NEWS FROM Broadus Wood

Elementary

ROOM 10
echidester@k12albemarle.org Oct. 1st – 5th
Mrs. Chidester’s Classroom Newsletter
What We Did, What’s Coming Up:
Language Arts:
Our shared reading this week was the book What is Round? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. We are
sorting the letters by initial sounds: b, m, and p. We were introduced to our handwriting books.
Our first uppercase letters that we practiced were T, L, and I. The way we write letters are top
to bottom (from skyline to grass).

Our focus read aloud this week was Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats.

Our writer’s workshop mentor text this week was When I Get Bigger by Mercer Mayer. Our topic
we are focusing on is things we like to do with our families.

Math:
This week in math, we continued to play Roll and Record, Build It, and Grab and Count. We were introduced to Inventory
Bags. We discussed what taking inventory is and why it would be important to inventory items. We got to inventory bags A-
F that had different amounts of classroom items in them. We practiced recounting – good mathematicians always recount
to check their answers – and recording our inventory on our sheets with representations. This activity helps us to see a
variety of ways to represent quantities. Next week we will continue to work on our counting strategies and begin our unit of
nonstandard measurement. Key vocabulary for this unit will be: longer, shorter, taller, smaller.

Content:
This week, we used some of our content time to take part in the Cardboard Challenge! We read the book Not a Box by
Antoinette Portis first. Then we brainstormed ways we could turn our own boxes into something. After that, we planned out
our creations and made note of the materials we will need before beginning. Once our plans were complete, we got to
design! We had many different creations: dinosaurs, dogs, cats, cars, rainbows, and more. We had our field trip to Graves
Mountain. We finished our senses unit with tasting three different kinds of apples and discussing how they tasted. Next week
we will begin our next unit on the fall season. We will discuss what takes place during this season (animals, people, plants,
weather).

Our Schedule Next Week: IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Monday 10/8
P.E. 10/9 – PTO Meeting 7:30PM-8:30PM
10/26 – Fall Festival 6:30PM-8:30PM
Tuesday 10/9 10/30 – Picture Retakes/Makeup
P.E. & Art 11/2, 11/3, 11/4 – No School for Students
11/9 – Mornings with Mrs. Morris
Wednesday 10/10 11/13 – PTO Meeting
P.E. & Genius Hour 11/16 – Health Fair **More info to come
11/19 – Field trip to Paramount **More info to come
Thursday 10/11 11/21 through 11/23 – Fall Break
Music

Friday 10/12
P.E., Guidance, & Library