HMS Quarterly Newsletter
Marking Period 3
Principal's Message
Greetings Hoboken Middle School Family!
Congratulations to all of our Hoboken Middle School Tigers, on the successful completion of the third marking period and showing your resilience, either remotely or onsite, to try your best within all areas of your academic journey. Remember to make good choices, give every aspect of your day 110% effort and be kind to all of those around you.
Throughout the third marking period, our students and staff have covered our curricular topics and concepts with enthusiasm and focus. Our staff is working diligently to maximize the instructional experiences for all students in the virtual and traditional settings. I am looking forward to the end of the school year. Please take some time to view our third marking period reflections below. As always, stay safe and let us know if you need any support along the way.
Fondly,
Ms. Marra
Special Events
Acceptance & Kindness Door Decorating Contest
In February, HMS hosted our first Acceptance & Kindness Door Decorating Contest. Each door celebrated quotes about acceptance and kindness. Winners from the contest received a prize of a $25 donation made to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter in the names of the winning classes. On March 19th, representatives from each winning class presented the donation to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter.
Please click here for all the virtual and remote doors our students created.
Black History Month
In an effort to push the students artistically, classes used the program Canva to produce a high-quality poster that could be displayed around the school to educate other students about Lewis and his work. Students worked together to produce, peer-edit, and craft a poster they would be proud to share with Lewis himself. Linked here is 7th Grader Polina Kulinchenko’s John Lewis Canva Poster.
Random Acts of Kindness Day
PTO Yoga Event
On Feburary 27th, the HMS PTO hosted a virtual yoga event. Kate DeCock, HMS parent and certified yoga instructor, led the yoga class for HMS families. Thank you to all who attended!
Kean University Council: Building CommUNITY 2021
On March 5th Hoboken Middle School students in grades 6-8 had the opportunity to participate in another virtual conference focused on building leadership skills while implementing the concept of commUNITY in school hosted by Kean University. Students were fully engaged in the inclusive virtual conference where they were able to meet students from other districts and could discuss relevant and meaningful topics about diversity and acceptance. Diversity Council members from Kean University presented ways for students to have a stronger leadership presence while being mindful of diversity and embracing diversity. The virtual conference was a wonderful way for our Hoboken Middle School students to network with peers from around the State and engage in meaningful conversations. We look forward to working with Kean University for future learning opportunities.
HMS Sends 18 Teams to STEAM Tank Regionals
- Solar Case: Ali Kaddour, Ben Gordon, Dominic Magaletta, Matthew Marinello, Azaad Bhalla
- Holo Call: Nikko Rodriguez, Avery Martinez, Christopher McKenzie, Benjamin Gabriel
- Walk with Wifi: Heli Cuevas, Kymani Hill, Jayda Ditripani-Acevedo
- Forest Fire Awareness Program: Paz DelaTorre, Mackenzie Cohen, Zoe Magaletta, Maddison Tindall
- Rain Ramps: Peter Franco, Chris Marinello, Ace Levine, Teagan Clark, Joseph Checkley
- Flood Fixers: Dusan Dobric, Sava Tomin, Miles Angley
- Battery Bin: Camila Suarez, Shy Warshawsky, Aleksander Gray
- Pollution Clean up: Jayla Dale, Briana Frias, Luke Batcha
- Eco-Drizzle: Morgan Walia Peters, Joseph Frangie, Madison Walia Peters
- We have added an additional NINE Teams to our STEAM Tank Regional Competition Line-Up
- The Inner Eye Team: Vivian Allen, Skylar Colvin, Gabby Pollack, and Noah Hyman
- Everything Vogue: Camila Torres, Halle Kramer, Alexa Cooper, Dakota Cohen, Sarah Burns
- Meow Machine: Tasha Fu, Sophia Lopez, Aaliyah Cleffi, Ariana Feola, Sihana Alaj, Janessa Eusebio
- Aquafinity: Jenna Sirio, Raine Saayan, Elizabeth Bright, Arya Khanna
- Cozy Campers: Nijel Colon, Adrian Calle, Jose Marin
- Pasti: Polina Kulichenko, Sophie Katz, Addison Rumph
- Plastic Pollution Solution: Axel Hultstrom, Ava Di Giacamo, Claire Snider, Isabella Pisano
- Bio Change: Savannah Jones, Anabella Pena, Brayah O'connor, Bryce Hampton
- Museum of Natural Trees: Audrey Backstrom, Gabriel Rivas
- Will be joining the already selected teams of:
Women's History Month
During the month of March, students at Hoboken Middle School observed Women’s History Month in each of their classes by experiencing hands-on lessons, writing opportunities, webinars, and creative art projects. Social Studies classes were able to celebrate Women’s History Month by joining the National Constitution Center’s LIVE online civics class, which discussed the 19th Amendment. During the LIVE Zoom class, students were able to listen to the powerful words of Martha S. Jones, professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and Society of Black Alumni, and her take on the struggle for women’s voting rights and the women’s rights movement. The event, hosted by the National Constitution Center, educated middle schoolers on exploring constitutional arguments over women’s suffrage and studied the historical context of the fight for suffrage. This wonderful opportunity assisted all learners on the importance of why we observe Women’s History Month.
