The 100th day of school is literally the 100th day of the school year. More importantly, it is a great way for Matoaca Elementary teachers to celebrate the various mathematical concepts that can be taught using the number 100. From the very first day of school, classes begin keeping track of the number of days they’ve been in school in anticipation of the 100th day. It’s this anticipation that is actually the first math lesson, as the days are often marked using coffee stirrers or Popsicle sticks, ten of which become a “ten bundle,” paving the way to counting by tens and ones.
March is Music in Our Schools Month as well as Youth Art Month. This exciting opportunity combines the two! We have invited Lewis Achenbach, a Chicago artist and founder of Jazz Occurrence, who has published “Hear This Book.” The book is a compilation of documentary drawings that have been created during live jazz shows. Mrs. Bailey and I plan to work with each grade level to explore the history and culture of jazz. They will be painting alongside the artist. A Jazz Combo will be here for a concert. Some students will also be actively engaged in their own compositions while the jazz performance occurs.
Little Feet Meet
In the Spring of 2022, some of our exceptional education students had the opportunity to travel to Matoaca High School to participate in the Special Olympics Little Feet Meet. This is an opportunity for local youth to support and encourage students with disabilities. More than 24 Chesterfield county elementary schools took part in the track & field events for students with intellectual disabilities in grades Pre K – 5. Our 5th grade safety patrols enjoyed spending helping and encouraging all the students who participated.
Family Game Night
Family Game Night was a great time to allow our families to come together to enjoy time spent as a community playing games, visiting the book vending machine, getting to take home a new book and completing the Matoaca Elementary Title 1 yearly survey. All in attendance enjoyed having the FACE van available for popcorn and snow cone treats.
Field Day
Matoaca Elementary Field Day is a fun-filled, springtime event held across all grade levels. Field Day gives our students the chance to celebrate the school year coming to an end, show school pride and spend a day participating in many fun-filled activities outside. Students were excited to enjoy the bouncy house and snow cones as an extra treat on Field Day.
