HMS Weekly Update #17
Friday, January 6th, 2023
Dear Hoboken Middle School Family,
Happy New Year, HMS!
I hope you enjoy this week's newsletter. We had such an amazing week returning from winter break. There are many important dates coming up to view in this weeks newsletter. I hope everyone was able to ring in the New Year and spend some quality time with their families. We are ready to attack 2023 with Tiger Pride.
Enjoy,
Principal Sorafine
ryan.sorafine@hoboken.k12.nj.us
January Reminders:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Monday, January 16th - Schools Closed
- Grade 8 Cap & Gown Picture Day - Wednesday, January 25th - information in the new year
- LinkIt! Form B Assessment - Week of January 23rd, 2023.
Arrival Information:
The entrance on the 4th street side of the building is open to all students from 7:30 - 8:15. If your child arrives early, they should report to that door and enter the building. Students will then report to the HMS Cafeteria where breakfast will be served. The grade 6 (Garden Street) and grade 8 (Bloomfield Street) entrances doors open at 8:15 each day.
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 Help Desk
- Lunch Application Information Link
- Chromebook Insurance Link
- A Message from the Hoboken Public Education Foundation (HPEF)
- Oncourse Connect ~ Parent Information
- The HMS Apparel Store is Re-Opened - New Items ~ closes January 6th!
- PTO Corner
- Partners in Prevention Free Online Session
- Office of Special Services Corner
- Hoboken High School Informational Sessions! (see flyer below)
- The Redwings Dance Team
- Congratulations December Students of the Month!
- Passport to Learning Corner
- Clubs & Activities Corner
- Guidance Counselor's Corner
- Move This World at HMS
- Our corner's that highlight areas within our school community
- Grade and content level summary to give you a peak into the classroom
- Helpful information at the bottom of the newsletter
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
- Students should bring a full water bottle to school everyday. If you would like to purchase an HMS Water bottle for $2 please have your child stop by the main office and see Ms. Munoz. We have water hydration stations in the building on the 1st floor and 3rd floor so they can fill up their bottles.
- Chromebooks must be charged each night at home. Please check in with your child to remind them to charge their Chromebook at night.
- Please communicate any health issues to Nurse Kirwin (NKirwin@hoboken.k12.nj.us). You may also share any documentation with her that the school would need.
- Here is the HMS Student Handbook for your convenience
- Please find the HMS School Uniform Guidance information
HMS Help Desk
Here are some helpful items for our families:
My child is going to be absent...what do I do?
Email WVasquez@hoboken.k12.nj.us and SFalcone@hoboken.k12.nj.us to inform us about the absence.
I need to pick up my child early...what do I do?
Call the main office 15 minutes prior to pick up so your child can be waiting at the 4th street entrance. The main office is (201) 356-3754. You will need to come into the security area to sign the book for your child to leave.I have an issue with my Chromebook...what do I do?
Please visit the HPS-Tech in Our Schools Site for any tech related questions or problems with Chromebooks.
I have a question about dress code or purchasing...what do I do?
Email Dr. Baskinger (robin.baskinger@hoboken.k12.nj.us) for information
I have a question for about my child making up work if they are absent...what do I do?
Email Ms. Falcone for assistance (SFalcone@hoboken.k12.nj.us)
Oncourse Connect ~ Parent Information
Parents/Guardians/Caregivers:
Here is the link for parents to sign up for Oncourse Connect:
https://hoboken.oncourseconnect.com/login
I am also including the link that has FAQ's and videos to assist parents logging in:
https://www.hoboken.k12.nj.us/log-_in_options/on_course_connect_parent__student_login_portal
HMS Locker Schedule
Below is the locker schedule for each grade level. Students no longer need to carry backpacks, jackets, phones, and other items that aren't needed throughout the day.
