HMS Weekly Update #16
Friday, January 15th
Dear Hoboken Middle School Family,
Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to a long weekend.
On Monday, the Hoboken Public School District is closed in honor or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please see the first two items in the newsletter to learn about ways to participate in district and school wide events to honor his legacy.
Please take some time to read through the updates below to learn some more about this past week and upcoming events. Some highlights are:
- HMS Mark Your Calendar's For Onsite Students
- HMS Student's Of The Month For December 2020
- Grade Level Spelling Bee Winners
- HMS 8th Grade Portraits
- 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 weekend!
Fondly,
Ms. Marra
January 16th - Day of Service in Honor of Dr. MLK's Legacy
In honor of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, we are calling on all Hoboken Middle School Families to advocate, as he did, for service to others. Students, staff, and families, please take the time to "pay it forward" for those who are in need. This could be a simple gesture, a letter, a donation, or assistance to a neighbor. All we ask is you capture your gesture via our virtual photo booth
so you can share your kindness.
Here are some ideas for Hoboken kindness campaigns:
- Send a note/card to The Hoboken Senior Services-Senior Center, 124 Grand Street
- Make a donation of clothes or household items to The Hoboken Shelter, 300 Bloomfield Street
- Make a donation of food to the Hoboken Food Pantry, 1301 Washington Street
- Help a neighbor while being cognizant of wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing measures. We must remain safe.
- Help to beautify our Hoboken neighborhood by picking up litter in our parks.
- Donate a new or lightly used book or volunteer to be a reader at the Hoboken Library
- Write letters to frontline helpers like our partners at Hoboken University Medical Center, Hoboken Fire Department, Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps, or the Hoboken Police Department.
Post your picture and tag us on Twitter and use this hashtag #HPSHelpingHands:
- @HobokenSchools
- @HPSHighlights
- @DrPollins
- @CityofHoboken
- @HudsonCoNJDOE
- @NewJerseyDOE
Virtual Youth Conference "Youth, We Hear You!"
On behalf of the New Jersey Secretary of State, Tahesha Way, and the New Jersey Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission, students are invited to the Virtual Youth Conference, “Youth, We Hear You!” which will be held on Monday, January 18th, 2021, from 9:00am to 2:00pm EST.
This wonderful opportunity will highlight the life and legacy of Dr. King through sessions on “Justice Matters,” “Health Equity Matters,” and “How to Live Your Ideals through Service and Public Policy.” A session led by Tahesha Way will focus on Dr. King’s global impact who will be joined by the Consul-General of India and Ambassador from Ghana.
Students can register for this free virtual conference by visiting the New Jersey Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commission Youth Conference Presented by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation site.
Once students are registered, they will receive additional information for the commemorative event of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mark Your Calendars!
HMS Student Of The Month Winners For December 2020
Grade 6 & Overall
Grade 7
Grade 8
Joshua Covington
Full Steam Ahead For 2020/2021 STEAM Tank Competition!
All students at Hoboken Middle School will have the opportunity to compete in this year's STEAM Tank competition. We will begin when we return in January and our timeline will be:
January 4th - January 15th: Inquiry, Discovery & Development
January 18th - Creation of the 2-Minute Video
Students will participate in this process with their science teachers and will collaborate with their classmates. If you would like to read more about STEAM Tank, please visit their site:
HMS Spelling Bee ~ Round 1: Classroom Competitions
And The Winners Are......
- Victoria Bates
- Kevin Melendez
- Azaad Bhalla
- Ethan Sikernitsky
- Kallum Powell
- Nayalin Rose
- Gabriel Metelista
- Zachary Shaw Bellofatto
Grade 7
- Audrey Backstrom
- Jenna Sirio
- Gabriel Rivas
- Noah Torres
- James McDonald
- Louise Dirkx
- Elizabeth Bright
- Savannah Jones
- Sean Pennington
Grade 8
- Jhonas Eckhardt
- Shai Warshawsky
- Eddie Cruz
- Jeremiah Galarza
- Hayley Dobson
- Ereon King
- Mikayla Corcoran
- Laila Shapiro
Congratulations to all of those that participated and to our classroom winners! Grade level completions will be held on Friday, January 22nd
HMS 8th Grade Portraits
- Onsite students will receive appointments during the day
- Remote students will receive appointments between 3:30 - 5:00 each day
Please read the flyer and order form below to order your package.
Email Mr. Ramos mailto:IRamos@hoboken.k12.nj.us if you have any questions
HMS 8th Grade Portrait Day Flyer (Click Me!)
Ms. Falcone's 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, and how to navigate Remote Learning. These check-in's are designed to not only provide support for students, but to set them up for success. If students would like to schedule a time to meet with me, I can be reached by email sfalcone@hoboken.k12.nj.us) or students may fill out the Request to Meet Ms. Falcone Form.
