HMS Weekly Update #31
Friday, May 7th
Dear Hoboken Middle School Family,
Happy Friday HMS! I would like to wish all our HMS Mom's a Happy Mother's Day this Sunday. Thank you for all you do for us!
And as we wrap up our official Teacher Appreciation Week, I would like to thank all of our faculty and staff for all they do for the HMS Community. We are so grateful for all you do for our students and families.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- HMS Field Day is scheduled for Thursday, June 24th.
- I am pleased to share that we will be hosting an HMS 8th Grade Dance on June 16th from 7:30 - 9:00 pm. A sign-up sheet will be shared with all 8th grade students on Monday, May 10th.
Attention 8th Grade Families:
- Moving Up Ceremony will be on Friday, June 25th at 12pm. Rain date is June 26th.
- Cap and Gown order form below (Needs to be submitted by 5/7/21)
- Name on Certificate Form (Needs to be submitted by 5/7/21)
Attention 6th Grade Families:
The 4th marking period is closed and we will be sending out application invitations to our 6th grade students that will be eligible to apply for the National Junior Honor Society today at 3:30 pm. Remember, eligibility is based on three consecutive marking periods of High Honors.
Remote Student Reminders:
Thank you to all students for having your cameras on during remote learning. We truly appreciate your full participation.
Onsite Student Reminders:
Please remember to charge your Chromebook fully each night and bring headphones to school. If you need a pair, let your teacher know. Also, parents and guardians are reminded that delivering outside food for lunch is not permitted. Thank you!
Please take some time to read through the updates below to learn some more about this past week and upcoming events. Some highlights are:
- Important Updates for 8th Graders - Information is due Friday May 7th
- HMS Teacher Appreciation Week Pics
- HMS Lesson Feature: Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month with Smithsonian Education: Creating Hawaii, Grade 6 Social Studies
- A Message From The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion about World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
- Steven's Math Olympiad - There is still time to sign up!
- HMS Clubs Updates ~ Including Our HMS Student Council Teacher Appreciation Boards, May the 4th Be With You Slide Show & Costume Day Slideshow
- Our corner's that highlight areas within our school community
- And a grade and content level summary to give you a peak into the classroom.
- Helpful information at the bottom of the newsletter
As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions.
Have a great week!
Fondly,
Ms. Marra
Important Information For 8th Graders
Please complete the following forms. They are due by May 7th.
HMS 8th Grade Dance is scheduled for June 16th from 7:30 - 9:00 pm at Hoboken High School Field.
- Remote & Onsite 8th grade students may attend.
- Students may only wear sneakers, flats or wedges. Any student wearing shoes with heels will not be permitted to enter.
- No Food will be served. Water will be provided.
- More details to follow on Monday 5/10.
Thank you,
Ms. Marra
HMS Teacher Appreciation Week!
Monday: Each HMS Teacher received an apple for their desk from our students....
Tuesday: Email Bombing Our Teachers with notes of love & appreciation...
Thursday: HMS PTO Luncheon
Friday: Thank You Notes For Our Teachers From Their Students
HMS Lesson Feature:
Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month with Smithsonian Education: Creating Hawaii, Grade 6 Social Studies
Students in 6th grade Social Studies wrapped up the first week of May with a lesson celebrating Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. Developed by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the Creating Hawaii lesson taught students about how culturally diverse the island of Hawaii truly is with key concepts on the people, places, resources, and immigration history of these beautiful islands.
In this lesson, students read a newspaper article about Hawaii’s diverse population and had to solve one key question: Why does Hawaii have such a diverse population? To understand this, Social Studies students looked for clues using the Smithsonian exhibit Creating Hawai’i which is easily viewable online. Ms. Bennett led the lesson by showing the exhibit to the students and asking questions about Hawaii’s population, the U.S. Census Bureau, the industry that thrives on the islands.
Students were able to work in small groups to find additional information on Hawaiian immigration using 3 sources: an encyclopedia, a Hawaii Tourism site, and the official site of Hawaiian Senator, Daniel Inouye. Since the culture throughout Hawaii is so incredibly diverse, music and art were shared with students. Hoboken Middle School continues to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander culture and heritage by recognizing vital contributions through hands-on lessons and activities.
