Randolph Elementary hosts family art night with student performances, book fair

Randolph Elementary turned its annual Creative Connections night into a low-cost family outing that blended student art, live music and an easy dinner stop for parents on the go. The school’s art-themed open house gave families a chance to walk through student-created masterpieces, watch performances and make art together in one evening.

Creative Connections ran Thursday, April 23, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Randolph Elementary, 1552 Sheppard Town Road in Crozier. The evening began in the cafeteria with a performance by the school’s 4th- and 5th-grade chorus at 4 p.m., then moved into exhibits and hands-on art activities. Families were also invited to scan QR codes during the event, adding a digital element to the school’s showcase of student work.

Slideways Mobile Bistro was on-site from 3:45 to 6:15 p.m., giving families a simple dinner option without leaving campus. That made the night more than a performance schedule or open house. It became a practical after-school event where children could see their own work displayed, hear classmates perform and stay engaged while parents handled dinner in one place.

The school also tied Creative Connections to its book fair, which ran April 20 through April 24 with an arcade theme. That pairing connected reading with the larger family event, giving students another way to see school activities as part of the same community experience. For an elementary school, the combination of books, art and performance turned the campus into a space where learning spilled beyond the classroom.

Randolph Elementary serves 485 students in pre-K through fifth grade and reports about 65 staff members in the building. Sarah Burnham is listed as principal, and Goochland County Public Schools is led by Superintendent Dr. Andrew R. Armstrong. In Crozier, the event underscored how Randolph uses a school night to bring families back to campus around student work, with an emphasis on access, creativity and connection.