Hiller Hangout: Trinity North offers space for students to unwind
Trinity North Elementary School recently created a Hiller Hangout for elementary school students to relax and unwind. On a recent Friday, first-graders played at the Hangout.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
First-graders enjoyed Hiller Hangout on a recent Friday afternoon.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Students at Trinity North Elementary School have a number of games and educational toys to play with at Hiller Hangout, including Twister. Here, a trio of first-graders plays Twister while their classmates participate in other activities.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Hiller Hangout is a space for students at Trinity North Elementary School to play and unwind. Here, first-graders use the hangout after taking part in Christmas festivities.
Trinity first-graders play a life-sized version of Connect Four at Hiller Hangout, which was recently created at Trinity North Elementary School, while other students participate in a variety of games and activities.
At Trinity North Elementary School, there is a special place where students can, quite literally, hang out.
Hiller Hangout, located on the spacious stage in the elementary school cafeteria, is equipped with a variety of games, educational toys, a Nintendo Wii, a dry erase board, and bean bags and cushions.
Hiller Hangout was launched in September as a reward for students for hard work and good behavior, and as a place for students to “chill out” and blow off steam.
The Hiller Hangout rules are simple: Play easy, be kind and share; put game pieces away neatly; and have fun.
“This is somewhere that they can de-escalate, decompress, unwind and have fun,” said Dr. Sam Demian, principal at Trinity North.
Students can earn time to visit Hiller Hangout as a reward for their actions – being a good friend, being helpful – or accomplishments, and teachers also can take their entire class.
The Hiller Hangout is open five days a week, except during lunch, and students usually spend about half an hour there.
On a recent Friday, first-grade teacher Susan Crawford’s students visited the hangout and floated among activities – some played Twister while others drew on the dry erase board, built towers with building blocks, played checkers, Nintendo Wii, and life-sized Connect Four, or relaxed in the bean bag chairs.
Several of the items were donated by teachers and parents.
“The kids love it,” said Crawford. “This is a nice reward. With cooler weather we’re spending a lot of time indoors these days, so it’s a nice little place to come after all of your hard work is done.”
Demian said it’s important for children to have a space to “chill out.”
“There are a lot of challenges for kids today,” said Demian. “They’re living in a different world than we grew up in, and we want to understand how they see the world.”