The Herald
Hoboken Public School District
Superintendent's Daily Message - June 9, 2020
I am so happy to communicate with all of you once again. As you know, I was having some difficulty with The Smore Platform that I use for The Herald. It now seems to be working regularly once again. I apologize for the lapse of daily messages.
Today, I sent out Kindergarten Virtual Day of Visitation videos from each of our elementary schools, welcoming next year's kindergarten families. I speak for our administrators and staff when I say that we cannot wait to meet each and every kindergarten student.
As we wind down this school year, we are all set for our High School Graduation Ceremony and our Middle School Moving up Ceremony. Dates have been announced and families contacted. Today, the Governor announced new guidelines for outdoor gatherings. After the announcement I received a number of calls and emails from parents asking if the expansion of participants in outside events. As of right now, we are going to discuss ways to better accommodate our two schools' ceremonies and wait for additional guidance from the New Jersey Department of Education. At this time, Kindergarten and Grade 5 Ceremonies must remain virtual.
I'm also aware that there are so many questions and concerns about what NJ Public Schools will look like in September. I wish I had specific information to share with you. However, the specifics needed to do that have just not yet been announced. In the meantime, we are planning for multiple scenarios. New Jersey School Superintendents have been told that guidance regarding September should be coming out in the next few weeks. Once received, our district will begin to narrow down the many options that we have explored, survey our families, work in committees, formalize our plans and begin to operationalize it.
This edition of The Herald includes:
- Daily videos from our Principals;
- An Article About our "A Place for Mom Partners with Love for the Elderly to Launch Virtual Letters of Love" Project;
- Early Childhood Video from the Early Childhood Learning Center at Calabro;
- Wellness and theater videos;
- National Federation of State High School Associations Article, Featuring Hoboken High School's Athletic Director, Mr. Derek England;
- Hudson County Alliance of Teen Artists;
- Middle School Flute Ensemble;
- Pennies for Patients Celebrate Brandt Elementary School;
- Kindergarten Virtual Day of Visitation Videos;
- Social and Emotional Learning & COVID Resources.
It's great to back in touch with all of you. I will continue to check in daily. I hope that you will also check in with me. Stay well. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Johnson
Daily Messages From Our School Principals and Supervisor of Early Childhood Education
A Place for Mom Partners with Love for the Elderly to Launch Virtual Letters of Love
New York – May 28, 2020 - A Place for Mom, Inc. (APFM) has partnered with Love for the Elderly to ensure seniors never feel alone by launching a new ‘virtual’ letter sharing initiative with a goal to reach at least 1,000 seniors in 100 days.
Virtual letters are a combination of old-fashioned letter writing and personalized video delivery. Through the Virtual Letters of Love Initiative, APFM aims to spark a movement with a small gesture that can make a big difference in the lives of seniors. APFM is making a monetary donation as well as launching the program by having employees and their families share virtual letters with Love for the Elderly to send to its list of seniors living in communities.
“Acts of kindness and human connection have a significant impact on the well-being of seniors,” said Tatyana Zlotsky, Chief Marketing Officer, APFM. “Love for the Elderly is a great partner for us to inspire others to share uplifting messages with seniors. We are looking forward to our network of communities and others around the country joining us in this effort.”
Many seniors experience loneliness even if they don’t live alone. Love for the Elderly has impacted thousands of lives with its efforts to bridge age barriers and spread kindness with the aging population. Engagement that flows down the generational chain can make people healthier, happier and live longer.
“A simple virtual letter can brighten someone’s day,” said Jacob Cramer, Founder and Executive Director of Love for the Elderly. “We're thrilled to be bringing on partners like A Place for Mom to further spread our message and raise awareness of the importance of embracing our elders.”
To expand this program even further and ignite a groundswell of participation, APFM is collaborating with the Hoboken Public School District to instill a desire for the younger generation to connect with seniors.
