This is a picture of the most cherished Screen Turn-off activity at Wading River Elementary School: The TV-off-the-roof ceremony. I didn't take the picture, but a teacher did and she printed it for me and I took a picture of the picture. I hope you can see what it is.Monday morning started with the kick-off assembly and then the entire school - about 44o kids - stepped outside to watch as our principal and PE teachers climbed on the roof. The students chanted "Throw it! Throw it!" and the two men swung and then sent a donated, unusable TV crashing down to the pavement.
The symbolism is clear: Kill the TV. At least for the week.Thus started our Screen Turn-off week. We have a great deal of participation this year. I haven't counted them all, but I think we have at least 125 contracts (commitments to go screen-free for the week). That's over 25% of the school. And that's more than I expected. I realize how hard it is to turn everything off. And many families don't want to commit.
Monday night, the teachers sponsored our 1st ever Family Math Night, with activities and math games for younger kids and a kind of math game show for 4th and 5th graders. It was attended by a small group and everyone had fun.
Tonight was our traditional "Gym Night". The gym teachers set up all their favorite activities in stations around the gym. They played Beach Boys music and the place was packed with happy, active children - NOT watching TV or playing video games.
Tomorrow night the librarian is running a Story Time - where a few of the teachers will come in and read their favorite books to the kids. Thursday and Friday night we have Bingo events with prizes and raffles and lots of fun.
Each school day there is a raffle (1 name is pulled from each grade's coupons for the previous day of being "screen free") and I wrapped up the little prizes (books, notepads, pencils, markers, games) in pretty cellophane and ribbons, which I think made it really special.
The whole event is sponsored by the PTA and I think it's one of the most important things we do as an organization at the school. It's really a group effort - parent volunteers, teachers, the principal and, of course, all the students.
I'll keep you posted!
4 comments:
Love the TV off the roof thing! Kids must LOVE that.
When I was a kid, we didn't have a TV in my family til I was 12. Before that, we occupied ourselves. We didn't have any of these math game nights, raffles, and story times.
Funny Nan, my family didn't have a TV either. I think I was 14 or so, I can't recall. And we only had 4 channels!
My kids are kind of movie addicts, but with this warm weather they don't even think about it!
Me too! We finally got a tv the summer before 6th grade, and then I was only allowed to watch 1/2 hr. per night. (Of course, we only got 4 channels, too, so not much choice.) I felt so deprived and was always trying to weasel a way for more.
Now, we have tv, but no cable! Ha! Sort of the same idea...I pick weekly videos from the library. And, in this gorgeous weather, the answer is usually "no tv!"
I'm so glad to hear that some of my fellow bloggers are low-tv moms too. We also have no cable and kids aren't allowed to watch any TV at all Monday to Thursday. So Turnoff week was a cinch for us.
We wound up with 164 contracts - that's about 37% of the school! I was so pleased. Maybe this thing is catching on!
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