Sheridan Elementary holds first Family Literacy Game Night

Submitted by Sheridan Community Schools

On Wednesday, Nov. 19, Sheridan Elementary School held its first-ever Family Literacy Game Night.

This event allowed current second- and third-graders, along with their families, to attend a fun night of games, laughter, connection, and literacy.

“It was a fabulous success for our first time out!” SES Assistant Principal Melissa Hoffman said.

She also thanked all the people who made it so successful.

“I just wanted to say thank you so much to all the people who worked so hard on family literacy game night!” Hoffman said. “We had 40 kids turn in their papers and several older and younger siblings also participated. I really appreciate all your time and hard work! I can’t wait to see how this event grows in the future.”

All evening, students and their families played through a variety of literacy-themed games or activities. These included read-alouds, game stations, take-home activities, visits from the Sheridan Public Library, and a special Book Fair. Throughout these activities, students could complete a Literacy Game Night Checklist. This encouraged them to stay active and participate in each station. Some of the items included visiting the Book Fair, going to a read-aloud, playing multiple games, visiting the Sheridan Public Library table, choosing free books, and choosing a game in a baggie to take home and play.

One of the major highlights of the event was the generous donation of books from community members, allowing students to “shop” for books to build their own at-home libraries. These additions not only support students’ reading development but also promote literacy throughout the community.

Although this first event focused on second- and third-graders, Sheridan Elementary has plans for grades K-2 in conjunction with the school’s annual spring game night. If the success of this first event is any indication, Family Literacy Game Night will definitely become an exciting tradition for years to come.