The Herald
District News & Updates - March 24th
Dear Hoboken Public School District Families,
This edition of The Herald highlights a number of accomplishments across the district and upcoming events that will be taking place. Our students and staff are engaging in such wonderful academic, co- and extra-curricular activities. Please enjoy reading news from each of our schools in this week's Edition of The Herald. Take a moment and learn more about our early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school programs:
Also, if you are not already following us on social media, please do so:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HobokenPublicSchoolDistrict/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hobokenpublicschools/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HobokenSchools
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hobokenpublicschooldist
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBeIpvP_DOKu3nNUs3t0baQ
In closing, I want to thank all of you for your steadfast cooperation, patience and partnership. All three ingredients make for an incredible school district. I could not ask for a more committed collection of guardians and parents. You are truly amazing and I am honored to serve the Hoboken Public School District.
Sincerely,
Christine A. Johnson, D.Litt.
Superintendent of Schools
Wishing a joyous Purim to you and your family from the Hoboken Public School District. #HappyPurim #HereWeComeHoboken
Revised 23-24 School Calendar
Hoboken Public School District: Fine & Performing Arts
Junior Thespians at Hoboken MS
The Koala bear was not let in because he did not meet the "koala-fications" and another sketch in which a woman sued an airline for misplacing her luggage. Unfortunately... She lost her case! Get it?!
Music at Wallace School
Students were then grouped together by boomwhacker color and performed various song selections including Keepy Uppy from the popular cartoon, Bluey, as well as traditional songs such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and we lastly voted on what big song we wanted to perform at the end. Options were between Shake it Off from Sing by Taylor Swift and A Sky Full of Stars from Sing 2 by Coldplay.
Students completed a Listening to Music survey where they picked one of the songs l covered in class and wrote down what boomwhackers they heard being played and drew a picture of how listening to and playing the song made them feel. We had so much fun Boomwhacking along to the steady beat! Have a great weekend Wildcats!
Music at Brandt School
This song teaches students how to move between notes quickly. Fourth graders practiced their accompaniment skills by performing with the song "Slice it, Dice it!" We always love to sing in music, but the singers would have a hard time if it wasn't for a steady, percussion section to keep them.
Art at Brandt School
This week in Art, students completed their PATH Summer Art Contest posters. They are filled with Summertime images, vibrant colors and of course the PATH train logos! I look forward to all the beautiful designs being submitted into this year’s contest.
We then began to speak about our upcoming projects that are related to the field trips each grade level attended. We are all very excited to begin on our galaxy paintings, our Warhol inspired butterflies, our dream catchers, and of course our Vintage NYC posters!
Music at Connors School
In Ms. Hall’s class we were busy working on our recorder technique and notes, when at the end of the lesson one of the students asked if they could play the piano. Of course the class got excited and all of a sudden we were serenaded by Niyantri’s beautiful playing of the piano. Having students demonstrate their musical talents that are learned outside of our four walls is such a treat and also builds musical bonds between our students that will last forever. Thank you Niyantri for your beautiful performance and showing the class that music is a part of your life wherever you go!
Bright and early in the morning we have a ukulele practice session every week that is a huge success. The students work on their technique and learn how to play various songs. Sometimes we even get some students that show up before the rehearsal starts. Here are the early, early risers with their ukuleles, learning the “Banana Boat” song. You rock!
Art at Wallace School
Each student is making their own paper mosaic portrait, much like the mosaics they saw on their museum field trip!
Pre-AP Dance at Hoboken MS
In Pre-AP Dance class 6th grade students are closing their next product with a modern and lyrical dance sequence based on the short story narratives they have analyzed.
Students in the 7th grade are learning their Ballet dance sequence and practicing it for their next product grade. Students in the 8th grade learned about Fusion Dance this week and will begin learning their dance sequence next week!
Pre-AP Theater at Hoboken MS
This week in Pre-AP Theater 6th graders performed their versions of Act II Scene II from West Side Story. They also began to familiarize themselves with dramaturgical lobby displays to begin the next learning cycle.
7th graders continued working in small groups on retelling classic myths. They received feedback on their first performance and will conduct their final performance next week. 8th graders performed their scenari scenes and began to examine physical theater as part of the next learning cycle.
Band at Hoboken MS
In Advanced Band, 7th & 8th graders were introduced to their second concert piece, "The Batman Theme." The iconic work from film composer Danny Elfman has really got us excited as it starts in a slow and dramatic build, which transitions to a fast, galloping ride through the city. We also strengthened our playing on "Afterburn," pushing further in the song and solidifying shaky parts from the beginning.
