Families from across the El Monte City School District (EMCSD) gathered at the district’s Board Room to celebrate Family Math Night. Timed perfectly to coincide with Pi Day, this event was designed to celebrate the beauty of mathematics while fostering a sense of community among students and families alike.

Kaitlyn Swan-O’shea, Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA), said, “We are here to put on a district-wide family event so all families and communities can come together to foster that love of numeracy and problem-solving, and build that love for math.”

One of the highlights of the evening was the “Perfect Circle Challenge,” where participants put their geometric skills to the test by attempting to draw the most precise circle freehand. Laughter filled the air as families competed to create the roundest circles,

With prizes awarded to those who achieved mathematical perfection. Even EMCSD’s Superintendent, Dr. Maribel Garcia showed off her whirling talents by completing a near-perfect circle during the activity.

The fun didn’t stop there. Craft tables were set up inviting families to get creative with their math skills. From crafting Pi Day hats and engineering LEGO robots, a Pi walk, literacy read-aloud, and students trying to memorize as many digits in Pi, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The longest digit count for Pi was over 60 digits after the decimal. Mateo Munoz
stated, “I enjoyed playing the [different] math games to win prizes from the prize table.” Students were also challenged to participate in various levels of mathematical equations in order to win prizes.

LEGO robotics was a massive hit, challenging students to code start, stop, and operational functions with motorized vehicles. New Lexington Student Leonardo Recinos was thrilled to get his robot to work, “I made a robot start while the color stayed yellow and made the robot stop at red!” Leonardo said he enjoyed being able to use his creativity and combine it with math.

Throughout the evening, there was a distinct sense of happiness and companionship as families collaborated to solve math problems. EMCSD Superintendent Dr. Maribel Garcia, who was in attendance with her family, shared, “We know that the best way to connect with our community is to create opportunities for us to come together. Creating spaces like Family Math Night embraces the partnership between our families and educators. Plus, we get the added benefit of showing how math happens all around us and empowering our families to extend math experiences outside the classroom.”

Family Math Night was a demonstration of education’s ability to unite and inspire.