Family Game Night at Terra Vista is an event many people eagerly anticipate. This year's theme, "Better Together," emphasized the importance of building relationships to strengthen the community. Terra Vista Principal, Cale Bridges, believes hosting such events is crucial for better serving the Terra Vista families.
“There are many practical ways we want to serve our TVMS families on this night such as providing helpful information about the benefits of being a Title I campus, exploring future college/career opportunities, and even sharing a meal together. At the heart, we want to host a fun night where parents, students, and TVMS staff are able to create even deeper bonds. It’s fun to see smiles of students who attended Family Game Night in the hallway the following day,” said Bridges.
One of the highlights of the Game Night was providing helpful information about future career and college opportunities for students.
“We utilize a program that allows us to compare students’ current MAP scores to future colleges and occupations that interest them,” said Bridges. “Families are able see the link between current MAP scores in relation to tests the students will take in high school such as the ACT and SAT. The hope of this portion of the night is to add relevance to the current efforts our students are pouring into their middle school days. We also hope this opens their eyes to dream a little more.”
Another feature of the Game Night was the presentation of available volunteer opportunities on campus.
“With the help of our PTA, we highlighted various opportunities to help either within PTA or around the school at certain times of the year such as Santa Buddies during the holiday season,” said Bridges. “We also discussed a very practical path parents could take if by chance they were interested in exploring the important need of substituting at our campus. We know many are ready to help and just need to know what opportunities are possible.”
Bridges is happy with the turnout of families that attended this year and is hopeful for many more successful Family Game Nights to come.
“Each year Family Game Night grows larger and larger,” said Bridges. “We have tripled involvement on this night since our first year. The more the merrier. We would love everyone to consider coming out next year to enjoy this TVMS tradition!”