For their analytical activity, 7th graders examined Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusic (A Little Night Music). Students were able to determine the modality (major/minor), while referring to sheet music, after reviewing musical terms. Our eighth grade scholars looked at the repeating sections of "Afterburn" to determine if they were ostinato or strophes.
Chorus at Hoboken MS
This week in chorus club, Mr. Stasiak's young singers auditioned the three solos in their first concert piece, "What Was I Made For?" The first solo is the introductory verse, while the second covers part of the second verse. The final solo is a tag added on to the end of the choral ending. Once the solos have been announced, we will begin finding the right balance between accompaniments and the main melody.
Next week we also hope to start our second concert song, "A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman.
Pre-AP Visual Arts at Hoboken MS
Hoboken Public School District: On Social Media
Grade & Content Level ~ What Have We Been Learning?
Joseph F. Brandt School
1st Grade at Brandt School
In Math, first graders are beginning a new unit that focuses on collecting data. We are learning to design a survey question with two possible answers by planning, collecting, and keeping track of survey data. We are making representations to communicate results of a survey as well as interpreting results of a data investigation.
In Social Studies, we continued to learn about influential women in the US. We were assigned two NCAA Women's Basketball teams to follow during March Madness! We are so excited to see which team comes out on top. We even got to design our own sneakers for a special contest!
3rd Grade at Brandt School
This week, the third grade mathematicians wrapped up their study of fractions. Throughout this unit, students explored fraction vocabulary and learned how to identify fractions of shapes and on numberlines. During our final week in this unit we practiced using multiplication and division to find equivalent fractions. We are all constantly amazed that multiplication and division are all around us.
In literacy, third graders are continuing their study of character development. This week we explored how different characters grow and change throughout stories. We even got a chance to revisit some characters from other stories to see how they change throughout a series. During writing, we continue to practice our LAT and RST essays.
During our social studies period, students continued to research and learn about influential women who changed our world.
5th Grade at Brandt School
Fifth graders are finishing up their novel study of The Watsons Go To Birmingham. The students are completing a tic tac toe board choosing various culminating novel activities to reinforce learned skills. Students practiced taking notes and annotating main ideas and key details in reading passages. Also, the children completed the third and final Linkit benchmark assessment. Students were able to show what they have learned throughout the year! The students continued to work on their perspective essay.
In Math, the students began Investigation 3 of Unit 7. This session focused on multiplying and dividing decimals. Students were able to “Slide, Slide, Raise the Roof” in order to divide decimals. The children also completed their Math Linkit assessment. Students stayed focused and worked hard and showed how much they have grown this year as mathematicians.
In Social Studies, fifth graders are continuing to research major battles of the Civil War. They will begin their Class Battle Book next week. Students are researching primary sources and videos to create their group project. The children also compared and contrasted important figures of the Civil War by working with a partner to create a Venn diagram on Canva then presented it to the class.
World Languages at Brandt School
Third graders are learning the vocabulary of western food and Chinese food and talking about their favorites. Fourth and fifth graders continued working on their Chinese restaurant projects.
Physical Education at Brandt School
Learning skills like setting, bumping, and serving not only improves their volleyball abilities, but also fosters collaboration, communication, and coordination among the students. These are valuable lessons that extend beyond the volleyball court, and into the various aspects of their life.
Thomas G. Connors School
1st Grade Ms. Vayda, Ms. Klag, Ms. Sheridan, Ms. Ramos, Ms. Criqui, and Ms. Romanowski
Math: This week we began learning all about tens and ones and place value. Students are learning how to count tens and ones with two digit numbers. They are using manipulatives to help them count up to these higher numbers. Students also completed their math link it assessments. Students showed excellent growth since the fall. We are so very proud of our first grade learners!
ELA: This week our essential question was, "How do people work with animals?" We read non-fiction texts about guide dogs and training animals. When reading we focused on the sequence of events and used graphic organizers to summarize the texts in our own words. Our phonics skill this week was long e: ey, y. Students searched for this spelling pattern in our decodable books. Our red words this week were: found, hard, near, woman, would, and write. Compound words really "crack" us up. Students thought of a spring compound words and created a cute hacked chick craft to go along with it. We also used that compound word to write a riddle along with it. In grammar, we learned about adverbs that tell when, such as tomorrow and soon. We also completed our spring Linkit assessment!
Social Studies: This week in Social Studies, we continued our exploration of influential women for Women's History Month, focusing on women in STEM. Through engaging activities, first grade students learned about the lives and contributions of Katherine Johnson, Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, Sally Ride, and Rachel Carson. The students read and researched about these women, discovering fascinating details about their accomplishments, childhoods, and more. This project was so much fun for our first grade students. They were inspired by the women’s accomplishments and some even expressed that they would like to have similar career paths in the future!