Locker Schedule (8th)
8:15 arrival
12:03 Before 6th Period Lunch
12:48 After Period 6 Lunch
3:00 Dismissal
Locker Schedule (7th)
8:15 arrival
11:18 Before 5th Period Lunch
12:03 After Period 5 Lunch
3:00 Dismissal
Locker Schedule (6th)
8:15 arrival
10:33 Before 4th Period Lunch
11:18 After Period 4 Lunch
3:00 Dismissal
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Baskinger (robin.baskinger@hoboken.k12.nj.us)
Grade 8 Cap & Gown Photos ~ Wednesday, January 25th, 2023
The HMS Apparel Store is Re-Opened - New Items
Deadline to order is by 1/11/23.
Store Site - Visit https://tinyurl.com/hc6cq6c
Or scan this QR Code Image to be taken to the site.
Click GO next to Hoboken Middle School.
- ALL orders will be produced once the store is closed.
- Orders will be distributed by the HMS Staff.
- To view an enlarged image of an item, click on the image and it will open in a pop up window.
- For youth apparel, typical numeric sizing is as follows: YS-6/8, YM-10/12, YL-14/16, YXL-18/20.
- Please be sure to double check your order before submitting.
- We are not responsible for wrong size choices or personalizations.
- Payment can be made by Visa, MasterCard or Discover only.
- Be sure to FULLY COMPLETE CHECKOUT, you should receive an automated receipt of your order by email and will see a pending charge on your credit card
(can take up to 24 hours and be sure to check your junk/spam box).
These are customized items, there are no returns or exchanges.
o PLEASE PUT YOUR CHILD’S NAME/GRADE IN THE SHIPPING INFO OF THE ORDER.
Hoboken Middle School Girls and Boys Basketball Corner
Practice & Game Information
- Practice this Friday 1/6 @ Hoboken Middle School
- 6th Grade will practice from 3:15pm- 4:30pm
- 7th and 8th grade will practice from 4:30pm-6:00pm
- There will be no game this Saturday 1/7 (postponed to 1/21- 6th Grade will play at 2pm and 7/8th grade will play at 3pm @HHS)
- There will be no game on Friday 1/13 (postponed to a later date)
- The next game will be on Saturday 1/14 at Hoboken High School against West NY
- 6th grade will play at 2pm
- 7th and 8th grade will play at 3pm
- Whoever did NOT play in last nights scrimmage (1/3) will play in these games.
- Extra practice times for next week- in order to get players some extra gym time we will have early morning practices starting next week 1/10.
- on Tuesday 1/10 the 6th grade boys will practice 7am-8am before school at HMS
- on Thursday 1/12 the 7/8th grade boys will practice 7am-8am before school at HMS
Girls
- Practice this Friday 1/6 at Hoboken High School
- Practice is from 6pm-7pm
- Game information
- Thursday 1/5 game is postponed to Thursday 1/12
- Thursday 1/12 game is @North Arlington at 7:30 pm. Girls White Team will be representing HMS in this game
- Saturday 1/7- game is postponed to a later date
- Friday 1/13- game is postponed to a later date
- Saturday 1/14- Game @ Hoboken High School against North Bergen at 4pm. Girls red team will be representing HMS in this game
- Extra practice times for next week- in order to get players some extra gym time we will have early morning practices starting next week 1/11 for the girls.
- Girls will practice before school on Wednesday 1/11 from 7am-8am at Hoboken Middle School
HMS PTO Corner
Next PTO Meeting is January 11th, 2023
HMS PTO Booster Wall!
Minted Fundraiser
Office of Special Services: Special Education Parent Advocacy Group (SEPAG)
Hoboken High School Informational Sessions
The Redwings Dance Team
Congratulations December Students of the Month!
Grade 6 & Overall ~ Norah Block
Grade 7 ~ Ella Gagliardi- Major
Grade 8 ~ Emmanuel Gonzalez
Middle School Play Information
The middle school play will be "I Hate Valentine's Day".
