Principal to Cover Classes for Staff Bingo Winners
Ms. Jennifer Roman takes a picture with school safety agent Ms. Vandroff to complete a task on the Bingo grid.
Photo Credit: Alice Yee
By ALICE YEE and YESENIA PEREGRINA
The first ten staff members to complete a special Midwood Bingo grid on September 3 were surprised with the unique option of having the principal, Mr. Michael McDonnell, cover one of their classes for a day during the school year. Mr. McDonnell and Assistant Principal of Guidance Fern Bren hosted the game in order to give Midwood staff a fun first day back.
“This was the first time we tried something like this,” said Mr. McDonnell. “It was a different way to come back to the school, a way to enjoy a day that was also about going over rules and regulations.”
Unlike regular Bingo, this game was structured so that staff earned a space on the bingo grid once they had completed a task or question. These questions ranged from “When was the last time the Boy’s Handball team won the City Championship?” to “When was the last time the Seniors didn’t win SING!?” If the box said “Show Proof,” then the teacher needed to take a selfie or a picture of a souvenir from the relevant room to prove they were there. Participants had to complete every item on the grid to win.
For new staff such as counselor Ms. Prairna Sethi this was an interactive experience that allowed them to meet Midwood veterans.
“I’m still fairly new at this school, so it was a nice experience to meet other staff,” she said.
As for the current staff, the Bingo game allowed them to interact more with co-workers who they rarely get a chance to talk to and learn more about them.
Ms. Jennifer Roman, one of the winners, said, “I enjoy whenever we do something like this because we interact with people we don’t always know or see due to the fact that we are in different departments.
Ms. Danielle Daskalakis met several teachers who were also a Pisces (her astrological sign), which was one of the tasks on the Bingo grid.
Ms. Kendra Lane and Mr. Victor Gjecaj were two of the winners.
“I didn’t even know how I got partnered with Mr. Gjecaj,” said Ms. Lane. “We were each assigned to a room. Once we saw each other, we decided we wanted to win it, and we did.”
They formed the ultimate duo. “We were a formidable team,” said Mr. Gjecaj.
Physical education teacher Ms. Roman wants to wait until we get closer to the end of the year to claim her prize because she doesn’t want to interrupt anything going on right now. She’ll meet with Mr. McDonnell later in the year to see what he’ll need and to make sure it fits in his schedule, she said.
“Mr. McDonnell is a classroom teacher, so I want to put him in a gym,” she said. “It’ll be something different for him to experience.”
Mr. McDonnell said, “I enjoyed putting this little event together because not only was it a fun activity, but some people took it seriously and got a chance to learn more about each other and our school.”