3rd Grade at Connors School: Ms. Hall, Ms. Schmidt, Ms. Gillen, Ms. Layson, Ms. Goodwin, Mrs. White, Ms. Criqui, and Mrs. Schain
Math: This week in Math the students took their last LinkIt, Form C. Once testing was over, the students continued to practice comparing fractions, finding equivalent fractions and writing fractions on a number line. At the end of the week they took their final quiz for Unit 6. We look forward to finishing up Unit 6 next week
ELA: This week, the students began exploring elements of poetry by analyzing text structure, word choice, and rhythm. Additionally, the students continued to review many of the literary skills they have learned throughout this year to prepare for and complete their Final Linkit Assessment! To celebrate all their hard work, they celebrated the end of this unit by watching the movie adaptation of our core novel, Charlotte’s Web, in order to compare and contrast this version with the book.
Social Studies: This week third graders continued to learn about the impactful contributions of courageous women, in honor of Women's History Month! Students learned about various women who reached new heights, like Junko Tabei, Ellen Ochoa, and Sally Ride. Third graders explored the wild discoveries of primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, as well as the explorations and influence of American explorer Sacagawea. Next week, students will choose a woman of their choice to highlight and honor in a research project.
Third Grade Thrills: This week the Connors 3rd Grade Basketball team won the semifinal game, leading them to the championship game which took place on Wednesday, March 20th. The third grade team gave it their all until the final buzzer, demonstrating sportsmanship and teamwork along the way. Way to go, team!
Science: Third graders continued learning about variation of traits. Students were introduced to Gregor Mendel and his interest in traits in pea plants and Punnett Squares. Punnett squares provide a visual representation of how genetic information is passed down from one generation to the next. Students learned how to complete punnett squares during 8 center rotations. They did a great job!
5th Grade at Connors School: Ms. Schultes, Ms. Ortiz, Ms. Courtney, Ms. Layson, and Ms. Ramos
ELA: This week 5th graders took the ELA Link It assessment and finished reading our core novel, The Watsons Go to Birmingham. The novel was filled with a lot of humor, but also gave a clear picture of the reality of what was happening in the United States - particularly in the south - during the 1960s. We are very excited to watch the movie next week and write a compare and contrast essay. We are so proud of how well the 5th graders have been doing with their Link It assessment! Keep it up!
Math: This week in Math, students solved problems about sharing brownies that resulted in fractions and mixed numbers. They had to discuss the relationship between the numbers in the division expressions used to solve problems and answer problems. Students also had to find decimal equivalents for fractions by interpreting a fraction as division and applied this idea to comparing the win/ loss records for a set of teams. As a review, we played a Jeopardy game for Fractions as division, We also completed Link It Form C and students did wonderfully. We are so proud of them.
Science: Students had a wonderful week in science with their new 5th Grade science teacher, Mr. Sottolano! This week in science our students completed Form C of the LinkIt! assessment. We also concluded our Chapter 1 Introduction of Robotics and Automation within the PLTW Program. We are also working daily to familiarize ourselves with NJSLA 5th Grade Science Practice Problems (given to the students daily as a "Do Now"). The class worked to read through PLTW Activity 1: Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Disaster and answer questions relating to the topic. Now that we have learned that robots can help humans in many ways, they have been given a specific robot to research with a small group. The robots assigned were the first of their kind, some being the 1994 ABE (first autonomous submarine), the 1995 Predator (first remotely piloted aircraft, and the 1997 Sojourner rover (rover robot put on Mars). Research will conclude next week and groups will present to the class!
Mandarin with Ms. Ni at Connors School
1st Grade Field Trip to the Staten Island Children's Museum
We had an amazing learning experience at the Children's Museum. We enjoyed imaginative, creative, and cultural hands-on experiences through play and art!
Hoboken Public Pop-Up Library at Connors
Wallace School Elementary School
1st Grade at Wallace School
ELA: This week for ELA, we were able to spend time reviewing Unit 4 Week 4 of Wonders due to the testing. This gave us a chance to dive deep into texts about insects. Our essential question for the week was "What insects do you know about? How are they alike and different?" We continued with long i through our Orton-Gillingham resources.
Math: We are continuing with Unit 5 of Savvas. This week, our focus stayed on combinations of 10. We were able to incorporate Go Fish! throughout the week. We also reviewed time using analog clocks within the classroom.
Social Studies: We continue to complete activities for Women's History Month! We have spent time researching about women who have accomplished amazing things! We will continue to create projects for the month of March.