Dr. Baskinger's Curriculum Corner
Marking Period 4 is in full swing and that means our remote students should still be focusing and working on their World Language Edgenuity course. Students should be referring to the Edgenuity World Language Google Classroom for biweekly updates on student pacing and due dates. Students who are part of the Remote Learning Community should continue to learn their respective world language by using the Edgenuity program. It is recommended that students log into Edgenuity Monday- Friday for approximately 30-40 minutes each day so that learning their language becomes natural and is part of their daily routine. You can find Edgenuity Login Information here. The code to the Edgenuity World Language Google Classroom: 2hm53rt
A Message from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion...
May 21st is identified by the United Nations as World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. On May 20th, the Hoboken Public Schools will partner with the Diversity Council from Kean University to highlight the importance of celebrating diversity, in educational institutions and the community at large. Diversity is a point of pride in our district and we want to highlight you.
We are so proud of the diversity found within our school community. Every family is beautiful and unique and we would like you to email a family selfie to:
Dr.Pollins:tpollins@hoboken.k12.nj.us &
Mr. Munoz: christopher.munoz@hobokenk12.nj.us by May 12th.
NOTE: Please save and send photos as a.jpeg or .png.
Our amazing students speak over 20 different languages! We would also like to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development by creating a video representative of these languages. Please join us by recording “I love Hoboken” in your home language. Videos should be saved and sent as .MP4 or .mov format and sent to Dr. Pollins at tpollins@hoboken.k12.nj.us and Mr. Munoz at christopher.munoz@hoboken.k12.nj.us by May 12th. Please save the date for this event that will take place on May 20th from 5:30-6:30 via zoom.
Stevens University Math Olympiad- THERE’S STILL TIME TO SIGN UP!
Students at Hoboken Middle School have been signing up to be part of the Stevens University Math Olympiad held on Saturday, May 22nd, 2021 from 10am - 1:45pm. This free virtual mathematics competition for students in grades 3-12 entails solving mathematical and logical problems as well as allows students to demonstrate their love of learning and implementing math. All Hoboken Middle School students have been pre-registered; however in order for students to properly participate, parents/guardians/caretakers must complete the Math Olympiad Consent Form. If you would like your child to be a part of this amazing opportunity, please complete the linked consent form and return to Hoboken Middle School by Monday, May 10th. The Olympiad consent form can be emailed directly to Dr. Robin Baskinger at robin.baskinger@hoboken.k12.nj.us or delivered to the Hoboken Middle School Main Office.
HMS Clubs
HMS Yearbook
This week, the HMS Yearbook staff worked hard to finalize the 2020/2021 yearbook and sent our proofs to be published! Thank you to ALL HMS yearbook staff members who worked diligently on their layouts, proofread and edited classmates names, and put the finishing touches on our book. I am excited for our HMS community to view the final product next month!
If you have not yet ordered a yearbook, there is still time! To purchase a yearbook, visit www.yearbookforever.com and search for Hoboken Middle School.
Please feel free to reach out to Miss Airey with any questions: bairey@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Hoboken Middle School National Junior Honor Society: Pulchra Varietate Chapter
The National Junior Honor Society Committee of Hoboken Middle School is happy to announce that 6th Grade NJHS candidates have been selected and recently notified. These candidates have shown exemplary academic performance throughout their first year at Hoboken Middle School which makes them eligible for this honor. Pulchra Varietate means “beautiful diversity” which certainly represents our school community and the wonderful community of Hoboken. In order for candidates to gain membership status, students must complete the application process which will then be discussed in greater detail by our HMS National Junior Honor Society Committee. A formal virtual induction ceremony will be held on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2021 at 5pm for chosen candidates where new members will pledge their oath and begin their journey as Pulchra Varietate Members. The next meeting for current members will be held on Thursday, May 13th, 2021.
HMS Student Council
The HMS Student Council was thrilled to decorate the hallways and celebrate our awesome teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. We can't thank them enough for all their hard work this year. This week we had two spirit days, May the 4th Be With You and Costume Day. Check out the slideshows below. We will be starting our community outreach program next week. So be on the lookout for more information and help us reach our goal and support the Hoboken community. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to reach out to your Student Council Representatives.
HMS Academic Team
This week we did a Jeopardy style review of current events from 2021. The categories that we focused on were US Election, US Events, International Tensions, COVID-19, and Miscellaneous Events. Students were able to practice some of the topics that we have covered in our New York Times weekly quizzes. As we approach June, the Academic Team will be preparing for our last National Current Events League Competition. We will also be preparing for a Quiz Bowl in which teams of students will compete against each other on a range of academic subjects. If you are in 6-8th grade and would be interested in participating in the quiz bowl please fill out the following google form!
