The OCDSB's Elgin Street Public School recently opened its doors for an evening of shared discovery by hosting a Family Math, Literacy, and Science Night. More than 300 parents, caregivers, and students explored interactive learning tools, heard insightful presentations, and put their math skills to the test with student-designed games. Participants left with a deeper understanding of the curriculum and a toolkit of simple activities to spark moments of learning in everyday life.
Exploring math through play
Parents and caregivers joined their children in grade-based zones, designed to reflect each stage of the learning journey. Younger students explored the foundations of counting, identifying patterns, and matching numbers. Older grades applied these foundations to more complex challenges, like completing calculations, reading clocks, understanding fractions, and exploring geometry.
Many stations featured games developed by the students themselves. From strategic "Mancala Math" to multiplication battles, students proved that the best way to demonstrate mastery of a concept is to teach it to others. Another major highlight of the evening was the rekenrek-making station. Families worked together to build their own Rekenreks (calculation racks), ensuring that students had the tools to continue their progress at home.
Strengthening literacy at home
The literacy portion of the evening centered on equipping parents with simple, evidence-based strategies to support reading and writing at home. Families explored practical ways to connect sounds and letters, accessed guided games, strengthened French language skills, and learned how to better support multilingual learners.
The session also highlighted how literacy can be built through everyday conversation, from talking about books to discussing the highlights of the day. These approaches helped transform literacy from a classroom task into a natural part of the daily routine.
The power of partnership
The event's success was rooted in collaboration. Led by teacher Ionut Cireasa, the initiative brought together staff from across the school to gather resources and design curriculum-aligned stations. At the event, teachers had the opportunity to connect directly with families, sharing meaningful ways to support literacy and numeracy at home. The Parent Council provided refreshments, and students enthusiastically took the lead, showcasing their learning through the interactive games they had designed.
Every family went home with printables and resource kits tailored for their child's grade, allowing them to continue the conversation at home. Many of the night's most popular games have also been added to the school library's digital collection, making them available to enjoy year-round.
"The energy throughout the evening was a testament to the power of the home-school partnership, showing what's possible when families and staff unite to celebrate student creativity," says Ionut. "Seeing our community learn side-by-side not only builds confidence but reinforces the vital bridge between the classroom and home. It is essential we keep this momentum going in the years to come, ensuring that this tradition of shared discovery remains a cornerstone of our school culture."