3rd Grade at Wallace School
Another week of third grade in the books! Students enjoyed their last FULL week before Spring Break by concluding their ELA unit and diving deeper into fractions! We are beyond proud of our third graders for ROCKING OUT their FINAL Link It of the school year! Check out more about what this week had in store below.
In ELA, students prepared for their end of unit 4 assessment. Through studying poetry, expository texts, and realistic fiction, students were able to solidify the concepts of comparing & contrasting, imagery, and figurative language. We are SO CLOSE to finishing our core novel, Charlotte's Web. With only a few chapters to go, we are all on the edge of our seats! As a reminder, students will be taking their end of unit 4 assessment next week before break!
In Math, students continued studying fractions. They are engaging in rich discussion about all aspects of fractions... What is a numerator? What is a denominator? What strategies exist to help me compare fractions? How can I plot this fraction on a numberline? What makes a fraction larger than 1? We will continue to study Unit 6 topics when returning from break! Be on the lookout for our next math quiz when we return from break.
In Social Studies, Women's History Month was celebrated! Our students are loving learning about influential women in history. Some women that we have spoken about include Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, and Eugenie Clark. We will close out the month of March next week by learning about a few more women!
5th Grade at Wallace School
Math:
Our Mathematicians were engaged in understanding the meaning of points on a coordinate graph by interpreting the shape of the graph.
Language Arts:
Our readers were identifying the character’s perspective by applying close reading skills to write a minimum of 3 details on a graphic organizer. Students were also engaged in practicing the “Visualize” comprehension strategy by discussing and engaging in this week’s “Shared Read.”
Social Studies:
Our Historians were engaged in understanding what life was like for people of color during the Civil War by analyzing primary sources and reflecting on previous learning/knowledge. They also engaged in understanding what life was like for soldiers during the Civil War by analyzing primary sources and data.
Hoboken Middle School
6th Grade ELA at Hoboken MS
This week ELA students had their LinkIt! Final Assessment! Throughout the year students have been learning reading strategies that have helped them do their very best on the assessment and we are so excited to see their growth! ELA students also continued to work diligently on their Unit 3 Informational Essays.
First, they created effective thesis statements, and then, they thoroughly examined the unit 3 novel and StudySync texts to identify text-based evidence to support their thesis statements. Next, students introduced their points, provided an analysis for all of their text-based evidence, and connected their analyses to their thesis statements. We can’t wait to see their final products!
7th Grade ELA at Hoboken MS
This week, seventh graders outlined and drafted their argumentative essays for Unit 3. Students chose a club, class, or activity that would benefit the HMS community. Students gathered research from credible online sources, and some students even made surveys which they sent to peers and teachers at HMS in order to include relevant data.
Some students are advocating for a club or class, like Film Club or a Personal Finance course, while others are advocating for new, relaxing spaces in our building. Next week, students will revise, edit, and share these essays with the HMS community as we wrap up Unit 3!
8th Grade ELA at Hoboken MS
On Thursday, students completed LinkIt! for ELA. To finish the week, we practiced combining sentences by utilizing coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Next week, students will take the List 7 Vocabulary quiz!
Hoboken MS World Language Corner
Spanish
In Spanish class, Grade 6 students explored nouns, class schedules, clothing, and colors in context. Students continued to sharpen their listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills by completing a variety of differentiated activities. Next, Grade 7 compared and contrasted families in the Spanish speaking countries and the United States. We continued to use the verb to be "estar" to express feelings, conditions and location. Students explored interpersonal, interpretative, and presentational activities. Finally, Grade 8 is using verbs ending in ar, er and ir. For example; hablar, comer, and vivir. Students are completing paragraphs with the appropriate verb form. Also, students created conversations and acted them out in the target language. ¡Hasta la vista!
Below are videos of Jaden Folmert Klein (grade 8) and Alexandra LaPiana (grade 7) reading dialogue:
Mandarin
In Mandarin class, 6th grade students continued with Unit 5 part two related to topics about time. Students learned how to ask and respond to questions about the date. In terms of culture, we compared the modern calendar with the Chinese traditional lunar calendar and the 24 solar terms. 7th grade students learned many lucky symbols' meanings in Chinese such as dragon, phoenix, fish, or bird. Afterwards, students used all these lucky symbols for the design of "Han Fu", which is one of the traditional Chinese clothing items. 8th grade students have learned how to ask and respond to what class they have taken this year and what class they like to take.
