YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea -- To help get kids excited about geometry, and to give parents a chance to learn and play with their kids, Seoul American Elementary School hosted Geometry Night inside the SAES cafeteria March 30.
Though the main events didn't start until 5:30 p.m., the SAES Parent Teacher Organization arrived early to provide dinner for their guests. Members of the PTO sold hot dogs and chips, as well as homemade sweets.
Tables were set up throughout the cafeteria, each with a different activity on it. A table lined with math books sat across from a demonstration on marshmallow geometry. Geometry Bingo and Pentominoes (tetris) took up the corners of the room. Other activities were lined up around the open area, with teachers near each station.
At 5:30 the night began, with each child making their way to a pre-set area given to them once they came in. Parents sat down with their kids as they built houses out of toothpicks and marshmallows, or made designs using geometric blocks on graph paper.
Rhoda Cody, the Math Support Specialist for SAES, said that at the end of the four rotations between areas, parents would be able to take home materials to help continue their child's education after the event.
"It's good for the kids, because it's really fun for them, and they see that math is not as scary as it's sometimes made out to be, parents too," Cody said, talking about how education has changed over the years.
The desks were manned by teachers who had volunteered to help for the night, supervising the desks as the children worked on their activities. Cathy Griffin, the Physical Education teacher for SAES, said that the volunteer work was rewarding.
"This is part of my job, too," Griffin said. "I'm here to support the kids, and it's not just during the day. So I enjoy it, and I think it's good for the kids to see me here too, not in the gym."
"I think we really appreciate all the volunteers," Griffin added, thanking them for their time and efforts. "Something like this, the teachers couldn't do it by themselves. So if we didn't have the volunteers we wouldn't be able to do it for the kids. And the kids love it, so that's what it all comes down to."
Social Sharing