Wildcat Newsletter
4th Marking Period
From the Principal's Desk
Dear Faust School Families,
I hope all is well and you are excited about the summer and the nicer weather. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for being so flexible this past school year. Returning to Faust School in January was the highlight of the new year. Your support is greatly appreciated, and we already can’t wait for September. As you read through the Faust School Newsletter, you will notice the different learning activities and projects our teachers have been doing with our students in the 4th Marking Period.
We thank our PTA and the 8th Grade Committee for their dedication, hard work, and generously volunteering their time. We appreciate all their support throughout the school year and bringing special treats and fun programs for the students, faculty, and staff to enjoy.
To our graduates, congratulations on your achievement! All of the teachers and professional support staff at Faust and McKenzie Schools wish you the best as you take on the next four years of high school. We know that you are well prepared and have gained a firm educational foundation while attending the East Rutherford School District.
Lastly, over the summer, please visit our website at www.erboe.net to find updates and other related information pertaining to the 2022-2023 academic school year. You will also find English Language Arts and Math learning activities for your child to explore and practice. We strongly encourage your child to strengthen their educational skills to keep their mind stimulated over the summer.
All of us at Faust School look forward to seeing our students and their families in September. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns over the summer.
Have a healthy, safe, and enjoyable summer.
Warmest regards,
Mrs. Regina Barrale
Alfred S. Faust School Principal
Sydney Harbour Bridge Building
By Ms. Park
To wrap up this school year, a project our class worked on was building a bridge using Kid K’nex. This required us all to think like and become engineers. Students first identified the purpose of bridges, then chose from a manual a bridge they wanted to make. The students chose to create a model of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a bridge in Australia. One of the hardest parts of this project was counting out and gathering all of the materials needed. However, the students did a great job organizing the materials in preparation for the construction of the bridge. After a week and a half of hard work, building and rebuilding to solve any problems, we successfully built the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
8th Grade Math
By Mrs. Gerity & Mrs. Alberta
Our eighth-grade math students in Mrs. Gerity and Mrs. Alberta's classes are finishing up the year with some end-of-year reviews and projects, and getting ready for graduation! Good luck to all of you next year in high school. Go Wildcats!
6th Grade Math
By Mrs. Alberta
Our sixth grade mathematicians have been working diligently to finish out the school year strong. We wrapped up using our textbook by conquering geometry and statistics. Students have been working extremely hard, reviewing all material that was learned this year in order to prepare for seventh grade. We wish our students a wonderful summer and can't wait to dive into seventh grade math with them.
7th Grade Math
By Mrs. Gentry
Mrs. Gentry’s 7th grade math students had the chance to build their own city from scratch with MATHVILLE! In this project students had to measure, calculate, cut, color, build, paste, and use their math problem solving skills to construct the city from scratch. Students calculated the base area, surface area and volume of 3d figures. Students used their creativity by adding final touches to their cities, making them more realistic and giving them their own personal style!
The 7th grade Pre-Algebra students created their own unique stained glass windows. STAINED GLASS WINDOW is a project that requires students to graph linear equations, in slope-intercept form, in order to create a colorful (yet mathematical) display window. This visual/kinesthetic project helped students to clearly identify the equations of horizontal and vertical lines and to easily distinguish between positive and negative slopes.
5th Grade Math
By Mrs. Reed
5th Graders had a great 4th marking period in math! Students practiced converting units of measurement and reviewed major 5th grade content. Students created a playground out of geometric shapes learned this school year. Attached please find the winning poster projects! They also finished the year making an origami star utilizing a variety of geometric shapes. We wish the 5th grade students a wonderful summer. Keep practicing multiplication and division and operations with decimals and fractions! Good luck in the 6th grade!
Dance
By Ms. Setlock
Marking Period 4 has been very exciting for the students enrolled in Dance here at Faust School. Students have been learning about how to properly choreograph their own dance routine from start to finish. We have learned about different structures, movement styles and choices, music choice, and even costume choice! All students were grouped together to create an original dance routine for them to perform in front of the class.