Students are also receiving additional support in math through our Stevens Institute of Technology Math Tutoring Program. Students on Remote Learning have been paired with a student from Stevens, and are meeting weekly for one-on-one tutoring during their Independent Practice periods. If you and your child are interested in signing up for tutoring, you may reach me by email to learn more.
Dr. Baskinger's Curriculum Corner
The purpose of an instructional intervention program is to help students improve skills they struggle with in the areas of Reading and Math. Instructional interventions are designed to boost student confidence, track individual progress, and ready students for more challenging curriculum and grade level expectations.
Selected students at Hoboken Middle School will be participating in the SuccessMaker Intervention Program. LinkIt! Assessment scores were used to identify students who scored in the Approaching and Bubble range. These students will be working closely with their Math and Reading teachers each week to target specific skills while gaining the confidence they need to continue to be successful.
Edgenuity Reminder:
As part of the Hoboken Middle School Remote Learning experience, students continue to utilize the online program Edgenuity. This computer-based course brings the experience of learning another language with ease to students in the comfort and safety of their home. Edgenuity’s World Language component is modeled after Hoboken’s World Language Curriculum which includes a variety of units and learning activities. Students who are part of the Remote Learning Community should be working on this asynchronous course Monday through Friday for approximately 30-40 minutes a day. You can find Edgenuity Login Information here.
Effective School Solutions Corner
During all childhood ages especially middle school years, The Power of Positive Attention is an important tool for a parent/guardian to utilize. This article discusses the use of positive attention to create more effective change rather than negative attention. This research encourages parents to celebrate the positive behavior that you may notice or catch in your child. Positive attention that you can provide can look like clear verbal praise, rewards, hugs, kisses, high fives, and so on. An example could be verbal praise/celebration for the 1 homework that your child may have completed (even if you may have wished they completed more) or their willingness to separate from their phone for 5 minutes during the 15 minute dinner. When there is behavior that you would like to see change, the article recommends to ignore (unless there are safety concerns) the negative behavior in the moment with the plan to return back to that problematic behavior once the situation de-escalates. It is likely to take time, patience, and practice to transition to this model so please celebrate your efforts and progress as well! See attached article for more tools to reinforce your child's positive choices.
Nurse Beyer's Corner
Hello HMS Families,
January marks thyroid awareness month! The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck. Though this organ is small, it deals with influencing many of our body’s organs including the brain, heart and kidneys. Did you know that the thyroid gland can also be hyperactive or hypoactive? Both of these scenarios would require medical attention and long-term medication use. Weight gain or loss, mood changes, and/or difficulty sleeping can all be signs of an underactive or overactive thyroid. Getting your thyroid checked is as simple as a doctor’s office visit and a quick blood draw. Though this gland is small, it is so very important in the higher functioning of our body!
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
HMS World Language Corner
HMS Physical Education Corner
In Physical Education this week students brushed up on their soccer and played full court games in order to enhance their skills. Some classes also enhanced their cardiovascular fitness and took walking trips for some fresh air and sun!
In Dance this week students learned all about one of the less difficult but most fun type of dancing, line dance. Each day they learned a different one and performed it as a class. We had a great time!
Artist Corner
Our artists are studying the history of graffiti, examining its purpose, and tracking its rise from the underground to the mainstream. How does the graffiti make a visual commentary on the times? In what ways does this art form reflect the culture of society and/or make social/political commentary? As we take a trip back in our time machines, we realize that graffiti, the act of writing/scribbling/painting on public property, is actually an ancient art. We see the first graffiti in caveman paintings and analyze the seven known oldest pieces of cave art in the world.
Week one begins with the design of our own graffiti alphabet in preparation for the creation of our own colorful tag name!
Artist Spotlight: Ethan Sikernitsky, Grade 6
See you next week for another Artist Spotlight! Stay creative!
Mrs. Jessica Fasolino
Grade & Content Level ~ What Have We Been Learning?
6th Grade ELA
6th Grade Mathematics
In math this week, students are continuing to explore ratios and use equivalent ratios to solve multi-step problems. Students are learning how to use a data table to find equivalent ratios and graph the data points on a coordinate plane. Students are applying the math practices: make sense of problems and persevere in solving them and look for and make use of structure.
6th Grade Social Studies
In social studies, students learned about the continuing debate between delegates over the Constitution. We learned about the creation of the Federalist and Anti-federalist factions that became important to the political parties of today. To understand this conflict, students made bumper stickers to represent each side. This week, we watched live streams of the political process and used this opportunity to discuss the role of government. On Friday, we’ll learn about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., how the perception of his work was viewed during the Civil Rights Movement, and how activists and organizations keep his message alive today. We’ll have our quiz on Tuesday, January 19th.