HMS Literary Club
Books, books, books! We are still in the process of choosing our next book. The students made are still suggesting titles and deciding before our final vote on Monday. We are excited to start another novel, and invite you to join the club or just read along. Happy Reading!
HMS Band
This week in band, all sectional groups aimed to play "The Medallion Calls" at full speed. Advanced woodwinds learned alternate fingerings to use on the technically challenging passages and focused on their phrasing and breath timing. Trumpet players reviewed valve fingerings for high notes and worked on their lip endurance and strength with various drills. Percussion players practiced sight reading sixteenth note rhythms and mallet players reviewed the lines and spaces of the treble staff. Sixth graders focused on stabilizing pitch as they played low and high long tones. All band members will be submitting videos next week for "The Medallion Calls" for inclusion in the composite video.
HMS Flute Ensemble
And now presenting the MS/HS flute ensemble’s first practice back in person today. “Viva La Vida”- Coldplay
Featuring: Nova Korman, Jayla Dale, Brianna Frias, Krystal Bilbao, & Alana Rivas
HMS Best Buddies Friendship Chapter
On behalf of the Hoboken Middle School Best Buddies Friendship Chapter . . . THANK YOU! As a new club, we feel very welcomed. We are looking forward to an amazing end to this school year with some fun events for our current members.
With that said, we are excited to have new HMS students join our chapter next year! Please refer to the Best Buddies Interest Form if you would like to join our Friendship Chapter for the 2021-2022 school year. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Beriloff and Ms. Episcopo for more information.
HMS Vice Principal's Corner with Mr. Ramos
Hello HMS Families,
This week is teacher appreciation week. A very special week in the year that gives us all a chance to recognize the wonderful teachers and staff that make a difference in the lives of our kids. Take the time to say thank you to our teachers for all that they do and their dedication to our students throughout this unusual school year.
I am content with how well students followed the dress code this week. I am sure that everyone is looking forward to spending quality time with friends and family this summer but let’s remember that we still have eight more weeks to go. Until then I would like to remind everyone that school rules must still be followed.
Remember to bring your Chromebook charged each day
Bring your refillable water bottle to school each day
Bring your backpack to school each day/it is also a great way to protect your school device
Wear a mask and bring an extra each day, especially now that it’s getting hot
If you have a question, please ask! We are all here to support you
Playing in Church Square Park after 8:10 AM has contributed to our lateness problem. Period 1 starts promptly at 8:15AM.
As stated last week, students have been bringing basketballs to school. Please note that sports equipment is not allowed in class and is to be secured in their lockers before the school day begins.
Ms. Falcone's Guidance Counselor Corner
Throughout the week, I continued to meet with both onsite and remote students to monitor academic progress, discuss the benefits of self-advocacy, how to navigate checking emails, and organizing our Google Drives. Additionally, students created attainable goals for the fourth and final marking period of the school year. These sessions are designed to not only provide support for students, but to set them up for success.
It also is important for students on Remote Learning to continue to check their email. Every Friday afternoon, I send students an email with the subject: Remote Learning Reminders. The email includes the following message:
As a gentle reminder, please continue to: View the Morning Message on HMS~Students Google Classroom Follow your Remote Learning Schedule {linked with student's schedule) Complete your Asynchronous World Language coursework on Edgenuity Complete your Asynchronous work on Fine & Performing Arts and Physical Education Google Classrooms Should students need additional support and guidance throughout the 4th marking period, please feel free to contact me via email (sfalcone@hoboken.k12.nj.us) or fill out the Request to Meet Ms. Falcone Form.
Mark Your Calendars!
Adopt a Flower Pot Program- Spring Has Sprung!
Thank you to those families who have started beautifying their HMS Flower Pot! The arrangements look incredible and it shows that spring is surely here. Several families have been inquiring about which planter was assigned to them. During the week, new numbers with family last names have been placed inside each planter with a wooden stake. Be sure to stop by over the weekend and add some floral arrangements and pops of color to our beautiful building. If you have any questions about the Adopt a Flower Pot initiative, please contact Dr. Baskinger: robin.baskinger@hoboken.k12.nj.us
HMS Nurse's Corner
Hello HMS Families,
It’s Kid’s Mental Health Awareness Week! One of the single most important aspects of mental health conditions is awareness. Being aware of your child’s needs can tremendously impact the outcomes. Mental health presents itself in many ways, there is no one size fits all presentation. With that being said, communicate with your child, see how they are mentally and physically. Having frequent conversations can prevent any surprises with child needs in the future.
