In order to give outsiders a glimpse of their classroom during this “socially distant” time, Nicole Osterhoudt’s fifth grade students at Shore Road School in Bellmore used sensory details to describe their classroom, Room 304.

The English Language Arts project helped students hone their sensory details. Students drafted, revised, edited and published their best works accompanied by an illustration. Some of the writings were tongue and cheek, like Kayla Jewett’s description of Room 304’s location in the building.

“Room 304 is on the other side of the world. Our class is all the way in the sixth grade hall, even though we are in fifth grade,” Kayla wrote.

Samantha Owen’s described the atmosphere of Room 304 as she wrote, “When I walk into room 304 for the first time each day, I feel happy and awake.”

Others described learning in the age of COVID-19 and trying to perfect the district’s theme of “Safe and Simple.” Laila Fisher’s piece described the “plexiglass around the desks so no one can breathe on each other and get sick.”

A number of students, however, highlighted activities in line with the district’s Bellmore Stars Character Development Program, such as Tyler Huh’s description of the classroom bulletin board, Our Vision Board, where “we write our goals on a Post-it because we are working hard to reach our goals.”

Ms. Osterhoudt described the students’ work as insightful and said, “By reading the sensory details in the students’ work, readers acquire a glimpse into the culture and atmosphere of Room 304.”