Game night proves a winner at Simi Elementary
By Eliav Appelbaum eliav@theacorn.com

GOOD TIMES- Lianne Stern with her daughters Kaela and Megan at Simi Elementary School's first-ever Family Game Night.

Instead of zoning out in front of the television, students and their parents had a break from the norm last Thursday night.

Simi Elementary School hosted its first Family Game Night, and about 300 students and parents showed up to play board games, eat dinner together and win prizes in the school auditorium.

The Simi Kiwanis Club brought a food wagon and gave all proceeds right back to the school, which raised about $1,600 for instructional materials for students, according to Principal Sue Koch.

"It was a wonderful turnout," said Koch, who saw more than 60 percent of the school's 337 students attend Thursday's function. "It was really wonderful to see. I don't think a lot of parents take time or have the time to sit down and play board games with their children. So it was really a positive night."

Parents were encouraged to bring board games with their children. Students and families interacted with each other, playing a variety of games from Uno to Monopoly to Scrabble.

The school gave away 17 new board games to families in opportunity drawings, and gift certificates from Brighton, a women's jewelry and accessories store, and Best Buy.

Paulette Kawasaki, a PTA member at the school, and her daughter Kaila brought along Monopoly Junior and Clue Junior to game night. Kaila also won the game Chutes and Ladders during one of the drawings.

"It was a great way to get kids and families together," Kawasaki said. "It was really great. We had a really, really good turnout. It's something different. It's not your typical fundraiser where you buy stuff from a catalog. You got food and got to see other families that you might not get to see. I hope to see it next year."

Based on the success of this year's event, Koch thinks Game Night will return.

"I know we'll do it again," Koch said. "It was a great evening."