Who doesn’t like to play games? This year, the DoDEA Tapestry Grant sponsored a “Family Game Night” on March 2nd. The event was the first of its kind that sought to bring together elementary, mi
ddle and high school students and families in one place to play games, just for fun. While attendance was small for its first year, it was considered a success.
The event was held at Meade High School in their Media Center. There were lots of games that focused on developmental levels, but also games that appealed to all age ranges. The favorite games of the evening were “Headbandz” and the 3 foot tall “Jenga” set. The grant also partnered with the game retailer ‘Marbles the Brain Store’ which generously donated 10 games along with coupons for discounts at their website. Unfortunately, between the donation and the event date, the company declared bankruptcy and soon after closed down.
Other community partners participated in the evening as well. Staff from the Ft. Meade Teen Center attended and circulated among parents and high school
students to share their resources. Kennedy-Krieger’s “Eagle Project” which focuses on the mental health needs of military students and families were also there with information for parents and teachers. Both of these partners have asked to come back when the event happens again.
The largest success of the evening was the staff participation. The grant approached this event from multiple angles and one was an experiential professional development. Approximately 20 staff attended the event and played games with families as well as each other. Teachers laughing and having fun was a common scene of the evening. There were many great discussions among teachers of different grade levels about students, climate and relationships. Teachers walked away with a better understanding of how their school and classroom fit into the PreK-12 educational life cycle.