Show dates: (running time of show 1 hour)
Feb 10th at 7pm
Feb 11th at 2pm
Feb 12 at 2pm
HMS Passport to Learning Corner
Rock Climbing
This week students had the option to practice bouldering or rocking climbing with a harness. Students are encouraged to try more difficult walls each week.
Pickleball
This week in Pickleball, we developed our version of a six man game! With 2 alternating players, after a certain amount of points scored, we had players swapping in and out of the game so fast! We also really focused on the boundaries of the court and which team the point would go to depending on where the ball fell. Our players are eager to get back on the court next week and enhance our skills even more!
Passport Printmaking
Chef It Up
HMS Clubs & Activities Corner
Academic Team
Student Council
GSA
To start off the new year on the right foot, the GSA spent this week’s meeting talking about self-care. Club members engaged in a quick yoga/meditation practice and reflected on their own definitions of self-care. Each member created a Self-Care Plan, focusing on ways to care for their mind, body, and spirit. We talked about supportive people in our lives that care for us on a regular basis, and created some goals for the new year. We’ll check back on our plans periodically to make sure we are caring for ourselves in 2023!
Chorus Club
Band Club
Artist Corner
Effective School Solutions Corner
After returning from a vacation, supporting your child with positive sleep hygiene can help their self-care as well as mental health. Adolescents require about 9 hours of sleep to fully function properly. The American Academy of Pediatrics reported that lack of sleep impacts student academic performance and safety, and increases risks of depression and obesity. This article encourages parents to continue to set limits during adolescence on bedtime, school work, and social media. These limits should be consistent and the article recommends no screen time one hour prior to bedtime. Middle school students will need your support with prioritizing as well as streamlining morning routines. Lastly, check-in with your child by asking "what can I do to help keep you on track?". Communicating in this fashion will help model positive skills as well as improve your relationship dynamics.
Ms. Falcone's Guidance Counselor Corner
I would first and foremost like to wish our HMS families a Happy New Year!
During the week of January 23rd, the Hoboken Public Schools will be participating in the Great Kindness Challenge. Our Best Buddies and Rachel's Challenge Clubs will be working together to help promote kindness and respect among our school community. Please see the flyer below to learn more about the Great Kindness Challenge!
Please be advised that students and parents/guardians will have access to Marking Period 2 Interim Reports on OnCourse today. If you would like to schedule a conference with your child's teacher(s), please email me.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Email: sfalcone@hoboken.k12.nj.us
Phone: (201)-356-3746
Move This World at HMS
We continue to support our students' social-emotional needs and mental health through Move this World. Move this World is integrated into our Fine & Performing Arts classes during periods 1-3. Additionally, all teachers have been utilizing Move this World in their classrooms to allow students opportunities for a break and movement. This week, Mrs.Bruce's class participated in the Power of Pause, which served as a brain break during Math.
I invite all our families to log into Move this World as well!
Below, you’ll find log in instructions:
Visit: sel.movethisworld.com
Username:hobokenms.family
Password:movethisworld
To learn more about Move this World, please visit their website.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions!
Thank You,
Ms. Falcone
(201) 356-3600 ext. 3746
HMS Nurse's Corner
If your child has any medical needs please feel free to call me to discuss any questions or concerns you may have. As a reminder, if your child has any kind of over the counter or prescribed medication that needs to be kept in school and administered, please have your doctor fill out a medication form and supply me with the medication.
Please do not send in the medication in your child’s backpack or drop it off with the security guard. This is a safety concern! All medications must be handed to the nurse, by the parent, with orders.
Good management of your child’s asthma is important to his or her success at school. Clear communication between you and your child, your health care provider and school staff is the key to managing asthma at school. A written Asthma Action Plan developed by your health care provider and shared with the school will help keep your child safe at school. Following the Asthma Action Plan will enable your child to participate fully in school activities.
