Home > News > UMD students have family night with Nettleton kids
UMD students have family night with Nettleton kids
BY RYAN HANSON
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
ISSUE: 78/29
RYAN HANSON / STATESMAN
Sisters Becca and Bella Davis play with paint at
Nettleton Middle School on Thursday, April, 24.
“Family Night” was put on by 21 UMD Education
students.
Despite a cold, rainy Duluth day, more than one hundred kids raced in and out of the gym and cafeteria last Thursday at Nettleton Middle School. Kids and their parents were attending the weekly “Family Night,” and it was all about Earth Day. What made this week different from other family nights? The people helping out were UMD education students.
Once a year, UMD education students in the Learning
Environment Class, set up, plan and host a night at local schools to get a chance to interact with kids and their parents.
“It’s about fostering connection to the community,” said senior Jamie Lass, one of the organizers and UMD education student. “The best part is getting parents and kids involved in a family connection and learning about Earth Day.”
Lass said that 21 UMD students were in attendance, helping the kids learn about Earth Day from booths such as “Recycling Basketball,” “Seed Planting” and “Bag Murals.” The students were expecting around 150 to 200 people to come by and partake in the event. At the end of the day, they had served 215 meals, but estimated that over 250 people actually showed up. “It’s just about having fun, seeing the kids smiling and excited,” said senior Kristie Siewert, another member of the education class. “It’s nice seeing something outside of school.”
Parents also enjoyed the opportunity to get out and spend time with their kids, watching them run around the gym, partaking in writing messages to the environment and winning prizes at “Recycling Basketball.” “These kids keep me active,” said Duluth resident Sue Akervick, mother of two boys enrolled in Nettleton. “We come to these because we like to be involved and to keep involved with the school and the community.” The atmosphere in the cafeteria was just as hectic as the gym. The line for the spaghetti and breadsticks stretched around the room. One woman was cleaning up after everyone, rag in hand, just as fast as the messes were being made.
Stephanie Heilig spent 32 years teaching at Nettleton, after graduating from UMD in 1974, and has spent the past five years as the principal. “These UMD students are phenomenal,” said Heilig. “They do a great job planning. We plant some seeds, and they just run with it. I love it when the UMD kids do it, and so do the kids and parents. We always have a great turnout when they’re here.”
As the kids ran around at a dizzying pace and filled their heads with Earth Day knowledge, Heilig watched the kids. “These events are great because we’re pulling people together despite their differences,” said Heilig, adding with a smirk, “and besides, they all like seeing me with a rag. After all, I’m on clean-up duty.”
