Photo taken by Seth Hardison

Kim Boatwright sings Christmas songs during the Winter Family Fun Night.

Winter Family Fun Night was on December 5, 2023 in the Fair Grove Elementary. The event offered cookie decorating in the cafeteria, games in the library, ornament and necklace making, stories, and songs.  

Cara Kennard is a Fair Grove Elementary school teacher who took the lead on this event. Kennard said, “The best thing about the event is seeing families having fun together. It is also a great time for families to connect with teachers and get to know them better.”

With how busy the holidays can be, Winter Family Fun Night offers an opportunity for families to create memories and bonds around the holidays season. Colleen Wingo, a first-grade teacher, continued by saying that Winter Family Fun Night also contributes to building relationships between the students and teachers.

The event was held all over the elementary classrooms. Winter Family Fun Night included Christmas classics and popcorn in elementary teacher, Kari Bethurem’s, room, ornament making in Whitney Hyde’s room, family games in the library, pictures with Santa at the entrance, necklace making at the entrance of the lower gym, Christmas songs in the lower gym, and finally cookie decorating in the cafeteria. 

According to Kennard, preparing for the event was not a cake walk. “Knowing how many people to plan for is always a bit of a challenge. We usually plan for around 250 people, so that means LOTS of preparation ahead of time,” added Kennard.

Wingo described that Winter Family Fun Night is a great way to create unity within the community and also in families and homes. 

Erin Hart, a fourth grade teacher at Fair Grove Elementary, whose role was to supervise the game portion of the event. Hart stated, “The students get extra family time out of the event that they do not always get during the holidays.” 

This event is organized by the Title 1 department, which is a federal education program with the hope of helping support low-income students and families. Then each grade level signs up for an activity to supervise. Kim Boatwright’s role in the Winter Family Fun Night was to lead the sing-along. Boatwright explained, “I feel the kids get to have fun with their teachers and parents together. This event allows the kids to share the school with their families” 

Among the students and faculty that attended the event, the event went well and included a fun experience for the students.