If your child has an Asthma Action Plan, please send a copy to the school nurse. If your child does not have an Asthma Action Plan, please talk with your health care provider about developing one that can be shared with the school staff. Your child should not be carrying an inhaler around with an asthma action pan in place.
It can be faxed directly to the school at 201-792-4801 or sent via email to the nurse at nkirwin@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Should you have any questions or concerns I can be reached at 201-356-3744 or nkirwin@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
HMS World Language Corner
French, Spanish, & Mandarin
This week in World Language classes:
In Spanish class, Grade 6 students started to discuss how to tell time in Spanish. We are also using all vocabulary words and grammar information in context. Students are building on important skills such as reading, writing, listening, and speaking to help them become more knowledgeable. Grades 7 and 8 started to learn about foods and drinks. Students discussed their favorite breakfast food choices and why they are their favorite.
In French class, students in sixth grade worked on an Integrated Performance Assessment, for which they demonstrated listening, reading, writing and speaking skills in French. This project focuses on developing both receptive and productive language skills. Due to the scope of the project, we will continue to work on it next week. Seventh and eighth graders worked on mastering a new subject of vocabulary on the theme of cinema. This week culminated in a vocabulary quiz to ensure receptive mastery of the material, before moving on to productive language tasks next week.
In Mandarin class, 6th grade students learned how to use numbers to describe the year, the month and day in Chinese. Students practiced identifying their own birthdays. 7th and 8th grade students continued working on Unit 3 clothes. We have learned how to ask and respond to questions regarding their preferences about wearing different clothes, different colors of clothes and explanation of the reasons. Afterwards, students created their own dialogue according to different scenarios which they performed.
Mandarin
Spanish
French
Grade & Content Level ~ What Have We Been Learning?
6th Grade
Language Arts
Our first week back in the New Year, our ELA sixth grade students got right back into the swing of things. In reading, we wrapped up some of the previous novel’s work. Additionally, we are beginning our new novel Mockingbird. Along with some pre-reading activities, students were introduced to the main characters.
In our SchoolWide Writer’s Workshop, we have begun our second unit Feature Article. Students were introduced to the characteristics of the feature article and had the opportunity discuss some of the text structures. In order to help understand and illustrate the focus of this unit, mentor texts were introduced and discussed.
Math
This week, our mathematicians began their study of ratios. Students learned what ratios are and that ratios could be written in three different ways. A ratio is a relationship that compares two or more different quantities. You can write ratios using a colon, writing them as a fraction, or using the word “to.” Students answered basic survey questions and after gathering all the class data, they were able to answer questions based on the class data. Next week, students will learn how to find equivalent ratios, how to compare ratios and how to graph ratios.
Social Studies
This week in Social Studies, students began exploring the basic ideas on which new state governments were founded following the American Revolution. These rights included natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, representation, separation of powers, checks and balances, legislative supremacy. After learning these basic ideas students used what they learned to create their own state constitution. Students were then tasked with examining the Massachusetts' Constitution and comparing it to other states' constitutions looking at the distribution of power and voting right distribution. At the end of the week, students learned the first part of the constitutions are declaration of rights or bill of rights and took a closer look at the Virginia Declarations of Rights and compared to other states.
Science
This week in science, sixth graders began learning about the reproduction of organisms. We began discussing inheritance of traits/genes and covered phenotypes, genotypes, and alleles. We practiced using Punnett squares to see how we can predict possible trait outcomes that a parent will pass on to their offspring. Additionally, we had a lab day where we focused on analyzing various beetle genotypes and phenotypes. Next week, we will focus on the different types of reproduction.
We received amazing feedback from the STEAM Tank judges and I am so proud of all students that participated in this project. Sixth graders put a lot of time and effort into their submissions and we had 7 teams advance to the next round!
