Washingtonville students check out math at Hannaford

Washingtonville elementary students traded their classrooms for the grocery store aisles Tuesday evening as families from all three elementary schools gathered at Hannaford in New Windsor for the district's annual Math Night.

The event gave students an opportunity to practice everyday math skills through hands-on activities, including comparing prices, calculating costs, budgeting and even operating the grocery store registers. 

One of the evening's activities challenged students to plan a family dinner with a $50 budget, encouraging them to consider prices and make decisions about what they could afford.

Fourth graders Henry and AJ settled on burgers and fries, while fifth grader Anthony stocked up on chips, pizza, wings and Coke. First grader Milo kept things simple with bread, cheese and salad.

Fellow first grader Liliana chose ingredients for chicken cutlets and broccoli.

"I like broccoli," she grinned. 

"I love watching the students pick out their 'budgeted dinner,'" said Little Britain Elementary School Principal Dr. Christopher Barrie. "You see another side to the students as you see what they enjoy to eat. A lot of times, the parents end up buying the actual food for dinner that night."

Beyond the dinner challenge, students made their way through a variety of math stations throughout the store. Activities included estimating the weight of grocery items, practicing making change at a register, stacking cups against the clock and building 3D shapes using marshmallows and toothpicks.

Students also worked through a Math Night Bingo board, which sent them searching the aisles for answers to questions about prices, quantities and measurements. Challenges included calculating how many eggs are in three dozen, comparing the prices of frozen foods and estimating the length of a box of granola bars.

Round Hill Elementary School Principal Kristin Shaw said the experience is especially valuable because it gives students an opportunity to learn alongside their families.

“Hands-on experiences are what truly stay with students long after the curriculum is taught in the classroom,” she said. “It's even more special when their families are there to share in the experience.”

Taft Elementary School Principal Christine Williams said another highlight is watching students take on responsibilities they typically see adults perform.

“It’s also really great for them to use the register to scan the groceries, ‘pay’ for the groceries, and make change!” she said. “Our kids are always trying to be older or be adults. This is a great experience for them and their future!”

Math Night began four years ago when Dr. Barrie approached Hannaford with the idea of bringing classroom math lessons into a real-world setting. What started as a small initiative has grown into an annual event supported by a strong partnership between the district and the grocery store.

“We started small, but as Math Night has grown, so has Hannaford’s support and commitment to our students,” Dr. Barrie said.

As an added bonus, students who completed their Bingo boards were also entered for a chance to be selected as Principal for a Day. One student from each elementary school will be randomly selected for the opportunity to experience what their building principal does throughout the school day.

Thank you to Hannaford, our elementary staff and all the families who joined us for another great Math Night! 

Browse the Math Night photo gallery here.