Hoboken High School Weekly Update
#redwingway
It was great to have students and staff back in the building this week! Equally exciting, we have started our Winter sports with boys and girls basketball and bowling. It has certainly created a sense of normalcy for our students, which is what we all are craving.
Yesterday I shared a special edition of the Smore which highlighted our Day of Service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please take a moment tomorrow and capture yourself giving back. What that looks like can vary, so take a look at the Smore to decide how you and your family can take part in this special event.
As I visited classrooms today, there were multiple lessons taking place that build on students' knowledge of Dr. King. From readings of short stories, to discussions on his work, students across disciplines are engaging in these lessons. Please take note of Ms. Amatucci's artwork created by students in her Elements of Art classes.
Remote learners must be working 6 hours a day on Edgenuity to keep pace with the curriculum. While there is flexibility with when they are completing their work, there is no flexibility with the amount of time that needs to be invested in their studies. If they are struggling, email their teacher and set up a time to meet with them during office hours.
Onsite learners, please stay up to speed with your work. We are at a critical time as we are approaching the midway point in the school year. It is imperative we review what is working, and where we need to improve. Remember to seek help from your teachers, counselors, and vice principals.
All the best,
Ms. Picc
Guidance
While we are far from having all scholarship data collected, the Class of 2021 has already been offered over $9 million in merit scholarships from colleges and universities, including instant decision schools and others, such as Yale University, Seton Hall University, University of New Haven, Susquehanna University, Penn State University, Lycoming College, Langston University, Albright College, and more.
The College Board is hosting a series of virtual college fairs called 'BigFuture Days'. Sophomores and Juniors are encouraged to sign up for a chance to connect directly with college admissions representatives and current college students. You will have a chance to explore colleges in a way that is not overwhelming, ask questions about topics they want to learn about, and start planning for their postsecondary goals.
Due to Covid, there will be no in person college fairs this spring so it is imperative you make every effort to attend one of the virtual fairs.
Please reach out to your counselor for registration information.
Parents and students, we need you!
HHS Chapter of Best Buddies
The Hoboken District will be implementing Best Buddies in the middle and high schools this year. Best Buddies supports our dedication to assisting students and promoting an inclusive culture within our schools. Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
These programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form friendships with their peers, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society. The MS and HS chapters will assist students in breaking through social barriers and encourage meaningful connections to heighten their academic and social experiences. Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities and general education students will be paired as buddies and will meet once a month to participate in social activities.
Ms. Patty Drumgoole, the HHS Social Worker, will be leading this chapter and will be sending out an interest form to all students next week. Please email her if you have any questions: Patricia.Drumgoole@hoboken.k12.nj.us
World Languages
To celebrate, embrace and commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King and African American Heritage Month, our students will learn about the diverse and divergent social and cultural paths taken by African Americans following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the introductory activity, students establish to what extent their own understanding of African American history has been shaped by the classic narrative culminating in the civil rights movement. In the learning activities, students will explore major movements and turning points in African American history from 1968 to the present by viewing and discussing video segments from the PBS series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. In the culminating activity, students compare and contrast the causes and effects of these different currents on the African American experience in the post-civil rights era.
We will cover the following topics during our classes:
“Black Power: Demanding a Brilliant Future In the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, the Black Panthers advocate armed resistance and self-sufficiency for African Americans.
“Black is Beautiful: Afrocentricity” Black Power helps create a new African American cultural identity which resonates throughout American culture.
“The Rise of the Black Middle Class” New political gains like affirmative action combine with changing social attitudes to nurture a growing African American middle class, but the government continues to fear a more extreme black nationalism.
“The Limits of Rights: Economic Injustice” Despite growing political power in the 1970s, African Americans continue to face daunting economic challenges made worse by the deindustrialization of their urban communities.
“Casualties of the War on Drugs” President Reagan's "War on Drugs" falls disproportionately hard on black communities as new mandatory drug sentencing laws put a generation of young African Americans behind bars.
“Fighting the Power: Hip Hop” Hip hop gives voice to a new generation of African American youth disenfranchised from the American Dream enjoyed by a select few black celebrities.
“Yes We Can: Obama” Barack Obama's election to the presidency exemplifies changing attitudes about race even as problems of institutional racism persist.
Language Arts
In the 9th grade ELA classes students are embarking on the wondrous world of science fiction literature. Students are introduced to the genre with an engaging and entertaining video that outlines the elements of sci-fi and all the amazing inventions the authors have predicted. During the course of this short story unit, students will be exposed to great sci-fi authors like Phillp K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, HG Wells and Isacc Asimov. While being entertained, students will be learning how to think critically about the science and technology we are already using in our society. And finally they will we be asked to apply their acquired knowledge in an analytical essay.
FUN FACT: Did you know that "In 1937, HG Wells laid out a vision for something he called the 'Permanent World Encyclopaedia,' which was published as an essay and later in the book World Brain.
"A great number of workers would be engaged perpetually in perfecting this index of human knowledge and keeping it up to date," he wrote in the essay.
Further, he added that "[It] will be made accessible to every individual...It need not be concentrated in any one single place...It can be reproduced exactly and fully, in Peru, China, Iceland, Central Africa."
In case you haven't already guessed, the living example of this 'World Wide Web' prediction of Wells' is what we call Wikipedia, Google, or the internet as a whole.
Check out this article:
PLTW Biomedical Science - Mr. LeBegue
Culinary Arts - Ms. Nelson
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship can be defined as the way of thinking, being and acting online. Students (and parents) are spending more time than ever online now and it is critical that all of us engage responsibly in the online world, thinking critically about what we read and treating others with respect. For several years, we have been teaching lessons on digital citizenship through Common Sense Education, a non-profit "dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century." One of our goals for Hoboken High School this year is to become a Common Sense Certified School through implementing their complete digital citizenship curriculum. All four grades are participating in lessons relating to six themes: media balance, privacy and security, digital footprint, relationships, cyberbullying, and media literacy.
Teachers have reported extremely positive class discussions resulting from the lessons from Common Sense Education. The lessons require students to grapple with real-life scenarios regarding their digital lives. It's a topic they take very seriously. The video below is from a lesson on cyberbullying and digital drama.
Athletics
WINTER SPORTS ARE UNDERWAY!!! However, the NJSIAA has modified the start dates for Winter Sports....
WINTER SEASON 2
Basketball and Bowling -- have begun and our first competition is January 26th. The end of the season is March 6th.
WINTER SEASON 2A
Swimming (Coach Pogo -- vpogorzelski@hoboken.k12.nj.us) and Indoor Track (Coach Mendez -- amendez@hoboken.k12.nj.us) -- Practice Starts February 1. First competition is February 16. 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 1. First competition is March 16. End of the season is April 24.
Registration is now open for Winter Seasons 2A and 3. Click Here for online registration for Indoor Track, Swimming, Wrestling, and Girls Volleyball.
Student-athletes, in addition to registering, 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
GO REDWINGS!!!