7th Grade
Language Arts
Seventh graders entered the new year by gathering photos and research for their Photo Essays. Students explored different types of photographs that should be incorporated into their essays and collected diverse photos to engage their readers. At the end of the week, students learned strategies for identifying credible sources in their research, including some “red flags” for unreliable websites. In Reading, students read Chapters 5-6 of The Outsiders, and conducted a close reading of the poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost. In their Night Writes, students connected the extended metaphor in the poem to themes in the novel. We look forward to continuing our Photo Essay research and our reading of The Outsiders next week!
Math
This week in math, students learned about writing expressions, evaluating expressions and writing equivalent expressions. Students learned how variables are used to represent unknown values in problems. They also discovered that algebraic expressions can be used to represent and solve problems in real-world context. Students mastered how to recognize when two expressions are equivalent by using properties of operations to write equivalent expressions. Finally, they realized that rearranging or combining like terms does not change the value of an expression.
Science
This week in Science the students learned about the rock cycle and the different types of rocks that can be found on Earth. The students were also able to identify how the rocks might be used in or around their homes. The students were able to compare and observe the characteristics of Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rock. They learned about how current types can change from one type to another through the rock cycle process.
The biggest news of the week was that 12 groups from our seventh grade class have made it to the next round of the STEAM Tank Challenge.
EnVision Tire-Asher Cooke, Darrien Cirino, Gus Frias, and Everett Andrew
Dentie Fresh -Julia Sciarra, Marly Larkin, Dominique Olavarria, And Jimmy Ortiz
Everything Pet Bowl-Nicolas Roche, Taryn Cannavale, Jonathan Offer, and Armani Trinidad
MILES-Isla Brennan, Ruby Henik, Charlotte Peters, and Audrey Turner
Cigarette Receptacle-Amora Dortch, Sihanna Garcia, and Metztli Villanueva
Separation Satchel-Rebecca Collins, Amelie Cademartori, and Caitlyn Byrne
Sole Swap-Vincent Decock, Thomas Gray, Zac Cohen, Connor Fletcher and Tarrick Murray
Improved Water Sewage System-Liam Meade, Jameson Payne, Rye Critelli
Sea Carton-Caroline Thiede, Mallory Whitmore, Zaira Quinones
Eco Pillow-Ella Gagliardi Major, Rafaella Rispoli, Seren Powell, Rebecca Wu, and Mikaela Crimmins
BiStickle -Harrison Green, Jeremy Gomez, Leah Schure, Truman Pimsner, Yuval Segall
STAT- Pria Wolsky, Elizabeth Watkins, India Magaletta
Congratulations to all our teams and best of luck in the next round.
Social Studies
This week in Social Studies, students were introduced to their next big unit, Canada! In this unit, students will be exploring provinces of Canada and the many resources Canada provides for the world. Since this is a fun unit, students will be working in small groups to develop an informercial on why people should travel to Canada. We can't wait to see all of these group performances!
8th Grade
Language Arts
In ELA, we began our new reading unit, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Students spent this week familiarizing themselves with the historical context of the 1930s prior to reading. First, we learned all about our author, Harper Lee and how her own life influenced the characters and setting of the story. Next, we learned about Jim Crow Laws, specifically in the deep South, by watching informational videos and discussing questions. We also learned about The Great Depression in order to understand the time period in which the novel takes place. To conclude our introduction to TKAM, students completed an anticipation guide relating to the major themes in the story. In our writing unit, Research Report, we began the note-taking process. Students started to gather information on each of their subtopics by finding reliable information online. We will continue taking notes throughout next week.
Pre-AP Algebra
Happy New Year everyone! We eased back into school this week by taking a look at the idea of correlation in bivariate data. Students determined the closeness of a relationship between two variables by creating scatterplots and determining whether there was any trend in the data - positive or negative, strong or weak. They then created equations for the lines of best fit for this data and used these models to determine a good estimate for data not specifically given. Once students understood the idea of correlation we thought together about when correlation is a result of causation.
IXL has now become part of our weekly routine. Students should be working in this environment for at least a few minutes a day to solidify concepts explored in class and to challenge themselves to higher level questions. Have a beautiful weekend!