“Kindness is a fundamental value in the Hoboken Public School District – we remind ourselves of its significance by reciting a kindness pledge daily,” said Sandra Rodriguez-Gomez, Assistant Superintendent of Schools at the Hoboken Board of Education. “And now more than ever, our families feel called upon to make a difference and bring positivity to others. We are excited to partner with APFM and Love for the Elderly and can’t wait to see what our children create to share with seniors.”
APFM is encouraging more senior living communities to sign their residents up to be recipients of letters from Love for the Elderly, one letter and one senior at a time. Instructions on how to create a virtual letter can be found here.
*Below, please see a brief video made by Hoboken Middle School 8th grade student Gabriela Gross!
Early Childhood Learning Finale
National Federation of State High School Associations Article, Featuring Hoboken High School's Athletic Director, Mr. Derek England
Hoboken Middle School Flute Ensemble
Daily Theater Activities by Ms. Miller
Foxy Award for Contemporary Costume Design
As always we are so lucky in Hoboken to have such a support system in our administration for arts education.
Below is some information on the Foxy Awards:
Montclair State University's Theatre Night Awards recognizes excellence in productions of high school straight plays throughout NJ. The awards honor accomplishments of individual achievement of both students and educators in areas of performance, direction, design, technical theatre, and overall outstanding productions. Students are able to share their work with other students and to be recognized outside of their own high schools.
Our productions of The Wolves written by Sarah DeLappe received the following nominations:
Outstanding Achievement in Contemporary Costume Design --WON
The Jo Anne Fox Veteran Teacher Award --Danielle Miller
The Peter Filichia Award for Pushing the Envelope in Academic Theatre
Outstanding Achievement by an Acting Ensemble of a Drama
There were 75 schools who submitted plays. It is highly competitive, so we were honored to even be nominated as a finalist for any categories. It was our first year entering this as we have never done a full length play before.
Normally we would be able to attend the awards ceremony at MSU to see who wins in each category, kind of like the Tony Awards. However this year it was Virtual Ceremony on May 19, 2020.
Tuesday Namaste with Dr. A ~
Pennies for Patients Virtual Celebration Honors Brandt Elementary School
Hoboken Public School District's Counseling Department Website for Social Emotional Learning Resources. See Below:
2020-2021 Approved School District Calendar
You've Asked and We've Responded
For the Assistant Superintendent, you may email srodriguez@hoboken.k12.nj.us
Below, you will find each school's directory:
Hoboken Public Schools - A District Dedicated to Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships
Our Vision
The Hoboken Public School District will be recognized as a premier educational choice and widely known as a best-practice model for academic growth, high quality instruction, innovative and equitable programs, engagement, facilities and personalized pathways that are essential for college, career and life-preparedness in our ever-changing, interconnected global society.
Our Mission
The Hoboken Public School District will prepare confident and resilient graduates who value academic achievement, embrace challenge, honor diversity, appreciate collaboration, and respectfully contribute to their local and wider communities.
Our District Goals
The Hoboken Public School District will implement a rigorous, relevant and responsive curriculum that meets the needs of all students, fosters personalized pathways for learning, and ensures continuous academic growth.
The Hoboken Public School District will support its diverse staff in professional growth, encourage them to serve as role models, and empower them to provide the highest quality of instruction for our students.
The Hoboken Public School District will develop and implement unique and innovative programs that promote global learning, ensure equitable access, and foster the social, emotional and academic growth of each student.
The Hoboken Public School District will engage and communicate with families and the wider community to bridge understanding and advance partnerships.
The Hoboken Public School District will operate well-maintained and safe facilities that respond to our growing student enrollment, support our academic and co-curricular programs, and promote pride across the city.
Email: district@hoboken.k12.nj.us
Website: www.hoboken.k12.nj.us
Location: 158 4th Street, Hoboken, NJ 07834
Phone: (201) 356-3600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HobokenPublicSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @HobokenSchools