No homework Wednesday night in Robbinsville, NJ. Here's why

✅ Robbinsville Night Off was created by late Superintendent Steve Mayer

✅ No homework will be assigned and after-school activities are not scheduled

✅ Activities are planned in schools and by the fire and police departments

ROBBINSVILLE — Wednesday night will be a time to unplug, have fun and paint with the schools superintendent.

The Robbinsville school district holds its ninth "night off" event on Wednesday, a program led by Tawye Mason, the assistant principal at Pond Road Middle School.

🚫 No homework will be assigned

🚫 No after-school activities scheduled

🚫 Athletics are taking the afternoon off

Mason started the problem with then-superintendent Steven Mayer, who later died in a tragic accident, as a way to build community, bring kids together and have a night of downtime.

"He always wished for that," Mason said Tuesday. "So we put together a community event that encompassed all of that where you could have family time, and community time, and really build on that one night where we would have no homework and time for everyone to get together. And we take a pause."

Activities all over Robbinsville

Some of the events planned in school buildings include a painting class led by Ssuperintendent Brian J. Betze, a former art teacher. There is also a sand art craft class, a fitness class, and a "kindness rock" painting event.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham campus will offer special tours while the Mercer County Library is offering an event called "Kids in the Kitchen." The police department offers a mock crime scene, station tour and bike safety presentation. The fire department will combine their training with a vehicle rescue demonstration.

The township will host a "goose chase" scavenger hunt in which students and their parents go all over town with their parents taking pictures. There are also suggestions for activities families can do on their own posted on a Night Off website

For Mason, whose own children are adults, she enjoys keeping the memory of her mentor alive.

"It's a pleasure to be able to keep honoring Steve in this way and to see all the different areas of the community and the school district come together and give their time. And for all the parents that actually take this to heart where they do sign up for these events and come home early," Mason said.

Mayer was struck and killed as he jogged with his dog around dawn on April 19, 2016 on Robbinsville-Edinburg Road. The athletic field at Robbinsville High School is named in his honor.