French
In French class this week, 6th grade students worked on mastering unit 2B vocabulary, including cultural facts related to significant francophone cultural practices. Grade 7 students worked on mastering the conjugations of verbs ending in -ir, such as grandir, choisir and maigrir, and focused on mastering the meaning of each verb in context. 8th grade students focused on expressions of time which can be used to express actions that occured in the past.
Best Buddies at HMS
What is World Down Syndrome Day?
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) , 21 March, is a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. #WorldDownSyndromeDay #EndTheStereotypes On March 21st we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. On Thursday March 21, our Best Buddies Friendship Chapter asked our Hoboken Middle School Community wore their most unique socks. In preparation for Thursday, our members spent some time decorating their own unique socks at our Wednesday Friendship Chapter meeting. One of our members even created a custom design for Mr. Sorafine! The idea is to start a conversation, so when people ask you about your socks you can tell them, “I’m wearing them to raise awareness of Down syndrome”. Want to learn more about World Down Syndrome Day? Click the links below! #EndTheStereotypes Presentation A very special thank you to our HMS PTO for supporting our fundraising efforts! On Monday March 18, 2024 we joined Student Council and National Junior Honor Society and worked the concession stand at the Staff/Parents vs. Students Basketball game. Thank you PTO for always supporting Best Buddies and our students!
Health & Physical Education Corner
In Physical Education this week students are playing great competitive games and the start of an exciting tournament is on the horizon.
Hoboken High School
Culinary Arts Department
This week in International Pastries we had the judging of the Cupcake Wars competition.
The students had to use a cookie and a fruit. They chose the theme they wanted to make and that their cupcakes would represent.
We had a Puerto Rican beach theme with Pina Colada cupcakes, Europe theme with Black Forest cupcakes, Ocean Theme with Vanilla cupcakes and white chocolate ocean animals, Volcano Theme with Chocolate strawberry cupcakes, Sesame Street Theme with Cookie Monster cupcakes, and Spiderman themed cupcakes.
Europe and Sesame Street won 1st place.
All the cupcakes looked great and the judges loved them.
Math Department at Hoboken HS
Mrs. Tank's Classes
Students in Algebra 2 CP and PreAP Algebra 2 classes also started exploring exponential and log functions. The Algebra 2 Pre-AP students reviewed Rational and Radical exponents and took a quiz on Thursday.
In Mrs.Tank's AP Pre-Calculus class, students practiced 40 multiple choice and 4 open ended practice exams throughout the week. AP Calculus students in Mrs. Tank's class practiced 30 open ended problems from the workbook throughout the week. All AP-PreCalculus and AP Calculus students took a 3 hour full length Practice exam on Friday.
Mrs. Clark’s Classes
Mrs Clark’s Pre-AP Geometry students are continuing to learn about the properties of circles. This week they investigated the relationship between inscribed angles and their intercepted arcs using Geogebra software. They also learned about angle and segment relationships in circles and the standard equation of a circle.
Mrs Clark’s statistics class wrapped up their unit in probability and have moved onto sampling distributions. They learned how to prove or disprove a claim based on a simulated dot plot.
History Department at Hoboken HS
Business Ethics Classes at Hoboken HS
Who is to blame? The doctor? The patient? The pharmaceutical company?
Students in Business Ethics tried to answer this question concerning America's opioid epidemic. With a focus on Purdue Pharmaceuticals, students analyzed which "12 Business Ethics Principles" were completely ignored or overlooked with the FDA approval of the addictive pain killer. It was a tough assignment but a crucial activity for our teens.
Women's History Month
US History II classes continue the US History course theme of the changing roles of women in America.
After discussing how women were a key force in America's "Arsenal of Democracy" that led the United States to victory in World War II, students analyzed television and print media for the way in which they portrayed women's roles in the 1950s . Then they compared these portrayals with documents to determine how accurate those portrayals were at the time. Students then compared these accounts to the present in an effort to assess how the role of women has changed in American history.
Additionally, students also discussed the struggle to pass the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) building on the successful passage of the 19th Amendment to the US constitution. They will analyze how it came so close to passage, but was ultimately defeated. Finally they discussed recent attempts to revive the ERA and the future of legislation protecting the rights of women.
Science Department at Hoboken HS
AP Biology Classes
Students in AP Biology recently completed a unit on evolution.
They combined their knowledge of genetics with their study of evolution by studying Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. This principle states that populations will not have a change in allele frequency due to certain conditions: populations size must be large, mating must be non random, no natural selection can occur, there can be no genetic drift or gene flow. They simulated this process by using a card game and doing several mating trials under various conditions. They explored the conditions needed to preserve allelic frequency – and which ones can actually disrupt Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in real time. They pooled their data, completed the calculations and found it to be a really fun experience! Many of the students felt that this was their favorite lab of the many that we have done this year.
