Verner Elementary School celebrates Twosday
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Verner Elementary in Verona celebrated a very special mathematical day on Feb. 22, 2022, when they recognized palindrome day – or 22.02.2022. A palindrome means that the date is read the same whether it’s read forward or backward. And interestingly enough, the day is also an ambigram, meaning it is read the exact same way upside down as it is right-side up.
Also referred to as “Twosday,” the Tuesday brought with it some excitement at the Riverview School District elementary school as the students were able to step out of their normal routine with a wide array of math and number two-themed activities.
All students received a number two pencil from their teachers, and the cafeteria served walking tacos for lunch to commemorate “Taco Twosday.”
In addition, each grade level put together a poster about the number two, which were then hung around the school, and each student received a two on a copy sheet and got to be creative and do whatever they wanted with it to make it unique. Students also got a chance to share their thoughts on what they aspire to be when they’re 22 years old.
“Every kid at Verner’s mark is on the day,” said Jill Waffensmith, math teacher at Verner and the main coordinator of the day’s events. “I gave each grade level some ideas, but I didn’t force it, so it was up to each class on how to execute it.”
Other activities included cut-out number twos from the kindergarten class, who also participated in a ties and tutus event in which each student could wear a tie or tutu of their choosing to school that day.
The first graders put together a time capsule that included a measurement of their own foot compared to a king’s foot (the original one-foot measurement), in addition to a drawing of their hand. They also put together some of their own personal reflections of what they are currently thinking about. The time capsule is slated to be opened on March 3, 2033, which is when the group of first graders will be seniors.
The sixth-grade class brought in pictures from when they were 2 years old, which will go into the yearbook. But they also centered a fun activity around the photos, asking each student to match up the photo to their classmates with two guesses.
The upper-grade levels also discussed famous sports figures who wore the number 22 and some of the reasons why they might select that number.
The second-grade class was tasked with coming up with any numbers that ended in “222,” while the third graders did the same activity, except with “2022.” All of the classes worked on studying the difference between two, to and too.
Music classes worked with half notes to commemorate the number two, gym classes worked in groups of two and the library gave out bookmarks that said: “Read a book or two.”
One of the most popular activities took place at 2:22 p.m. Following an announcement over the loudspeaker, the students took to the hallways to do 22 seconds worth (or more) of any type of physical activity of their choice.
That part of the day was a big hit with the students.
“One of the main things we did was go out into the hallway and do some exercises,” said sixth-grader Anthony Tsambis. “We did 22 seconds of push-ups and we did 22 planks. It was really fun to go out there and get your energy out. We were waiting for the clock to hit 2:22 p.m.”
Second-grader Addie Williamson said, “One of my favorite things was doing exercises, and we also got to make hats, which was fun.”
Ultimately, it was a fun day for the students to break up the monotony of the school year, all the while learning about a rare mathematical anomaly. There won’t be another palindrome date for 11 years, and it’ll be another 100 years until there’s one centered around the number two.
“February and March can be a rough time of the year for the kids with not a lot to look forward to. And anytime – as a math specialist – that I can sneak a little extra learning about numbers in there, it’s good, “Waffensmith said. “It’s just something different and it breaks up the school day, and it’s a small thing that we can do that means a lot to the students. Anytime we can just take a breath and do something to make everyone happy, we all need that.”