Some groups chose to record and upload a video, while others chose to do a live performance. All students worked extremely hard in finishing this project and stepping out of their comfort zones. We had some pretty special performances in many different styles of dance! Some students performed a tap solo, hip hop group dance, and a contemporary jazz style duet! The students even got a chance to showcase their creative skills through a Google Slides presentation showing off their inspiration videos and costume choices. During Marking Period 4, all Faust Dance students demonstrated good work ethic and had fun creating their own routines! Ms. Setlock is so proud of all the hard work they have demonstrated this year!
Theater
By Mrs. Murolo
Mrs. Murolo cannot believe how quickly this year went. Since her start in January her students have taught and given her so much. It's been her distinct pleasure to come in and teach them everyday. Students in grades five through eight started the marking period completing their Model Boxes that Broadway Set Designers would be envious of. We continued to work through a performance unit straight through until the end of the marking period. The students just performed their final scenes and did an incredible job! Mrs. Murolo wishes her students a great summer off and to her eighth graders, she wishes them all the luck as they begin their journey to High School. She will miss them all immensely. See you next year!
5th Studies the Causes of the American Revolution
By Mrs. Dizdarevic
The 5th grade students are wrapping up the school year learning about the causes of the American Revolution. They are learning about the many different acts imposed by the British and how the laws impacted the lives of the colonists. The students participated in a skit about the Boston Tea Party to enrich the lesson material. Finally, the students are wrapping up the school year with reflection and setting goals for summer and 6th grade. It's been an exciting and successful school year!
8th Grade STEAM
By Mrs. Yang
Mrs. Yang's 8th grade STEAM class designed and built a model of a bridge using twelve popsicles sticks, eight drinking straws, and tapes. Students were advised to have their model meet several of the following specifications.
The bridge must have a span at least 30 cm long, a roadbed at least 5 cm wide and a clearance of at least 10-cm in height. The distance between the bridge supports should be at least 10 cm apart, unless the bridge has only one tower or support structure. The side, top and end views of the bridge along with the support structure were drawn according to the specifications. This drawing served as the template to construct their model. Once the design was approved, students were given materials (according to the type of bridge they chose) to build the model.
8th Grade Science
By Mrs. Yang
Mrs. Yang's 8th grade science class developed and used a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
When light shines on an object, it is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object, depending on the object’s material and the frequency (color) of the light. The path that light travels can be traced as straight lines, except at surfaces between different transparent materials (e.g., air and water, air and glass) where the light path bends. Lenses and prisms are applications of this effect. A wave model of light is useful for explaining brightness, color, and the frequency-dependent bending of light at a surface between media (prisms). However, because light can travel through space, it cannot be a matter wave, like sound or water waves.
Journalism Students use Infographics
By Ms. Cerny
As this class comes to a close, Journalism students have worked to produce articles on topics of their choice. Students gained experience with creating infographics to enhance their articles. In addition to writing, 6th-grade students have also learned about the history of journalism through articles, videos, and podcasts. A major topic of interest was the story of Nellie Bly, who was a pioneer in investigative and stunt journalism.
7th ELA Explored Stories of Survival and Perseverance
By Ms. Petraitis
Students in seventh grade English/Language Arts classes have been delving into novels to close out the school year. This marking period students explored stories of survival, while focusing on the unit theme of perseverance in the face of obstacles. I want to express how proud I am of how hard these students have worked this year! As this school year comes to a close and the summer rapidly approaches, we know students are looking forward to their summer vacation. While on break, I encourage everyone to pick up a great book! For more information on the optional summer reading recommendations, please see the district website or visit the local library. Have a wonderful and restful summer!
5th-8th Advisory
By Ms. Bibb, Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Petraitis, and Mr. Majsiak
Students in the fourth marking period of advisory have explored a number of subjects to improve their understanding of Social-Emotional Learning! Classes investigated topics like motivation, goal setting, growth and fixed mindsets, bullying, kindness, and conflict resolution. Students have also continued learning about the practices of mindfulness and meditation to help them be their best selves!
