The Herald
Hoboken Public School District
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope that you are doing well on this rainy weekend. It's a great time to snuggle up with a book or watch a movie with your family. This edition of the Herald highlights many of our activities and learning experiences across the district.
Many families have been anxiously waiting for our LEAP Summer Program Information and Registration to be released. As promised, I am bringing this information to you prior to March 1st. If you have a child currently in grades PK-4 through 7 and enrolled in our district for next school year, he or she is eligible to participate in our LEAP Program. This year, LEAP will operate in 2-week camp blocks. Families may register children for one 2-week camp or more. We will operate four, 2-week camps in total equating to an 8-week program running from Monday, July 5th through Friday, August 27th. LEAP is at no cost to families that qualify for the free lunch program. It will run from 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. LEAP will also host a before care option beginning at 7:45 a.m. and an after care option until 6:00 p.m. We are so pleased to offer this camp as an extension of learning and fun for our students. Please direct any questions about LEAP to Mr. Christopher DellaFave, Director of Innovative Programs at cdellafave@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
This past week, I have spent time working with our demographer as we seek to gain clarity on our enrollment growth. Since the 2016-2017 school year, our K-12 enrollment grew by 682 students. It's amazing to see our schools expand in size and trust by the overall community continue to rise. Each day, I receive emails from families in Hoboken inquiring about our schools and asking questions about enrolling in our district.
It's also incredible that the month of March begins tomorrow. On Thursday, April 1st our district calendar reflects a 1:00 p.m. dismissal followed by spring break which runs through Friday, April 9th. We will operate one week of remote learning after spring break, from Monday, April 12th through Friday April 16th. Our next and last Declaration Period will begin on Monday, April 19th. For all those families that wish to continue with onsite learning or switch to onsite learning will produce a negative COVID Test. We will provide families with testing options that will take place between Friday, April 16th and Monday morning, April 19th. I will release the Declaration of Intent, travel guidelines and more information about testing by the end of the week.
In closing, there is a Google Form below to complete if your family is in need or if you know of a family that may be in need of support or assistance. The Hoboken Public School District has established a network to help with food, clothing, household items, PPE, toiletries, school supplies, reading materials, or pet supplies.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions that you may have. Have a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Christine A. Johnson
Superintendent of Schools
Hoboken School District's 2021 LEAP Summer Program Parent Guide & Registration Information
Hoboken Public School District's Elementary School Virtual Choir Celebrates Black History Month
Hoboken Middle School - Recognized as a National Common Sense Digital Citizenship School
Dear Hoboken Middle School Community,
Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of media and technology, has recognized Hoboken Middle School as a Common Sense School.
Hoboken Middle School has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate while preparing them for the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying. With the right support, kids can take ownership of their digital lives, engage with real issues, and change their communities for the better. The recognition acknowledges our school's commitment to creating a culture of digital citizenship.
"We applaud the faculty and staff of Hoboken Middle School for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of their students' education," said Liz Kline, vice president of education programs at Common Sense Education. "Hoboken Middle School deserves high praise for giving its students the foundational skills they need to compete and succeed in the 21st-century workplace and participate ethically in society at large."
Hoboken Middle School has been using Common Sense Education's innovative and research-based digital citizenship resources, which were created in collaboration with researchers from Project Zero, led by Howard Gardner at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and are grounded in the real issues students and teachers face. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, media balance, managing online relationships, and media literacy. The free K–12 curriculum is used in classrooms across all 50 states, in more than 80,000 schools by more than 1,00,000 educators.
"We're honored to be recognized as a Common Sense School," said Principal, Anna Marra. "By preparing our students to use technology safely and responsibly, we are providing them an opportunity to build lifelong habits to help them succeed in a tech-driven world."
To learn more about the criteria Hoboken Middle School met to become recognized as a Common Sense School, visit https://www.commonsense.org/education/recognition-schools.
Common Sense Education supports K–12 schools with free, timely, and research-based resources for teaching in the digital age. We believe that learning digital life skills is essential for students to thrive in today's world and that all students should have access to learning these skills. That's why we make our digital citizenship resources available for free, ready for any educator to plug in to tomorrow's lesson plan. Our core resources include a comprehensive K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum, all-inclusive reviews of the most popular and latest edtech tools, and expert advice on how to use those tools most effectively in the classroom. Over half a million educators in nearly half of K–12 U.S. schools use our resources to teach kids digital life skills. We're excited to keep that number growing so all our kids can thrive in the digital age.
Common Sense is the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. Every day, Common Sense supports parents, teachers, and policymakers with unbiased information, innovative tools, and trusted advice to support kids' digital well-being. To see all of Common Sense Education's resources, visit https://www.commonsense.org/education.
Sincerely,
Susan Skinner
Stay Tuned for Hoboken Middle School's Living Laboratory Grand Opening
Two years ago, the Hoboken Public School District came up with an idea to create a fully functioning “living laboratory” in Hoboken Middle School’s lower level. This living laboratory, also known as a living classroom would be an immersive experience centered around the greater Hudson River ecosystem. In planning for the space, teams of staff, students and parents, as well as Stevens Institute Professors and undergraduate students came together to engage in a design process. The collective outcome was an amalgamation of research and dreams, where students would spend time celebrating all that the Hudson River has to offer, while engaging in every stage of research methodologies associated with aquatic life.