The students then connected many principles studied throughout the course by completing a lab experiment on artificial selection. The students took plastic petri dishes and double sided tape. They used a hole puncher to make a tape punch of this double sided tape. They then used a fine paintbrush to add a fixed amount of sea monkey eggs (Artemia sp.) to the tape. They made several solutions of sodium chloride (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%) and added these solutions to each petri dish. They then incubated the plates for one week. They counted the number of eggs added versus the number that hatched to obtain hatch rate data. They graphed the results and contrasted them with their hypotheses. Importantly, they connected this with our study of evolution by realizing that those Artemia sp. that hatched would have offspring with a greater hatch rate in the next generation - since the ones that hatch carry genes that would be well adapted to hatch at that particular concentration!
Engineering at Hoboken HS
Students in Engineering Design have been learning the principles of Energy Conversion and the importance of developing sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions.
Their design challenge has been to design and build a rubber band powered car that can go a total distance of 10 feet within a track the width of 3 feet. Besides using classroom materials, students were tasked to bring recyclable materials from home to be used as part of their design. Plastic bottle caps, old CDs or DVDs, milk cartons and cereal boxes were among some of the items students brought. Winding up a rubber band increases its elastic potential energy. Letting it go creates kinetic energy which can be used to rotate the axle of the car.
Although it is a simple concept, students encountered lots of design problems which had them iterating and improving their designs to perfection.
Aviation Class at Hoboken HS
This week students learned what it means and what is required to be an Airplane Mechanic, Air Traffic Control (ATC), and the requirements for a private, commercial and military pilot. The students used the simulators to practice being an ATC for two of their peers.
This included instructions about how to taxi the planes on the runway, how to maintain a required heading, and then how to communicate with the area controller outside of the airport. Overall, students loved the experience and learned how difficult it is to sometimes communicate with the pilots while other pilots are asking questions.
Hoboken HS Innovation Classes
The Hoboken HS Innovation Classes is proud to have not one or two but four teams qualify for the regional STEAM Tank Challenge! These bright young minds stood confidently in front of a panel of esteemed judges, pitching their innovative ideas with poise and engaging in thoughtful dialogue through the question-and-answer sessions. The feedback from the judges was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the creativity, depth of research, and practical impact of our students’ designs. This experience has not only showcased their hard work and dedication but also underscored the importance of fostering curiosity and innovation in our educational journey. The positive response to their innovations is a testament to their potential to make meaningful contributions to society through STEAM fields.
Continuing The Hoboken Innovation Lab “Leading Ladies Series” the Innovation Lab spearheaded an empowering journey for a group of our young female innovators to The Hive cafe in Hoboken. There they had the invaluable opportunity to meet with the dynamic duo behind the thriving establishment, owners Catherine and Kristin. This walking field trip was not just a breath of fresh air outside the classroom; it was a deep dive into the real-world application of hard work, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Through an engaging and dynamic discussion, Catherine and Kristin shared their journey of opening The Hive, the day-to-day challenges they overcame to grow their business, and the various ups and downs that come with the entrepreneurial path. It was an eye-opening experience for our students, providing them with firsthand insights into what it takes to turn a vision into a reality, the importance of a company’s mission, the many challenges women face in business and the resilience required to sustain and grow a business. This outing emphasized the importance of perseverance, creativity, and the spirit of entrepreneurship, inspiring our young ladies to dream big and work tirelessly towards their goals. Not to mention it also provided the students with the opportunity to try some delicious treats from the cafe.
A very big Thank You to Catherine Willhoit and Kristen Karotkin for having us and sharing your story with our amazing future Leading Ladies.
English & Language Department at Hoboken HS
World Language Department at Hoboken HS
Spanish Classes at Hoboken HS
We are excited to announce that we began to read a graphic novel in our Señor Wooly learning platform. Our first story is “La Lucha de la Limonada” by Juan Carlos Pinilla. Our students can read and listen to the story of Justin and Chad to continue their language acquisition journey. The story is about two siblings, Chad and Justin. We previously saw a video of Justin asking his teacher to go to the restroom.
We began our journey with these characters now through the “Puedo ir al baño” song, and we were so intrigued. When Justin sang «¿Puedo ir al baño?» to his teacher, most assumed it was a simple and relatable tale of someone desperately needing to go to the bathroom. However, as is often the case in the world of Wooly, there was far more happening under the surface than anyone realized. It's finally time to learn the shocking answer to the question that no one ever considered asking: Why DID Justin need to go to the bathroom? Justin and Chad had a Battle of the Lemonate. We were able to secure a digital copy to enable all of our students to access the novel at any time from home or school.