Music
By Mrs. Schweikardt
It is hard to believe that this school year is coming to an end. I am pleased to say we are ending on a happy note!! I have been so proud of all the students that have given up their time and have shared their talent to make the Chorus at Faust School a success. The students performed at the Spring Concert on May 12 and did a great job. On June 10, the students performed at Neptune High School and placed in the highest Superior category with extremely high scores. After that, the students had a great day in the park at Six Flags. To end our musical performances, the students went to the Civic Center on June 14 to perform for the senior citizens in town. What a great way to end the year!
Goals and Budgets in Finance
By Mrs. Koch
They say time flies when you are having fun! The school year is coming to an end but the students learned many things that will help them throughout their lives. We created goals and budgets with keeping in perspective of wants versus needs. We learned the importance of managing credit cards, understanding what a credit score is and how that can assist us with obtaining a loan. The students were even wrapped up in discussions on how values and emotions can impact one’s financial well-being. The students worked very hard and learned valuable life lessons.
5th-8th World Language
By Sra. Fox & Sra. Cuello
The fourth marking period, students in the World Language classes had the opportunity to continue to use modes of communication speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Students in all grades have proceeded to learn and use different learning platforms such as Wizer.me, PearDeck, Formative, and Nearpod.
In 5th grade, students were able to express preferences of activities they did in their classes and also mentioned their pastimes. Students were also encouraged to present their preferred friends stating basic information about them.
In 6th-grade, students learned about the tradition of the Quinceanera. They are currently learning about mealtimes (desayuno, almuerzo, y cena), food (comida saludable y chatarra/rápida), buying and selling different types of street foods.
The 7th graders were able to recognize different Latin American music genres and artists. Students identified some representations in portraits that connect to their heritage and culture. Furthermore, students stated their opinions about various portraits.
The 8th graders highlighted the importance of family connections, and values in the Spanish speaking world by analyzing the cultural aspects of the movie El Encanto based in Colombia. Students watched and discussed comprehensible questions related to the Encanto Movie. In addition, they talked about their homes and personal decor, and used their artistic expression to decorate their interactive digital room. They used descriptive words, and presently, students are practicing “Los Quehaceres”(Chores), and sharing how they help at home.
Alex's Lemonade Stand
By Student Council
With all fun, exciting spirit days and events, the Student Council is ending the school year on a great note with our last fundraiser of the year, Alex’s Lemonade Stand. We raised $752 which goes to funding research that brings better treatments and cures to children with cancer. A huge thank you to all that participated in the fundraiser. Best of luck to our dedicated 8th graders who have been with us throughout their years at Faust. You will be missed but will go on to do great things. Have a wonderful and safe summer!
Eighth Graders Consider Climate Change and Endangered Species
By Mrs. Bayeux
To finish up their final marking period at Faust School, all eighth-graders explored climate change and its impact on biodiversity. Students had the chance to choose an endangered or extinct species impacted negatively by climate change. Students conducted research, evaluated various sources for validity and bias, and created detailed, colorful, and insightful presentations about their species.
Additionally, students were challenged to incorporate additional media into their presentations with interactive media elements in relation to climate change. Students also explored ways that they can positively impact the climate so that other species are not negatively affected going forward. All in all, students enjoyed learning about their species and sharing their presentations with peers. Congratulations to our eighth graders, as you are now research experts!
Do I Have the Right?
Mrs. Benevento
6th Grade Social Studies students have been studying the development of the U.S. Constitution, including the addition of the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments. Cooperative groups designed 1st Amendment posters to describe and illustrate the freedoms that were guaranteed to United States citizens, such as the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech. Additionally, the classes examined several cases to determine if citizens’ rights were being violated according to the Bill of Rights amendments.
The students were able to discuss the freedoms and protections in each case, while also identifying the limitations of these rights. To further explore Constitutional rights, student groups also completed a supplemental Bill of Rights Escape Room activity. The “junior lawyers” did a wonderful job on this unit by asking so many relevant questions and initiating important and meaningful discussions.
