The Herald
Hoboken Public School District
Superintendent's Daily Message (Day 6) - March 23, 2020
I hope that this email finds you and your family well. This weekend I had the opportunity to speak with many families. If you have any questions and would like to talk, please email me and include your phone number. I will get in touch with you within hours.
Based on the Governor's address, schools will be closed for an extended period of time. Therefore, we will not be back to school on Monday, March 27th. We are planning for required remote learning plans week by week. I will continue to issue The Herald on a daily basis (Monday through Friday). As soon as we receive notification that schools can reopen, I will inform our entire school district community. Additional remote learning plans will be added to the website this week.
I am compiling an additional list of questions that parents have sent me and I will include them, along with answers in tomorrow's edition of The Herald.
I know this has not been easy. Everyone is experiencing challenges. I am completely aware of the anxiety and stress that children are feeling. If I have not said it yet, I am beyond proud of every adult and child in our school community. Keep in mind that we are embarking on something that we have never done before. We are all dealing with a pandemic like we have never experienced before. Every household and every family is a bit different. Therefore, I fully understand that whatever I communicate may be received differently by each family. As a result, I want to apologize in advance if there is anything that confuses or even bothers you. I would like to ask that you to please contact me directly if you need clarification or want to share an opinion. It is so much easier for me to take input or feedback from you personally than if it is sent to me via a blog or social media post. We are in this together, so let's stay connected.
Parents and Guardians, please remember that we will continue to distribute "grab and go" meals out of Hoboken High School's Cafeteria on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. If getting to the high school each day is too difficult, please let the food service workers know and they will package multiple days of meals together for you at once. I am happy to announce that any remaining food and milk that we have is being donated to the shelter.
In today's edition of the Herald, I have included a daily video from each of our Principals and Supervisor of Early Childhood. There are also some additional videos featuring stories, art activities, theater exercises, healthy tips and fitness, yoga and relaxation techniques.
Last week I received an email from a friend at Stevens Institute. She asked if I would share this resource with all K-12 families. Through a series of interactive webinars, Stevens is hoping to engage students in STEM and share exciting research that is going on at Stevens campus. Please note that this is a volunteer, grassroots effort by a number of Stevens faculty who wanted to be helpful during this time when regular schooling has been interrupted. Click on the link to Ask a Stevens Prof to see upcoming and recorded webinars on a variety of STEM topics.
I encourage you to take time to review The Herald. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook too. I will be checking in with my Hoboken School District Families each day via the Herald. I hope that you will also check in with me. If you would like to send me photos of your children hard at work, please do so. I will include them in The Herald.
Stay well. I assure you that I will keep you updated every step of the way. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Johnson
Directions to Access Our District's YouTube Channel: HPS Video Highlights
- Google YouTube
- Click on Videos
- Type in the Search Box: HPS Video Highlights
- Click the red box to subscribe
Daily Videos from our Supervisor of Early Childhood Learning and Principals
Special Video: Check out Wallace School at Work
Stories with Staff
Ms. Miller's Daily Drama Activities for Families
Fun Art Exercises with Wallace Teacher, Ms. McGeehin
Yoga With Ms. Beriloff
Namaste with Dr. Allgaier, School Psychologist at Hoboken High School
Dr. Allgaier's Summary of the Supporting Student Stress, Anxiety, & Mental Health During COVID19 Webinar
Parents/Guardians of Adolescents should practice:
- Patience
- Tolerance
- Reinforcement
It is crucial for parents/guardians to continue to practice:
- Self care
- Adequate Sleep
- Connection to others (calling, Facetime)
- Breaking from news and social media
- Routine
- Capping "purposeless" screen time to 2 hours; purposeless equates to social media/non educational/youtube; it does *not* include Facetime for social connection and remote learning
- Repeating to self and family: “I can only control what I can control; this is our plan today."
- Taking time day by day; avoid talking about chunks of time ahead. We worry about today, not the future. We are planning for today.
- Connect w outside resources like therapists, Dr's and spiritual leaders
Parents ask our kids
1) Are you okay (w pause)? If you’re unsure if your child is suicidal/at risk for harm reach out to local hospitals, hotlines and school guidance/CST/counselors
2) How can I help? (Don’t give solutions encourage their problem solving 1st)
CST/Clinicians:
- Reference a calendar of webinars available for us and parents coming out this week
- Use zoom, phone while following state guidance.
- Maintaining your family/student relationships
- Encourage to share this webinar's PowerPoint w parents once PowerPoint received.
Trusted Resources: Only Use
- World health organization
- CDC
Hoboken Public School Students Are Hard At Work
Healthy Tips from Mrs. Bevacqua
Indoor Fitness Session with Wallace Physical Education Teacher, Mr. Lucatorto
Johns Hopkins CTY
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth online courses will remain active throughout the entirety of the district’s remote learning plan for grades 2 - 8. Therefore, there will still be 3 - 5 hours of required coursework to complete per week in order to meet the course ending deadlines for both the three-month and six-month course options.
You will continue to receive email communications on assignment completion, feedback and grades from your child’s Johns Hopkins CTY online course instructor. If you have any questions at all, he or she will remain the first point of contact in regards to CTY curriculum and coursework completion.
Ms. Tara Donnelly will continue to monitor all Johns Hopkins CTY emails at the Middle School level. If students or parents have questions, please reach out to her at Tara.Donnelly@hoboken.k12.nj.us. For all Grades 2 through 5 questions, please contact your building principal or Assistant Superintendent, Ms. Rodriguez-Gomez at srodriguez@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
As many of you know, I am a mom too. Although my daughter is 24 years old, she continues to ask me questions about the Coronavirus. I provide her with a number of resources daily to read. I fully understand that talking to younger children about the Coronavirus can be difficult and confusing based on the number of messages that are coming your way from news media. I have attached a link that was sent to me by Carrie Ellis that may help make your conversations a bit easier. Click on the link below:
Resource from the Child Mind Institute entitled How to Make a Home Feel Safe
Social Emotional Resources from the County Office
Mental Health Support
The NJ Department of Human Services operates a toll-free “warm line” which is a resource for people seeking mental health service. The warm line is activated during events that impact the mental health of New Jersey residents. The warm line is available 24 hours and has language access; (877) 294-HELP (4357). NOTE: The “warm line” does not replace 911 and is not used to report emergencies.
Emotional Health Activities
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