Classroom without Walls
And just like that, the first day of our adventures through Portugal, Spain, and France is here!!! 30 of our Redwing students will be participating in this amazing learning adventure. We will depart for the airport on the red-eye flight on Friday, March 22, 2024, and arrive in Lisbon on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Our students are so excited to explore Lisbon and to immerse themselves in the culture, language, and environment around them.
All the students will be very busy participating in cultural activities, walking from early morning to late at night, learning, and engaging with everything around them. We always tell the students that these trips are not vacations but extremely active learning tours. These activities and experiences are priceless and will help our students learn so much about every lens of their educational life. We are so excited and can't wait until Friday to start our fantastic journey!!!
Best Buddies at Hoboken HS
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. World Down Syndrome Day was officially observed in 2012 by the United Nations to End The Stereotypes of people with Down syndrome. Down syndrome, or Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21. Chromosomes are “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how the body forms and functions as it grows. Around 1 in every 800 babies will be born with Down syndrome. Down syndrome occurs naturally, by a random error. Down syndrome can cause varying degrees of intellectual disabilities, a distinct facial appearance, developmental delays, and associated medical issues such as thyroid or heart disease.
Stereotypes stop people from being treated as individuals. Stereotypes can lead to people with Down Syndrome getting treated like children, being underestimated, and even abused. It is important to know that those with Down Syndrome and any other disABILITY are individuals with unique talents, interests, likes and dislikes, just like everyone else. This year, in honor of World Down Syndrome Day, the HHS Best Buddies Chapter led a "Lots of Socks" campaign inviting all students and staff to wear their funkiest and most colorful pair of socks to school to raise awareness for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down Syndrome. The student body pledged to #EndTheStereotypes by signing a large pair of socks that Ms. Amatucci & her Element of Art class created for us. We are always so grateful for your talent and support. A special shout-out goes to Mrs. McGreivey for helping to create the banners that hung proudly in the cafeteria. Leciel Enamorado and Briana Frias were chosen as winners for sporting their craziest pair of socks to school and received a Best Buddies gift bag. We want to thank all students, staff, and administration for participating in the day's events. It was a tremendous effort towards inclusion. Enjoy the photos and remember to #EndTheStereotypes.
Passport to Learning Highlights
Academic Team at Hoboken MS
This week, the Academic Team completed their final Continental Mathematics League Meet of the school year. Throughout this series of five competitions, students answered multistep, Euclidean-based mathematics problems, all under the pressure of the clock.
Congratulations to our cumulative top scorers in each grade level: 6th grade - Gavin Watkins; 7th grade - Saral Kulkarni; 8th grade - Yuval Segall!
Wallace Passport to Learning
Students in Wow Lab focused on making green slime using a variety of materials to make the slime. Students had a fun, hands on learning experience making slime!!
Grades 4-5 Taekwondo
Students in Taekwondo practiced really hard on their form and kicks! Taekwondo means "the right way of using all parts of the body to stop fights and help to build a better and more peaceful world."
Math Academy at Wallace School
Assignments were completed on IXL and hard copy. For extra practice have our little learners practice subtracting two digit numbers, if they need more help have them use a number line.
Early Childhood Education Highlights
Follow the Hoboken Public School District's ECE Program on Social Media
Wee Passport Registration is now open
Attention all Preschool Parents.
Wee Passport Registration is now open.
Wee Passport is a program designed by the Hoboken Public School District for the 2023-2024 school year. Wee Passport was developed collaboratively by the Departments of Innovative Programs and Early Childhood Education.
Wee Passport is intended to be a fun, free, and welcoming experience for all families with toddlers from ages 2 to 3. The goal is to acquaint your family with our district and staff. We hope you will join us at different locations around town
like the Louis Taglieri High School Football Stadium, Calabro School Multipurpose Room,and more for these free, fun-filled Wee Passport Mommy, Daddy, Caretaker & Me programs.
There is a cap of 15 students per session which means that your child may not get to participate in every event you have signed up for. You will get an email a few days before the scheduled event to let you know that your child is set to participate. Please see the schedule below to sign up for our Wee Passport Program.
Wallace Preschool Wildcats
Students engaged in color identification, counting, and fine motor skills such as hand-eye coordination, gluing, and lacing. They reinforced the theme of St. Patrick’s Day with rainbows, shamrocks, four leaf clovers, and leprechauns!
Preschool at 770 Jackson
Room 109 has been completing various science experiments as a class and with other classrooms this month. The class placed celery stalks into three different colored water— red, blue, and green. They also left one piece in regular water as a control, so students could remember how each piece had started. The class watched throughout the week how the color slowly started to move from the water onto the leaves of the celery! How did this happen?