REMOTE 6th GRADE STUDENTS
Sixth grade student’s immunization records are past due for remote learners. These vaccines include Tdap and Menactra. This is mandated by the state under New Jersey State Policy: N.J.A.C. 8:57-4 Immunization of pupils in school. Please email these to cbeyer@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Stay Healthy! Nurse Beyer
Effective School Solutions Corner
The month of May is NAMI's (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Mental Health Awareness Month. NAMI's campaign this year is titled You Are Not Alone, and stresses the importance of prioritizing your mental health by utilizing your family, friends, and peers for support. Utilizing your support network can help assist you in connecting to other supports when necessary like mental health professionals.
Important and current statistics to be aware of:
- 1 in 6 youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health condition each year.
- Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
- 1 in 5 adults in the US experience a mental health condition in a given year.
- Fewer than half of the adults in the US who experience mental illness get the help they need in a given year.
Article: NAMI Mental Health Care Matters
Article: NAMI You are Not Alone
Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 Mon-Fri, 10 AM - 8 PM, ET or in a crisis, text NAMI to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling.
HMS World Language Corner
This week in French class, students have been learning about different places in town. We have built upon the gains we made last week in speaking by conducting questionnaires regarding places various classmates like to visit. Moreover, we have reinforced our vocabulary by playing Pictionary, in which a student draws a picture of a place and students guess what they represent.
This week in Mandarin class, students continued with Unit 12 on the topic of animals. Students focused on the subtopic of pets and they learned many adjectives to describe pets. By the end of this week, students will use what they have learned to begin to work on a project to describe their real or ideal pet. Students will present their pet project next week.
This week in Spanish class, students have named and identified farm animals by engaging in a series of reading, writing, and speaking activities. Please find below a picture of grade 6 students Noah Hyman and Benjamin Gordon acting out their original dialogue between a cow and a horse.
HMS Physical Education Corner
Dance
Physical Education
In Physical Education this week students learned about the rules of volleyball and participated in modified game play. The skills of bumping, setting, and hitting were emphasized.
HMS Artist Corner
Happy Friday, Creatives!
Our artists spent this week designing and creating custom cards for all of their teachers! Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of our wonderful teachers who help us learn and grow!
Artist Spotlight: Grade 6, Room 101
Mrs. Jessica Fasolino
Visual Arts Teacher
Grade & Content Level ~ What Have We Been Learning?
6th Grade ELA
Our 6th grade readers continued their reading of our core novel, The View from Saturday. E.L. Konigsburg took an interesting approach in writing this novel by including multiple narrative perspectives and intertwining storylines through flashbacks. Students practiced identifying and analyzing the effectiveness of authors’ use of third-person limited(subjective), objective and omniscient point of views in texts and applied these skills when reading. Our writers’ workshop included an introduction to our next writing unit, argumentative writing. Students immersed themselves in this writing genre by exploring argumentative essay structure and multiple writing techniques utilized by our mentor text authors.
6th Grade Mathematics
This week in math, students are concluding their statistics unit. Throughout the last couple sections, students were able to combine all the concepts they learned to analyze dot plots, box plots and histograms. Students learned how to determine which measure of center and variability best described a set of data. Students were able to make observations based on the overall shape of the visual given. To start next week, we will review all statistics concepts in preparation for the topic 8 assessment.
6th Grade Social Studies
This week in social studies, students presented their research on their chosen countries. To work on being active listeners, each student filled out a feedback for relating to their classmates’ presentations. If students are shy about public speaking, they can submit their work via flipgrid. In addition to presenting, we learned about the responsibilities of citizens and how Hawaii went from a kingdom to the 50th state. Next week, we’ll learn about how unjust laws lead to civil disobedience and why it’s important for citizens to be well-informed.
6th Grade Science
The Grade 6 Science classes explore the Pros and Cons of using both nonrenewable and renewable energy. The classes explored how their choice and actions affect the environment and the need to use one of the two ways to create and obtain energy. The classes were able to explore how their community uses renewable energy. Next week the students will be exploring air and water resources, and how they are affected by the choices made in our daily lives.
