Smithville Elementary Family Fun Night

What is Fun Night? 1. To encourage family involvement and increase enjoyment of school. 2. Educate parents about new strategies being taught in classrooms. 3. Provide parents and community members with ideas to take home to support academic learning. 4. Promote our school and all we do for our students.

Our Date, Location, Time Date  Tuesday September 28 th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm  Dress up like movie stars to play on our campus theme. Location  Cafetorium and Library Time  6:00-7:30-No longer than an hour and a half Workers  All staff members, high school Student Council/PALS and PAX, and other community members interested

Our Fun Night Overview We have about 18 games set up throughout the cafetorium. We will use the library also. After students play each game and will get a card explaining the game they just played. All games are free. Prizes will be given for completing all games and for homework session attendance.

Our Fun Night Overview For most stations, two teachers are needed. Some stations also have a high school helper. We will need to get donations for prizes and possibly supplies. Some stations are self run and for information only.

Our Fun Night Overview Each station is organized with the supplies and directions in a zip lock bag. After school, a team of people go to the cafetorium and library to set up. We put up the posters, tables (if needed), set out supplies, and prizes. We set up the estimation tables and any graphs that go on the walls. I hope it will take less than an hour.

Our Fun Night Overview When fun night is over, each teacher takes their poster down, puts supplies and directions back in the zip lock bag, and drops it into the storage container I hope to get donated. All bags are taken to a designated location. Teachers help to take down and put away any tables that are out. I hope that the clean up will be quick if we are organized.

Our Fun Night Overview The day after the event, I will combine any extra prizes and put them away to save for the following year or to use in AR store. I’d like to give you an evaluation to see what worked and what could be improved upon. I will use the evaluation to plan the next fun night event.

Our Fun Night Overview Teachers arrive about 30 minutes prior to the start of the event. Throughout the evening, have a few people float to relieve teachers for restroom breaks, replenish prizes, and answer questions or solve problems. Half way through the evening, switch the estimation jars and announce the winners for the first round.

Organizing 2-3 months in advance Choose games and create directions. We need 2 ELA games per grade level. Create a poster for each game. Committee members or volunteers will create a layout map once I have all of the games. Committee members or volunteers will make signs directing people to activities and age levels.

Additional Ideas Request donations from local businesses or write a grant for additional money. Offer/sell refreshments for our activity fund like we do at UIL. Create a ticket for kids to get stamped at each station. Give away a prize if they complete all activities (like cool hole punchers for scrapbooking)

Additional Ideas Send an invitation to school board members/superintendent/curriculum coordinators/newspaper reporters. Create simple announcements to be read each morning for a week in advance to build excitement and boost attendance.