This week our Wildcats finally welcomed spring and some warmer temperatures to play outside.

In ELA, students mastered the sight words “of” and “they.” The letters of the week were “G” and “W.” Students practiced isolating and identifying these letter sounds during literacy centers. The essential question of the week, building on last week, was “How do you take care of different kinds of pets?” The big book was a realistic fiction text titled “The Birthday Pet.” The reading comprehension strategies that were emphasized after a close read and reread of the text included events and confirming predictions. Our readers learned that events in a story often have a problem and solution. They identified the problem of the main character in “The Birthday Pet” and wrote about the solution. Students also continued to learn about facts and opinions where they got to share and write about their opinions of the spring season. The interactive read aloud of the week was titled “The Family Pet.” Students shared what both selections tell about how to take care of different kinds of pets.

In math, Kindergarteners counted and matched sets with one to one correspondence in pattern block grab. Students were also introduced to counting by 2s. They counted the number of eyes in their classrooms and created a chart with the drawings students made of their eyes. Our Kindergarteners played math games to reinforce the skill of skip counting. Math workshop games included counting jar, counting chairs and pattern blocks.

In ELA this week, the first grade has been learning all about bugs! We read about them in both fiction and non-fiction books. We wrote about our favorite insect and compared different insects by labeling their body parts. We have also been practicing reading words with long i.

In Math, we have been learning about problems with unknown change. We have been working to determine the missing number in a number sentence. We've practiced this by guessing how many pennies have been added or taken away from a jar.

The second graders worked hard and had fun this week on many exciting learning activities!

In English Language Arts, the second graders answered the essential question, “What excites you about nature?” They read poetry focused on nature. These little poets learned about elements of poetry, such as figurative language, specifically similes, and descriptive imagery, focusing on the 5 senses. They also continued to work on expanding their vocabulary, improving their fluency and comprehension, and writing poetry in literacy centers.

Our second grade mathematicians have been learning about collecting data and representing that data on a graph. They have been learning to analyze bar graphs, picture graphs, and line plots. They are continuing to work on solving word problems and going the extra step to explain their path to the solution with words.

We are continuing to celebrate Women’s History Month. The students have been learning about many important women in history and their contributions through many engaging activities.

This week in Science students are continuing their coding unit by expanding their knowledge of triggering blocks on Scratch Jr. They are working in pair programming groups to program “Liam’s Game” which was from our introduction story where a chicken has to reach a barn to win the game. They are modifying this game and engaging in peer review to provide helpful feedback to one another.

What a great week of learning for our 2nd graders!!

Third graders have been working very hard in ELA. Students have finished reading The Underground Railroad. They have analyzed what life was like for slaves, made predictions for how Abby’s story will end, and created a timeline of important events during this time in history. They are excited to start the next core novel, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. This week, students also worked on their expository writing pieces. Students have chosen a topic of their choice to inform their peers about. Students used a graphic organizer and did some research in order to produce a final writing piece.

During Math, students continued to work on their division fluency through minute math. They have worked on completing unit 4. This week, students also worked on various math skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, time, shapes, area, perimeter, etc. ) through centers and fun projects.

In Social Studies, students worked on a Women’s History Month research project. Every student picked a woman of their choice who they wanted to learn more about (Alex Morgan, Queen Elizabeth, Jane Goodall, etc.). They then conducted research to complete a graphic organizer and write a paper about the woman they selected. Students enjoyed learning about these influential women!

In Language Arts, the 5th Graders are identifying details and synthesizing information about the Peace Corps by reading and referencing two articles and watching a video to write an RST essay about the ways in which the sources have similar points of view about the greater purpose of the Peace Corps. This week we also started to read and understand poetry by identifying poetic elements like imagery.

In Social Studies, our historians are currently learning and understanding the Gear, and Technology used during the Civil War by analyzing primary sources and closely reading secondary text. They were also learning what life was like for soldiers during the Civil War by analyzing primary sources and data.

In music this week, students voted in the semifinal round of Quaver’s March Music Madness contest. With only 4 songs left, the students are excited to see who will move on to the next round. They further explored the theme of tempo by drawing animals which indicate each tempo/speed marking in the Quaver contest. (Adagio, Moderato, Allegro, and Presto) They researched fast and slow moving animals to help them with this task. Then, we listened to music at each tempo to picture their animals in motion.

Individualized Learning Pathway - Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth

On Mondays - Wednesdays during the Individualized Learning Pathway (ILP) period, students who have qualified to participate in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) programming engage in a wide array of math course offerings that address their specific strengths and interests. Johns Hopkins CTY believes in researching and advancing ways to identify and nurture academically talented learners. CTY furthers research, guides educators and families and inspires students from diverse communities and backgrounds to pursue their intellectual passions and create the world of tomorrow. This week, we would like to highlight one of the CTY courses offered to our Hoboken students this winter:

Johns Hopkins CTY Accelerated Grade 3 Mathematics

Our students are taking CTY Honors Grade 3 Mathematics to a higher level with this accelerated online course! They begin the course by reviewing foundational grade 2 lessons and then gain early exposure to grade 4 concepts through enrichment topics. Each chapter of this CTY course is paired with videos, interactive web pages, and projects to develop the students’ reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills for investigating and exploring grade 3 math skills.

Wallace Wildcats in grades one through five were given the opportunity to participate in the Hudson County Historical Coloring Contest over the last two weeks.

Students colored pictures that represent landmarks throughout the county. Landmarks included Red Bull Arena (Harrison), The Old Schuyler Mansion (Kearny), William Brennan Courthouse (Jersey City), Weehawken Water Tower, and from Hoboken - the Lackawanna Railroad Terminal.

Since May is Hudson County's History and Heritage Month, the winner will be announced then and featured all month long. Not only are prizes awarded for the winners, but the Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs & Tourism Development plans to take some of the entries to create a calendar for 2024!

We certainly hope to see some "Wildcat Work" featured!

Please be sure to enjoy a well-deserved weekend. We’ll be sure to pick right back up on Monday where we left off today – as a vibrant, diverse learning community where awesome things happen every day. Until next time… Martin Shannon, Principal