Pre-K through fifth-grade teachers manned stations where students and parents participated in interactive math games. Wearing the jerseys of their favorite football teams, they walked each student through their game’s rules, offering help at each step. Students were given credit for completing each game, and those who played all six earned a homework pass, good for one assignment.

The games ranged from sorting – students tossed toy animals into bins based upon color, size or family – to addition and multiplication. Students worked on art projects , played football board games, worked with Unifix cubes and rolled dice to exercise different math skills.

The Super Bowl Math Party began at 5 pm, as Greenway Park students, parents and teachers sat down to pasta and dinner salad catered by St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church. St. Stephen’s, a partner since the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, volunteered its members to serve food to the more than 300 parents and students who attended. Other partners who made the evening possible were Life Academy, who provided the dishes and plasticware, and the Greenway Park PTA.

“We’re very happy to be working with Greenway Park,” says Bill Cole, an elder with St. Stephen’s. “I’m a retired teacher from Garinger, and my wife is a retired teacher as well. We just love being able to help all the teachers here.”

During the pasta dinner, a group of fourth- and fifth-grade students provided musical entertainment led by Music teacher Mondrae Williams.  In addition, families won prizes from the school’s raffle and Principal Paula Rao greeted new arrivals to the celebration.

 “We’re just so thrilled to see all of our kids and parents out here tonight,” said first-grade teacher Alice Jordan. She added, “They look like they’re having a lot of fun, don’t they?”