Even before the start of the first "Family Fun Night" at Arcola School, on Sept. 29, it was obvious that some of the students had already been enjoying themselves with the project. There was a hand-drawn poster hanging proudly on the notice board at Michael's Cafe in the centre of the town. It was brightly coloured, no doubt put together with lavish amounts of enthusiasm on the part of some youngster. It drew the attention, and brought a smile to one's face.
Over at the school, there was still half an hour to go before the official start of activities. A large screen had been attached to the outside wall of the building, and Judy Naylen (a fourth grade teacher) and Mary McNair (an Educational Assistant) were setting up the projector and DVD player to show the movie. There were wires to check, settings to adjust, and sound systems to test. They worked quickly to get it done before darkness fell.
Just inside the gymnasium, beside the open door, a table was spread with bags of popcorn. Standing beside the table, making sure everything was ready to be carried outside, were Jacquie Dawe and Whitney Paul, both of whom teach High School. Dawe was one of the organizers of the event, and she took a few minutes to explain the initiative.
"We wanted to do something that would bring students and their family together at the school" she said. "This is the first one, and we're going to have it on the last Thursday night of every month." She also explained that these nights would be a way to expose parents to some of the technologies they have at school, whether the ability to use multimedia, or the very latest smart boards.
For the first evening they decided to host a movie. "Angry Birds Rio" was the choice, a family film based on the hugely successful game. "We wanted to start by doing something outside." Dawe said, also indicating that future events will take place within the gymnasium. "The next one will be an indoor board games night" she said, "and we'll have a family bingo night with prizes too" she added. For the movie night, the local theatre had provided a family pass for a movie.
As darkness fell, and the stars started to come out, so did the families. There were just a few kids sitting in chairs in a single row at first, and then the cars, trucks and vans started to appear in quick succession. By 7:30 p.m. there were several rows of chairs filled with kids and parents, huddled under blankets or winter coats to brave what was becoming a slightly chilly breeze. By the time the movie started, it was clear this was something everyone was enjoying.
For a small town like Arcola, this is truly a great initiative. Whenever a school creates something that unites families together in a fun-filled event, everyone wins.
