Hernando Today
'Donuts With Dad' Draws Diverse Crowd
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Published: May 4, 2008
Updated:
SPRING HILL - "First, we're going to do giant big steps," proclaimed Brice Holmes, 6.
A kindergartener at Challenger K-8 School of Science and Mathematics in Spring Hill, Brice stood staunchly in the hallway outside his classroom with his father. Side by side, the pair made their way down the hallway, taking giant steps - one in sneakers, shorts and a T-shirt, the other in a crisp dress shirt, slacks and tie. It could have been a classic Norman Rockwell painting.
They made it in 56 steps. A bit off from Brice's guess of 40, but no matter - Brice was teaching his dad a math game, and his dad, Spring Hill resident Brian Holmes, was the attentive student.
Holmes was one of more than 50 local fathers who took the afternoon off work to attend a special Donuts With Dad event at school, made up of three kindergarten classes who spent the afternoon teaching their dads practical math problems, then eating donuts and sharing lemonade with their fathers.
"It's fun. We could do this on a road trip," said Spring Hill installation specialist Erich Toombs, while learning a math game from his 6-year-old daughter, Karissa.
Drawing a diverse crowd of professionals - including firefighters, sales associates, professors and restaurant workers - all were equal in the eyes of their children, who proudly presented their fathers with makeshift "World's Greatest Dad" trophies and handmade cards at the end of the day.
"This is the best day of school," said Jackson Bland, 5, grinning at his father, Scott, a Spring Lake engineer.
The brainchild of kindergarten teachers Bonnie Brockhoff, Jayneen Mann and Kasie Ullven, the activity aimed to promote using math in everyday activities that fathers and their children do together, such as counting innings during a baseball game or products in Home Depot.
"This is a good opportunity for families to be helping each other," Brockhoff said. "It encourages games to establish fun in learning and also shows by example, with numbers and (skills such as) computation and estimation."
It also places value on the importance of fathers as role models and vital to their children's education, she added.
"These dads took off work for this," Brockhoff said. "We often see moms in the role of parent volunteer, but this is an opportunity for dads to be involved in the classroom, meet each other and see what's going on."
Children whose fathers were not able to make it were paired up with another child and their dad for the activity, and several grandfathers attended. Challenger principal Sue Stoops briefly served as a "dad substitute," as well.
And the moms will get their turn soon enough.
Next week, the classes will host a "Muffins With Mom" event, in which the children will break muffins with their mothers and focus on reading and language arts skills "just to switch it up a little," Mann said.
Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( SpringHillConcernedCitizen ) on May 4, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'll bet the police officers, sheriffs, etc., got to the good 'donuts' first! Oh, God, the devil made me do it; couldn't resist.
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