6th Grade Science
The grade 6 students worked diligently on finalizing their STEAM Tank Challenge Projects. I am very proud of the hard work and determination shown by all the students during the past few weeks. This project had each student test their communication skills, openly debate their ideas with peers, and find acceptance as the group organized, planned, and brought life to their project. The topics ranged from ways to help healthcare professionals and society, protecting and observing the environment and animals, and new alternatives to help reduce the need for recycling. The students are happy they got to work together, and communicate with each other both in and outside of the classroom. All the students are looking forward to moving on to the next topic, and to future projects.
7th Grade Mathematics
This week, students further their understanding of equations by writing and solving two-step equations. Students made sense of the strategies used to solve two-step equations strategies by drawing visual representations of the problems in order to solve the equations. Students completed the Topic 5 Mid Topic Quiz as well. Please ensure that your child completed and submitted the quiz. Students will start the second half of Unit 5 on Monday. Have a great weekend!
7th Grade ELA
This week in 7th Grade ELA, students followed Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin into an abandoned house, meeting Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which in A Wrinkle in Time. We analyzed our main character closely, looking at how the disappearance of Meg’s father has impacted all aspects of her life. In Writing Workshop, students explored new mentor texts and began to brainstorm possible topics for their own Photo Essays. We looked at the top photos of 2020 to spark some ideas and inspiration for future publishable pieces of writing. At the end of the week, students participated in Round 1 of the Spelling Bee. Congratulations to the students moving forward in the competition!
7th Grade Social Studies
Our geography studies are taking us south of the border to Mexico. This week students learned about the geography and history of Mexico. We then went deeper into our studies looking at the problem of “colorism” in Mexico. In our NightWrite article, students learned about the widespread problem of discrimination against indigenous Mexicans because of their darker skin tones. The article prompted genuine discussion on discrimination, racism and classism. We will be wrapping up the week planning a positive thing to do for our community in our “Day of Service” activity.
7th Grade Science
This week, students continued to put their STEAM Tank ideas together and work on their project. Groups worked together in Google Meet break out rooms, and collaborated in finding sustainable solutions to real- world problems. Each group is in the process of creating their 2 minute video, where they will “pitch” their ideas to a group of judges. While working on STEAM Tank, students have developed critical thinking and problem- solving skills that will serve them in their future careers and everyday lives.
8th Grade Mathematics
Pre-Algebra
This week in Pre-Algebra students began Topic 6: Congruence & Similarity. In this topic, students will use properties of translations to perform and describe a transformation (rotation, reflection, translation) of a two-dimensional figure, and understand that a dilation is also a transformation. Students will compose transformations and prove similarity using a series of transformations. Students will recognize the relationship of angles that are formed by parallel lines and a transversal, and understand which pairs of angles created by parallel lines and a transversal are congruent and which are supplementary.
Throughout the week, we began exploring translations, reflections, and rotations. Students worked with coordinate planes to explore how these transformations affect the coordinates of points.
Algebra I
In Algebra 1 students first started the week by reviewing and extending skills that focused around Exponent Rules to simplify given expressions in preparation for our Topic 6: Exponential Functions Unit. Towards the middle of the week we introduced Rational Exponents and Properties of Exponents. Within this lesson, students define their own meaning for fractional exponents, how they connect to radical expressions and how to solve exponents containing a variable. Next week we will continue to expand on exponential skills by looking at parent functions on the coordinate plane and analyzing their different characteristics to find patterns and create rules for any given exponential function.
Geometry
Content Standards--HSG.CO.C.10, HSA.REI.B.3, HSG.CO.C.10, HSG.SRT.B.5, HSG.GPE.B.5, HSA.REI.C.6, HSA.REI.D.10.
8th Grade ELA
This week in ELA, students continued reading To Kill a Mockingbird while analyzing themes, plot, and character development through critical thinking questions and whole group discussions. Students are becoming familiar with vocabulary of the novel by utilizing Vocabulary.com. Students began to brainstorm ideas for topics they may want to explore for their Research Report Writing by investigating contemporary issues, environmental issues, and historical topics.
8th Grade Social Studies
This week in Social Studies, students continued exploring the Middle Ages. Students examined how European feudalism functioned and the different social roles in this society. Students began a new project where they were challenged to design a Feudal Kingdom. Students continued with the High and Late middle ages, identifying factors that caused the decline of feudalism and drawing conclusions about what led to the rise of Western European nations. Students also analyzed and identified the causes and effects of the Crusades, the reasons that trade and cities grew and how limits placed on the English monarchy were the first steps toward democracy. The Social Studies department, along with Hoboken Public Schools, hopes all kids will participate in a day of service on January 18th celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
8th Grade Science
This week in Science class we are going to continue working on our STEAM Tank projects. Our groups have collaborated to identify a problem in our community and design a solution to that problem. This week we will organize our ideas into a video that we will submit to the NJ STEAM Tank competition and see what they think! We also continued with our unit, Understanding the Universe. We completed a choice board project to review the content we learned before break and to begin making connections to our new content.