Tessellation Posters with Mrs. Lahullier
By Mrs. Lahullier
Mrs. Lahullier’s math students created their own beautiful tessellation posters. A tessellation is a combination of shapes that fit together perfectly without any gaps., much like a jigsaw puzzle. The result is a symmetric design of repeating patterns, which may feature animals, persons, or anything else. Brick walls, tiled floors, and the honeycomb pattern in bee hives are all tessellations. Some famous tessellations can also be found on historical buildings. Students put their newfound knowledge into practice and created some really creative projects.
Bridge Creation in STEAM
By Mr. Rizi
Students have been exploring and collaborating all marking period through various hands-on activities. Students built bridges out of popsicle sticks, competed with hand-made catapults, completed an electric circuit and so much more. The cycle will be wrapped up with an introduction to Coding through various gameplay and tutorials where students learn about algorithms and how they impact software function.
Earth's Surface
By Mr. Rizi
This marking period has been all about why the surface of the Earth is always changing. Students learned about the different Earth layers and moving tectonic plates. Students used simulators to create their own tectonic plate models and assigned forces to each of the plates. They then ran the model to examine cause and effect relationships of tectonic plate interactions and looked for Earthquakes, volcanoes, rifts and valleys. Students also learned about other factors that help shape the surface of the Earth including space rocks (asteroids, meteorites, etc.) and the rock cycle.
Field Day & Corner Strike
By Mr. Cocozzo
Our 7th & 8th-grade Physical Education students finished out the 2021-2022 school year with a popular activity, Corner Strike. This fast-paced teamwork activity combines the techniques of basketball, handball, and soccer that always test the students’ physical and cognitive abilities. The students also completed their units on the “Life Cycle” which covered important changes occurring during puberty. The students were very mature and receptive to this sensitive topic.
The 4th marking period culminated in our Field Day event that took place at Riggin Field. The day was a great success with beautiful weather and even better behavior by the students. After a long year, the students were excited to let loose and participate in some fresh air. As the 8th graders move onto high school, the 7th graders are looking forward to bringing back many more activities that they were unable to participate in this year.
Post Apocalyptic 5th Grade ELA
By Mrs. Pappas
The grade 5 English Language Arts students have completed a wonderful year, beginning with the post apocalyptic novel, The City of Ember, and finishing the year reading Out of My Mind, a realistic fiction novel. Students became proficient in literary analysis and narrative writing.
Also, students explored nonfiction, and they analyzed and wrote informational texts on various interesting topics. The fifth grade ELA students are ready for grade 6! Congratulations and have a fantastic summer vacation!
School Counseling
By Ms. Muse
This has been one interesting year to say the least! Your children have been putting in a lot of hard work throughout the school year so the summer anticipation is likely very high right now! They deserve it! Summer break is typically a time for kids to put their school books down, kick back, play outside and lessen their responsibility load, but should they put down their school books ALL summer long?
During the summer, most children experience the "summer slide", which is a regression in academic proficiency due to summer break. The concept of the summer slide is a well-published phenomenon showing that kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year. How do you stop it?
1. Summer reading: Let them read whatever interests them! Help them carve out time in their day, in their week to do so!
2. Smart play: Those computers and phones can come in handy here! Let them enjoy brain games and puzzles that help them flex their brain power!
3. Summer camp for socialization: The East Rutherford Summer Recreation Project is back and will run weekdays from Monday, June 27th until Friday, July 22nd between 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. This is available for all students between 1st and 7th grade. To enroll, please visit McKenzie Field on the first day of camp with proof of residency.
4. Explore outdoors: Family time can include visiting historic sites, planetariums or museums, which all stimulate the brain and promotes learning!
Have a safe and restful summer! If you have any questions or concerns in the summer months, don't hesitate to reach out via email to smuse@erboe.net
Resources:
Urgent behavioral situations to include Crisis Mobile Response Stabilization: PerformCare at 1.877.652.7624
National suicide prevention line at 1.800.273.8255
New Jersey hopeline at 1.855.654.6735
2nd Floor youth helpline at 1.888.222.2228
Band
By Mr. Schweikardt
Mr. Schweikardt and the Faust School band are proud to announce that they earned the highest rating possible, “Superior” at the Trills and Thrills Music Festival on Friday June 10th.
