Lilja Lions

Dear Families,

We are thrilled to announce an exciting school-wide event, the Board Game Bonanza, centered around the core value of Respect! This will take place on Wednesday, November 19th.

This special day brings students together to play and create board games that focus on teamwork, kindness, empathy, and fair play — all important parts of showing respect.

• Classrooms will explore respect through stories such as Have You Filled a Bucket Today? and Enemy Pie, learning about kindness, empathy, and good sportsmanship.

• Students will collaborate in playing and designing board games that encourage respectful communication, cooperation, and understanding.

• During the event, students will rotate through game stations, practicing respectful behaviors and leaving positive compliments for their peers.

• We will celebrate respectful players with awards like the Respect Rockstar, Fair Play Champion, and Empathy Ambassador.

• Read and discuss stories about respect and kindness together.

• Encourage your child to talk about how they show respect when playing games or working with others.

• Model respectful communication by listening carefully and valuing others’ ideas.

• Celebrate moments when your child demonstrates fairness, cooperation, or empathy.

• Use family game nights to practice good sportsmanship, following rules, and handling winning or losing gracefully.

Primary Grades (K–2)

Focus: turn-taking, counting, pattern recognition, simple strategy, early cooperation

• Candy Land – color recognition, patience, and turn-taking
  
  

• Chutes and Ladders – number sequencing, resilience through ups and downs
  
  

• Zingo! – matching, vocabulary, and visual scanning
  
  

• Outfoxed! – cooperative deduction and logical reasoning
  
  

• Feed the Woozle – fine motor skills and following directions
  
  

• Hoot Owl Hoot! – cooperative color matching and teamwork
  
  

• The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game – color sorting, fine motor control
  
  

• Spot It! – visual discrimination and quick thinking
  
  

• Sequence for Kids – pattern building and early strategy
  
  

• Count Your Chickens – cooperative counting and empathy-building
  
  

Intermediate Grades (3–4)

Focus: planning ahead, flexible thinking, collaboration, and decision-making

• Guess Who? – questioning strategies and deductive reasoning
  
  

• Blokus – spatial awareness and planning
  
  

• Ticket to Ride: First Journey – geography and sequencing decisions
  
  

• Qwirkle – pattern creation, logic, and flexible categorization
  
  

• Sleeping Queens – memory, number sense, and strategy
  
  

• Kingdomino – spatial planning and cause/effect reasoning
  
  

• Catan Junior – cooperation and simple resource management
  
  

• Dixit – creativity, inference, and communication
  
  

• Animal Upon Animal – dexterity and balance with patience
  
  

• Karuba Junior – teamwork and problem-solving
  
  

Ready for More:

Focus: critical thinking, negotiation, multi-step planning, and sportsmanship

• Catan (basic) – trading, resource strategy, and social reasoning
  
  

• Ticket to Ride (original) – planning, risk management, and math thinking
  
  

• Codenames: Pictures/Words – vocabulary, inference, and teamwork
  
  

• Blokus Duo or Blokus Trigon – strategic placement and anticipation
  
  

• Forbidden Island – cooperative goal setting and flexible strategy
  
  

• Splendor – pattern recognition and long-term planning
  
  

• Carcassonne – spatial reasoning and forward thinking
  
  

• 7 Wonders: Architects – sequencing, goal prioritization, and friendly competition
  
  

• Azul – planning, pattern logic, and visual-spatial reasoning
  
  

• Labyrinth – problem-solving and adaptive thinking

Early Childhood (Ages 3-6)

• What does it mean to be kind and listen to others?

• How can you be a good friend when playing games?

• What was your favorite part of the Board Game Bonanza?

Elementary (Ages 7-11)

• How did you show respect to your teammates during the games?

• Why is it important to follow the rules and play fair?

• Can you tell me about a time you helped someone feel included?

Extension

• How can respectful communication help solve disagreements in games or in life?

• What are some ways to handle winning or losing with grace?

• How does empathy change the way we work together in teams?

We hope the Board Game Bonanza inspires fun learning and meaningful conversations about respect both at school and at home. Thank you for supporting your child’s growth and helping us build a caring and respectful community!

Best,

The Lilja PBIS Team

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5