In the fall of last school year, our students visited the Hudson River with scientists and specialists to explore and examine species. By winter, construction on the space was finished. Then COVID-19 hit and the pandemic shifted the district to remote learning. At this time, Hoboken Middle School’s living lab is currently being outfitted. It boasts a 150-gallon touch tank donated by the Hoboken Public Education Foundation, two 150-gallon fresh water/salt water mix tanks, and one 180-gallon mixed species observational tank. The next phase of tank installation will include two additional observational tanks and a wet table for hands-on student research.
Hoboken Middle School’s current permit allows students to collect, research and release terrapin, striped bass, porgy, American eel, weakfish, blue crab, toad fish, and seahorses. Curriculum, rooted in work done by the Hudson River Project and the Hudson River Keepers, is being designed for the living laboratory.
As Superintendent of Schools, I am so excited that our students have already been to the Hudson River to examine species and interact with the coastline and water. I am even more excited that our students have been exposed to the Hudson River in so many other ways. For example, students have kayaked and sailed on the waters of the river that they will soon take on research projects.
During this upcoming spring and summer, our Passport to Learning and our summer LEAP Programs will be offering enrichment programs and research-based activities in the new Living Laboratory centered around the Hudson River. This incredible educational space and educational programs will be like no other school program in the City of Hoboken.
Historical Legacy of The Tuskegee Airmen: A Special Presentation for the Hoboken Public School Community
The Hoboken School District Community participated in a valuable learning experience. This past week, our Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion arranged for a Zoom Session to learn more about the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. Trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, they flew more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II. Their impressive performance earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces.
On February 24th, The Hoboken School community participated in a presentation by Ron Spriggs. Mr. Spriggs is sustaining the legacy and history of the Tuskegee Airmen as an oral historian, lecturer and curator of Tuskegee Airmen exhibits. As part of the presentation, participants had the rare pleasure of speaking with a Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTA), Dr. Alexander Jefferson. Dr. Jefferson is a living piece of history and shared with us his experience in the military during the time of Jim Crow. He reminded us to never quit and to always be the best at whatever we do. This incredible man is 99 years old and will turn 100 years old in November. It was a memorable experience for everyone in attendance and an opportunity to speak with a historical figure.
https://www.tuskegee.edu/support-tu/tuskegee-airmen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a2jJAvyW9A
Dr. Jefferson is the author of Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free.
Congratulations to Hoboken Public School District's Scripps Spelling Bee Winners
Brandt Elementary School - Luke Mei, Grade 2
Connors Elementary School - Alessia Piertangelo, Grade 2
Wallace Elementary School - Aleksander Fennell, Grade 4
Hoboken Middle School - Kevin Melendez, Grade 6
Hoboken Public School's New Website www.hoboken.k12.nj.us
Virtual Open House Videos
Hoboken High School's Recent College & University Acceptances
Hoboken Middle School Helps the Homeless Shelter
SEPAG Parent Meeting Reminder - Tuesday, March 2nd
International Best Buddies Has Arrived at Hoboken Middle and High Schools
Best Buddies is an international organization dedicated to ending the isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Ms. Beriloff (HMS) and Ms. Drumgoole (HHS), under the leadership of Dr. Tamika Pollins, have started Best Buddies Programs at both Hoboken Middle School and Hoboken High School. They are recruiting students to participate.
Some of us may know someone with a disability or even have a family member with IDD. Often it is very difficult for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to interact with the community. As a result, they often experience isolation, lack friendships and are not treated fairly. Best Buddies is working hard to end all of that.
We have students at Hoboken Middle School and Hoboken High School with various abilities and the goal is to encourage inclusiveness. Through the Best Buddies Program, Ms. Beriloff and Ms. Drumgoole aim to pair students with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a peer buddy to support their integration in our school community.
To join our High School Group please complete the interest form using this link https://forms.gle/VpxDuouXPZjxTCKq9 or reach out to Ms. Drumgoole at patricia.drumgoole@hoboken.k12.nj.us. To join our Middle School Group, please email Mr. Beriloff at kberiloff@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Celebrating the Chinese New Year in HPSD
Special Way to Celebrate the 100th Day of School
Our District's Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
This past summer, I presented a resolution to the Board of Education that exemplifies our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Board Members unanimously approved my resolution. The resolution not only guides our work, but reflects our values and promise to all students and staff in the district. To review the resolution, please see the attachment below.
Support Services Offered to Hoboken School District Families
Hoboken High School Athletics Update
High school winter sports are underway!!! However, the NJSIAA has modified the start dates. Please take note of the new dates:
WINTER SEASON 2A
Swimming (Coach Pogo -- vpogorzelski@hoboken.k12.nj.us) and Indoor Track (Coach Mendez -- amendez@hoboken.k12.nj.us) -- Practice Starts February 1st. First competition is February 16th. End of the season is March 27.
WINTER SEASON 3
Girls Volleyball (Coach Kolmer -- skolmer@hoboken.k12.nj.us) and Wrestling (Coach Stanek -- sstanek@hoboken.k12.nj.us) -- Practice Starts March 1st. First competition is March 16th. End of the season is April 24th.
Registration is now open for Winter Seasons 2A and 3. Click Here for online registration for Indoor Track, Swimming, Wrestling, and Girls Volleyball.
Inn addition to registering, all high school student athletes must have a valid sports physical and must be academically eligible to participate.
Please visit our Athletic Website for information on schedules, online registration, our online apparel store, and much more! And follow us on Twitter @hobokenredwings
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: 524 Park Avenue, Hoboken, NJ 07834
Phone: (201) 356-3600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HobokenPublicSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @HobokenSchools