The class had some hypotheses including that the color must have jumped from the water right on to the leaves! After 4 days, Ms. Allie used scissors to cut the bottoms of the stalks to show the little dots that were across the ends. These dots were like little straws that sucked up the colored water and brought it to the leaves.
The class spent a couple of days completing scientific observational drawings of the celery. Students knew they could only draw what they saw and carefully selected appropriate colors to display the changes they had observed! Students are super proud of their drawings that are now hanging in the classroom!
Preschool at Brandt School
They enjoyed explaining how their traps worked and showing the different materials they used to lure the leprechaun inside. Leprechauns love gold coins and marshmallows. Unfortunately, Lucky was too clever and quick for the traps, but he did leave everyone some gold coins for all their hard work. Maybe they will catch him next year!
Preschool at Calabro
They learned about basic soccer concepts like dribbling (running with the ball at their feet), passing (kicking the ball to a teammate), and shooting (kicking the ball toward the goal). It was a positive and inclusive experience for all.
Preschool at Connors
They glued them to a popsicle stick and acted out with the popsicle sticks according to the different feelings!
Preschool at Jubilee
Lastly, the clas read Bob Barner’s book “I Have a Garden” and the children were authors and illustrators as they created story extensions with the stem “In my garden…” It was lovely to see all the colorful and vibrant garden pictures they created. Happy Spring to all!
Preschool at Rue
On Monday everyone was eager to see if the Leprechaun visited the classroom. They found that the Leprechaun had left a mess during his visit. He also left clues that led to a surprise. Everyone enjoyed their treat left by the Leprechaun.
Preschool at St. Francis
In Room 402 at the St. Francis site, students observed Women's History Month with a special focus on Helen Keller. They learned about her life through Anne Benjamin's book "Young Helen Keller: Woman of Courage," which chronicles Keller's remarkable achievements despite her lack of sight and hearing. Following the reading, the class explored braille. Each student had the opportunity to 'write' their names in braille using a key sheet.
To deepen their understanding, students took part a painting activity while being blindfolded. This challenge made them realize the complexities faced by the blind, raising questions like, “What color is this paint?” “Have I painted here already?” and incidents of accidentally painting on the table. These exercises gave the students a window into Helen Keller's world, emphasizing the value of being aware of our senses and developing empathy.
Preschool at Wallace
The class recognized how thankful they are to be able to have coats that keep us warm. Students also discussed all of Dolly’s achievements as a woman like being a singer, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She even created her own literacy program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. After the discussion students listened to Dolly sing her “Coat of Many Colors” song as they colored their own coat of many colors! Check out all of these beautiful and unique coats!
#WallaceECE
#HereWeComeHoboken
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook at
https://twitter.com/hobokenredwings
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialHobokenRedwings/
Redwings Football
Congratulations Hoboken HS Senior Aidan Arroyave who has been awarded Essex/Hudson County Chapter Scholar-Athlete Award for Football Performance, Academic Achievement, And School Leadership by the The Essex/Hudson National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Stevens Spring Youth Service Day 2024
Little City Books
Little City Books (100 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken, NJ) is delighted to host its 4th Hoboken Literary Weekend this Spring from Friday, April 5th through Sunday, April 7th with readings, panels, and comedy.
They are honored to welcome authors, Joyce Carol Oates (Letters to a Biographer) in conversation with Jonathan Santlofer (The Last Van Gogh), Tia Williams (Seven Days in June, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde), Michael Cecchi-Azzolina (Your Table is Ready), Kim Coleman Foote (Coleman Hill) in conversation with Muriel Buqué, PhD (Break the Cycle), Hayley and John Rocco (Wild Places), and James Frankie Thomas (Idlewild). David Levithan (Wide Awake Now) returns to moderate a panel of YA authors, and comedy producer, Leah Williams, returns with Little City Laughing, a night of stand-up comedians.
Local Girl Scout troops will be selling cookies on Saturday and Sunday.
Details and ticket links can be found at HobokenLiteraryWeekend.com and by signing up for the Little City Books newsletter. All events will be held at Little City Books and ticketed author events include signed books.
Last year’s authors included Jennifer Egan, N.K. Jemisin, Rupert Holmes, Maya Kaimal, Jenna Beatrice, Sharon Guynup and Steve Winter.
Hoboken Public School District: On Twitter
We are on a Twitter Break. You can visit us at: https://twitter.com/HobokenSchools
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, USA
Phone: (201) 356-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoboken.schools/
Twitter: @HobokenSchools