little kids look up to us and
it’s really fun to help them with their math,” the Pirate senior
said. “This is fun for me because I like working with kids and it’s
great to get to know them one-on-one. We also invited the students
and their parents to come see one of our games this season.”
