Syracuse City School District issued the following announcement on June 5.
Students and staff at Lincoln Middle School have found a special way to bond during the school closures, thanks to creative thinking by teachers and the school's administrative team.
School leaders reached out to a group of staff - including CJ Hodge, Mads Goc, Sarah Lindovski, Stephen Knack, Nick Luppino, Khaled Nassar, Michael Adams, Joneisha Thomas and Sajjad Al-Badri - to see if they could find a way to host students in a non-academic setting during these unprecedented times. The team responded by creating virtual 'Game Knights,' a play on the school's mascot.
Hosting four events since schools closed on March 16th, the game nights have provided a space for students and staff to see each other in a fun setting, and have provided students with a sense of familiarity reminiscent of being in school with their friends.
"The main idea of Game Knight is to connect with our students on a deeper level than just in a classroom or through a online platform," Lincoln Health Education teacher CJ Hodge said. "When we are doing this, we are welcoming the students into our homes virtually and they are doing the same with us. I think these events have helped students by giving them a chance to see friends and teachers they haven’t had a chance to see since March 16th, and giving them a sniff of the way things were before this pandemic."
Game Knights have included a variety of games, including Taboo, Two Truths and a Lie, a Scavenger Hunt, their own version of Beat Shazaam and more. During the events, students have two different time slots that they can join, and staff even attached a 'golden ticket' prize to some games, providing some students with an extra credit pass they can use in a class of their choosing. Thanks to Peaceful Schools Community Schools Coordinator Sara Cavanaugh, game winners have also received gift cards.
Keep up the great work, Lincoln community!
Original source can be found here.
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