Latimer Lane Families Connect Over Bingo and Pizza

Every October Latimer Lane Elementary School holds a pizza dinner for its Hartford and Simsbury families for the purpose of getting acquainted. Usually a dozen or so families participate, but this year, on October 17, 2017, the turnout more than quadrupled.

In 1966 Simsbury was one of the first five school districts to embrace Project Concern, now known as the Hartford Region Open Choice Program. The program offers Hartford students the opportunity to attend public schools in suburban towns at no cost to the families. The goals of the program are to improve academic achievement; reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation; and provide all children with a choice of high-quality educational programs.

At the conclusion of last year’s Open Choice dinner, Principal Mike Luzietti and social worker Erin Naspo put their heads together to see how they could make the annual event more inclusive. They decided to personally invite not only the 27 Hartford students’ families but all new families to the building, which encompassed 35 students in first grade and up, along with 28 English Learners (EL) students. The result was, in Luzietti’s view, “an unbelievable turnout” and “a night of meaningful connections with people you might not ordinarily meet.”

Hoping 34 pizzas was enough to feed everyone, Luzietti joked, “If not, you’re all coming to my house for takeout!”

Latimer Lane’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) decorated the room and provided salads, and staff members provided a variety of desserts. Many PTO members were in attendance at the event alongside many Latimer Lane teachers, who warmly welcomed parents and former students. Back by popular demand was the “Get to Know You Bingo” game that encouraged both students and family members to walk around the room and ask questions of people of all grade levels and backgrounds. Simple questions such as “Did you ever play an instrument?” had the potential to lead to fruitful conversations.

During the Bingo game, Naspo, who speaks Spanish, was gratified to find that a couple students approached her to ask if she would help them ask questions of Spanish-speaking students in their native language. This extra effort to make a connection with people who are not the same as themselves shows that Latimer Lane students are paying attention to the example that the adults in their school community are setting.