Pre-Algebra
Happy New Year! This week in Pre-Algebra we jumped right into Unit 3, Use Functions to Model Relationships. The Unit starts off by the students being exposed to relations and functions in equations, graphs and tables. We discussed in detail what makes a function, a function. The students were also able to see the difference between Linear and Nonlinear Functions. We completed a variety of practice problems in class after our notes as well as watched videos from “Mash Up Math” to go into further detail. The students ended the week by reviewing what they learned through a Kahoot session followed by a Friday Quiz on sections 1 & 2 of Unit 3. I am looking forward to expanding on these ideas with the students next week.
Science
Welcome to 2023!!! This was a big lab week for science class to start off the new year. On Tuesday, students conducted a lab where they calculated the velocities of wind up toys. They did this by measuring the distance the toys traveled and dividing by the time it took the toy to travel that distance. On Wednesday, students were tasked with coming up with their own experiment on how to measure the velocity of a ping pong ball. Students wrote detailed procedures, formed their own tables, and conducted their experiments using materials around the room. We continued this lab on Thursday before students started on their night writes which involved a reading about Isaac Newton. We closed out the week by going over the night write and taking some notes on Newton’s laws. We had a discussion about the difference between speed and velocity and what makes a constant velocity.
Pre AP World History
This week in Pre-AP World History and Geography the students continued to analyze the causes and effects of the Neolithic Revolution. They started out the week by finalizing and presenting their posters in which they displayed the reasons for the domestication of plants and animals that their groups believed were the strongest. We then moved on to examining the effects of the Neolithic Revolution by looking at excerpts from two different publications and responding to analysis questions. The students took a look at how the development of cheese changed the diets of people and how the consumption of products like cheese changed the way people lived their lives. We further examined these two sources by reviewing a slideshow that broke down each source. Next week we will be wrapping up the Neolithic Revolution.
Social Studies
This Week in World History and Geography the students had a refresher on ancient Rome. They reexamined the key terms from the section in order to be prepared for the rest of the week. We took a closer look at the Roman mythological story of Remus and Romulus which describes how Rome came to be. The students worked in groups to read and respond to analysis questions based on the origins of Rome. We also discussed how ancient Rome was geographically comparable to ancient Greece and how that might have affected the way in which people lived their lives in those areas during that time. We will be wrapping up ancient Rome and moving on to the Early Middle Ages.
Fine and Performing Arts Corner
Strings
Ms. Monblatt's HMS students had a wonderful week of string class! Students were actively engaged in sight reading new music this week, focusing on bow grips, technique, and sound quality during their practice! Students performed pieces including a new arrangement of "Sweet Child Of Mine" and the traditional Folk song, "Ashokan Farewell". Students engaged in partner play, taking turns listening to each other, providing feedback, and identifying strategies to effectively practice potential areas of difficulty! Bravo to all of these outstanding students for all of their hard work!
Pre-AP Visual Arts
Creative Writing
Happy New Year and Welcome Back! This week the students focused on One Word! One Word to focus on for 2023. The Students were very creative and thoughtful in their word choice as well as their vision boards! Great job everyone!
Pre-AP Dance
Health & Physical Education
Physical Education
…And also some Friday Frisbee Fun with friends!
Parent Resources for Cell Phone Monitoring
Most children today have a cellphone on hand and use it extensively to do homework, communicate with friends, and view social media platforms. It is almost unimaginable to think of a modern-day child who doesn’t take full advantage. These rapid advancements in technology have been proven to be a recent challenge. Below are two suggested cellphone monitoring services that include activity monitoring, location services, filtering, and screen time management. Though not offered through Hoboken Public Schools, these resources may be helpful in managing cell phone usage. Click on each link below below to be taken directly to the resource website.
Qustodio: The All-In-One Parental Control and Digital Wellbeing Solution