First Ever Family Math Night At Stewart School

Teacher Dolores Volpe, standing, with parents and students at the tangram (Chinese puzzle) station.

About a hundred third graders gathered with their families at Stewart School one night last winter to sharpen their problem-solving skills and better understand New York State Mathematics standards-and it was fun!

The program, Stewart Schools' first Family Math Night, painlessly illustrated concepts in geometry, logical reasoning, measurement, time, money, and estimation through games and hands-on activities for the entire family. There also were prizes, and each family received a Take-Home Math Packet containing books and suggestions for hands-on activities to do at home.

"We had a very special time together learning math," one parent said. "It was excellent to have tangible real life examples of math in everyday life; we're excited about the possibility of doing it again."

The event was facilitated by Resource Room Teacher Trish Roberts, Fifth Grade Teacher Barrie Dratch, and Mathemathics Teacher Tom Corso. It was made possible by several mini-grants obtained by Ms. Roberts from MathMatters, NassauTract, and the Long Island Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Telling time in Spanish with teacher April Cornachio, left.

"With the grant funding, we were able to provide a fun-filled evening and build the foundation we need to create similar events in the future," Mrs. Roberts said.