This capped off the end to a very exciting year for the music students who many of them performed at the “Winter Festival”, the Faust School spring concert, as well as for our senior citizens at the Civic Center.
The Faust School band is looking forward to many exciting activities and performances in the upcoming school year and they thank you for all your support and wish you a safe and healthy summer break.
Summer Reminders from the School Nurse
By Nurse Pacelli
Physical examinations are important for all student. Forms are available on the school website to print out. If you cannot find what you need please contact me.
6th grade students require one does of Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, & Pertussis) and one dose of MCV (meningococcal vaccine) both due by age 11 at their Annual Physical. Documentation needs to be sent to the nurse by the start of the school year.
Parents please arrange for your child’s medication to be picked up by the last day of school. Medications not picked up will be discarded.
Any student having a physical over the summer that requires an inhaler, Epi-pen, or other medications at school, please reach out to me for the required forms or print them out from my website so you can bring them with you to the doctor’s appointment. Forms need renewal every school year (Sept-June).
Please remember even over-the counter medications require a doctor’s order before bringing medication to school, again the form is on my website or you can contact me.
Please contact me with any questions: kpacelli@erboe.net
Most importantly have a fun, safe, and healthy summer!
5th - 8th Grade Art
By Ms. Machere
This marking period in art we explored many different mediums! We used Acrylic Paint in 8th grade , Textiles in 7th Grade, Metal in 6th grade and Plaster in 5th Grade! As well, the students in the art classes from marking periods 1,2,3 &4 had artwork on display in the Becton Media Center during the concert and art show. I'm looking forward to seeing the students grow as artist next year
Human Anatomy & Flag Football in 5th & 6th Physical Education
By Mrs. Ravettine
The students started off the 4th marking period by going over the basic human anatomy. We covered the major functions and organs of the human body systems. The 5th and 6th grade students then got to experience their first Faust School Field Day! They were able to enjoy a full day of activities like races, tug of war, volleyball, kick ball and so much more.
They had a wonderful time and we thank them for being so great on those days. We finished off the school year with our Flag Football unit. The students began by working on their chasing and fleeing skills by playing Dog Catcher. We then incorporated the football into the game. This was a fun filled school year and with all of the changes that the students faced, they were great! I hope everyone has an amazing summer!
Civil War Comic Books
By Mr. Majsiak
The 7th Grade students finished learning about the growing tension between the North and South. This then lead to their study of the Civil War. At the end of this unit, students had to create a comic book on a specific battle. Students first had to research a specific battle and outline events in chronological order. Students then created a rough draft of their comic book before their final sketches.
8th Graders Research Ancient Emperors
By Mr. Barone
Students in Mr. Barone's class spent the end of the school year studying Ancient China, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. Students worked in small groups to create presentations on the different aspects of the ancient worlds. The classes finished the school year researching Roman Emperors. The students shared their research in a Google Slides Presentation. After everyone finished their presentation, the class compared and contrasted the different leaders.
Exploration Unit with Mrs. Fidurska
By Mrs. Fidurska
I can’t believe that we have just wrapped up the 2021-2022 school year. Time is really flying. The last marking period was busy for our language learners. We covered the Exploration Unit where students were learning about different discoveries and groundbreaking advances that contributed to the improvement of technology and we finished the year with Immigration topics that students were eagerly engaged in. I was truly impressed by the stories students were sharing about their immigration to the USA and settling down here for a new life. The experience they went through made a huge impact on their lives and made them more mature and appreciative. They are truly amazing students to work with and they all made big progress in language skills throughout the year. I wish them a happy, healthy and restful summer break.
6th Grade Science: The Cookie Moon
By Mrs. O'Connor
This delicious lesson helped the students understand the eight phases of the moon. The sixth grade students had to be very careful as they used the cream filling to create the crescents, gibbous, quarter moons, and full moon. Not only was this lesson fun, it was tasty.
Mythology
By Mrs. Pappas
Students in Grade 5 Mythology brought the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades to life. The students read two versions of the myth, and then wrote their own script which they then dramatized complete with costumes and props. There were some amazing performances! Watch out Broadway!