Four Perfect Pebbles
On Monday, March 22nd, Hoboken Middle School students had the opportunity to listen to the amazing story of survival from Holocaust survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan. Marion’s incredible story reached the hearts of all of Hoboken Middle School’s students which encouraged them to be reflective about Marion’s life and their own life experiences. Students in all Social Studies classes worked diligently on creating original poems, essays, digital videos, or visual pieces of art to express what they learned about themselves and modern day society by hearing all about Marion’s story of survival. Student work has been shared with Marion so show their level of appreciation and reflective thinking. Check out some student writing pieces below:
Additionally, here is the link to Marion Blumenthal Lazan's Assembly for Hoboken Middle School. Thank you for virtually visiting our school community and sharing your story with us.
Best Buddies Match Day
Sometimes we may wonder how one small action can make a difference. An inclusive world can be created through individual acts of inclusion – finding and welcoming those who have been left out, being a teammate, becoming a friend.
We believe that inclusion is a skill that we can all practice – and when we do, we become better at including all people. To celebrate Inclusion Month, the HMS Best Buddies Friendship Chapter is asking everyone to pledge to include, to commit to an act of inclusion in their school, workplace, or community. These actions can be as simple as sitting with someone alone at lunch, inviting someone who has been excluded to join a pick-up sports game, or welcoming someone by saying hello during the school day.
How will you pledge to include?
On March 5, our Best Buddies Friendship Chapter pledged to include by holding our very first “Match Day” event! During this virtual event, our buddies met to play Kahoot, meet their buddy pairs, and just have fun. If you are interested in joining Best Buddies, there is always room! Please contact Ms. Beriloff or Ms. Episcopo.
"Alone we can do so little; together can do so much."-Helen Keller
Spirit Days
Law Day Essay Contest
Please take a moment to view some of our submissions:
RBG, She Fought for Us to be Free- Audrey Backstrom
Student Development Day
On April 1st, HMS students participated in our Student Development Day #4. Lessons were created by Dr. Baskinger, Ms. Beriloff, and Ms. Falcone, and facilitated by students' teachers. Students were engaged in lessons from the Persist Kids curriculum, as well as mindfulness and team building exercises. Students took great pride in the Classroom Community Expectations they created with their homerooms. This Student Development truly focused on working as a team. Students were provided with opportunities to reflect on their own actions, thoughts, and feelings that contribute to our social, emotional, and academic success. Students also learned what it means to be empathetic, and the different skills we can use to understand how others may feel. All lessons have been uploaded to the Counselor's Corner Google Classroom for students to reference at any time.
Hoboken High School Class Scheduling
Classroom Highlights
6th Grade ELA
Meanwhile, in Readers' Workshop, students began their whole-class novel, Chasing Vermeer. We explored the elements of the mystery genre such as alibis, red herrings, suspects and clues/evidence. After completing their reading and final assessment for Chasing Vermeer, our 6th grade scholars put their sleuthing skills to the test! Students were given a case file for “The Canine Caper: Who Stole Snowball?” complete with background information, witness testimonies and evidence exhibits. Students had to use their critical thinking skills to gather evidence that proved their “client” was not-guilty. Our scholars quickly learned that circumstantial evidence can be manipulated using valid reasoning; a skill that can prove to be a valuable tool when writing and presenting arguments. The 6th grade ELA team is so proud of students for the work they accomplished in the third marking period.
6th Grade Social Studies
6th Grade Math
Pi Day took place on March 14th. During the week leading up to Pi Day, students learned why we celebrate Pi Day, the definitions of radius and diameter, and used various aspects of circles to complete a fun activity.
6th Grade Science
7th Grade ELA
Students also began their new class novel, The Wednesday Wars. The protagonist in the novel studies William Shakespeare, so our own students were provided with the opportunity to study two Shakespearean plays, The Merchant of Venice and The Tempest. The Tempest features a monster, Caliban, who curses and insults at others. 7th grade students put themselves in the mind and spirit of the narrator of the play, allowing them to craft their own Shakespearean insults. As the marking period came to a close, students began to explore mentor texts for the Memoir unit. Students learned ways in which purpose and audience influence the form and structure of a memoir in an effort to prepare for their own memoirs in the fourth marking period.
7th Grade Social Studies
7th Grade Math
7th Grade Science
8th Grade ELA
In Writer's Workshop, Ms. Donnelly, Ms. Gomez, Ms. Nodine, and Ms. Rienzo worked with students in writing their Research Report. In addition, students were introduced to their new writing unit, Multi-Genre Memoir. Students learned what a memoir is while exploring multiple mentor texts across the different genres of memoir. Students have begun brainstorming ideas for their own memoir writing pieces as well.
8th Grade Social Studies
8th Grade Math
Algebra 1: In Algebra I, students focused on special cases that form when multiplying specific binomials, such as the square of a binomial and the sum and difference of binomials. Students explored patterns of polynomials expressions, as well as factoring two binomials. Algebra 1 students also learned about two methods of factoring polynomials by factoring out the greatest common factor and what that means in terms of both coefficients and variables with a polynomial expression. At the close of the marking period, students continued to work on their of quadratic equations in vertex form and transitioned into standard form.
Geometry: Ms. Tank and her Geometry class focused on identifying rhombuses, rectangles, and squares by the characteristics of diagonals for parallelograms in the beginning of the 3rd marking period. Students also learned to dilate figures on and off the coordinate plane, as well as understand how distances and lengths in a dilation are related to a scale factor and center of dilation. In addition, Ms. Tank worked with students to use dilations and rigid motions to prove triangles are similar. As the marking period came to a close, students defined and calculated sine, cosine, and tangent ratios and used trigonometric ratios to solve problems.