7th Grade ELA
This week in ELA, seventh graders began drafting their memoirs. Students looked toward our mentor texts to craft bold beginnings and to understand the importance of transitions. After drafting leads that began with action, dialogue, reflection, and description of setting, students picked their most engaging lead to begin their drafts. In Reading, students followed Holling through the month of May, and analyzed the lyrics to "Eleanor Rigby" by The Beatles to make comparisons to Holling's sister, Heather. Next week, we will finish our novel and take our final vocabulary quiz for this unit!
7th Grade Mathematics
This week in math, students drew geometric shapes with given conditions using protractors and rulers; additionally, students researched, classified, and constructed quadrilaterals according to their properties. Through an exploration activity, students concluded that not all given side lengths complete a triangle and the sum of smaller lengths of a triangle need to be greater than the triangle’s largest length. Furthermore, students determined the number of triangles that can be formed given certain side lengths and angle measures. Next week, students will continue with Topic 8, Geometry, as they will solve problems with other geometric figures and angle relationships, as well as explore the relationship between diameter and circumference of circle figures.
7th Grade Social Studies
We wrapped up our Africa unit with students presenting their research and designs on the 5 pillars of Islam. We then took a closer look at African Muslims traveling to Mecca for the annual pilgrimage, the hajj, and the difficulties of holding such a large event during a pandemic. The end of the week, the classes jumped into our Asian-American, Pacific-Islander studies. Students played history detectives trying to figure out why Hawaii is such an ethnically diverse island.
7th Grade Science
This week in Science, students explored the plate tectonics theory by watching a video and taking notes. Then, students examine how the Earth's systems (spheres) interact when plates collide. We discussed “The Ring of Fire” in our Science Night Write on Thursday. Students learned that the Pacific Ring of Fire is home to 452 volcanoes!
8th Grade ELA
This week in ELA, students finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain! To demonstrate their understanding of the novel, students completed a written assessment on Wednesday. Throughout the week, students completed their rough draft for their memoirs, focusing on strong introductions and transitions in their writing pieces. Students that finished their rough drafts ahead of schedule had the opportunity to practice writing haiku poems and reflect on inspiring TED Talks.
8th Grade Mathematics
Pre-Algebra I
This week in Pre-Algebra students began Topic 8: Solve Problems Involving Surface Area and Volume. To begin this unit, students reviewed finding area and perimeter of plane figures, area and circumference of circles, and area and perimeter of composite figures - all skills needed when we begin finding surface area of 3D shapes. Students practiced solving problems involving these skills in real world contexts. On Friday, students took a quiz on these topics. Next week, we will begin finding the surface area of prisms, pyramids, and cones.
Algebra I
This week in Algebra 1 students continued to learn skills involving quadratic equations. We began the week by introducing rewriting radical expressions and how to simplify imperfect square roots by using the product property of square roots. This skill then transitioned into solving quadratic equations by using square roots and applying rewriting radical expressions to find two real solutions, one real solution or no real solutions. To end the week, we introduced completing the square within quadratic equations, which focuses on modifying quadratic trinomials to allow for factoring of expressions; one of our methods to solve quadratic equations.
Geometry
Students in Mrs. Tank's Geometry class this week took a chapter test on chapter 9 . They also learned how to Calculate the length of an arc when the central angle is given in degrees or radians. Students can also calculate the area of sectors and segments using the area of a sector formula and area of a triangle.
8th Grade Social Studies
This week in Social Studies students continued exploring the Soviet Union and the Cold War. We learned about different alliance systems during the Cold War: NATO and the Warsaw pact and the goals of these groups such as spreading communism or expanding communism. Students then examined how exactly the soviets tried to spread communism and how the US tried to contain this expansion. Students read informational text and analyzed primary sources about these specific Cold War hot spots: the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis and completed a timeline for reference.
8th Grade Science
This week in Science class we started our new chapter, Heredity and How Traits Change. We kicked off this unit of study with a lap where we simulated the theory of natural selection by modeling competition between birds with different types of beaks. We determined the most beneficial adaptation and which trait would be most likely to be passed to future generations. We spent the rest of the week focusing on how these traits would be passed down from parents to offspring. We identified traits that are inherited compared to those that we acquire through our experiences. We also reflected on what traits we can observe within our family that we too have.