By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

Portraying Cleopatra, parent-volunteer Deborah Sensel-Davis measures the arm of Laurel Pruden, 11. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

CLIFTON HEIGHTS - School may not always be fun, but "Family Math Night" at Fairview German Language School is a guaranteed blast.

"It's a great event that showcases the way that teachers, staff, parents and friends of Fairview come together to enhance the learning process and make it fun," said parent organizer Diane Kissel Kraus.

Thursday night, Fairview School was transformed into "Fairviewville," a town buzzing with mathematical activity at more than 30 stations. The annual event at the Cincinnati Public magnet school drew hundreds of students, their families and friends.

"The purpose of math night is to present kids with ways to practice skills and concepts that they can enjoy, and to help them understand the many facets of math," said Julia Kreimer, a fourth-grade teacher and math night organizer.

Family Math Night is "pure fun," Kreimer said, because it lets kids learn without being held responsible for everything that is presented to them.

At the Fairviewville Stock Market, students bought and sold stock and watched the market rise and fall with a roll of the dice.

Srdjan Stojanovic, a University of Cincinnati math professor, was among school parents running the market. He sold stocks to Davy Haase, 16, whose sister is a student at Fairview. Davy bought stock from two companies, then sold shares from one to buy into another that paid higher dividends. After five dice rolls (five years), Davy made a slight profit.

"I made 50 cents for free, that's pretty good," he said.

Events like Family Math Night are on the rise for two reasons, said Kimya Moyo, math manager for the Cincinnati Public School District:

• The need to improve math and science achievement.

• The achievement that results from parent involvement in education.

"It helps kids not only reach success in classrooms, but it's an involvement they carry from the school back home," Moyo said. "At math night, parents get a different view of what mathematics is all about and feel more able to participate in whatever the math homework will be."

The Ohio Department of Education is seeing a trend toward getting parents and other family members involved in similar events, said department spokesman J.C. Benton.

"More districts are combining social events with education to promote life-long learning," Benton said. "I think it's because of the clear academic content standards set by the state, and because school districts are working harder to align their curriculum around those standards."

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