Faust News
First Marking Period, November 2020
Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Guardians,
First, let me thank you for your constant support and understanding as we continue to adjust to the recent changes in our everyday lives and your child's education. As the Principal, I am very grateful to our students, parents, teachers, and professional staff members at Faust School for following the social distancing demands under these unusual conditions in education. We will continue to support our families and remain dedicated to our students' academic, physical, social, emotional, and mental health.
Having some of our students back in Faust School with the proper safety and cleaning procedures in place provides us with a sense of normalcy. We continue to provide the very best education while ensuring our students' and staff members' health and safety. Our all-remote and hybrid students have been actively using technology so that our teaching staff can have them engaged in student-centered lessons focused on growth and learning. This commitment is on-going and has always been a priority for our teachers! To be sure that your child is successful during virtual and in-person learning, we must continue to work together. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teachers if you have any questions or concerns.
Another important factor in achieving academic success is having your child be on time and attend their classes every day. When parents take an active role in enforcing the importance of school attendance, they will also send a message to their child that education is a priority for your family. Being present at school every day is their responsibility and a critical part of educational success.
In closing, I want to reassure you that the East Rutherford School District's top priority is everyone's safety and well-being. We look forward to the day when we can open our doors for all students at Faust School, which brings us back to education as it once was.
On behalf of the faculty and staff at Faust School, best wishes for a happy and healthy Thanksgiving and holiday season.
Stay well, warm, and safe as the colder weather approaches.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Regina Barrale
Alfred S. Faust School Principal
(201) 804-3100 Ext. 3003
Supervisor of Instruction & Technology
New Face for 5th Grade Science
New Face for Art
Hello! My name is Ms. Machere, I am the new art teacher at Faust Middle School. Before coming to Faust, I was a High School Art Teacher where I taught Ceramics, Graphic Design, and Drawing/Painting. It has always been my dream to teach middle school. I look forward to working with the students to create amazing and unique works of art! Check out the art section to see some of the projects students have completed thus far!
Art
In Grade 5 Art our students work on a survey of projects that cover the elements of art. We learn about one-point perspective, color, collage, lines, and famous Pop Artists like Roy Lichtenstein! The 6th Grade worked on a survey of projects that cover the principles of design as well as technique. The class learned about radial symmetry/balance, unity, and color pencil and watercolor techniques. Students discussed famous artists such as Grant Wood and Vincent Van Gogh! Meanwhile, students in 7th worked on a survey of projects that cover both the principles of design and elements of art. They then took a deeper dive into watercolor and various techniques. Their cycle came to a close with texture vs. implied texture and how to create both in our artwork. Finally, 8th-grade students completed several projects that cover both the principles of design and elements of art. The students worked with the grid method and realism. The class then discussed portraiture and positive-negative space. All of the photos below are of work created by students from the first marking period.
Student Council
We are very excited to still be able to have a Student Council this year. We have already had our very first Virtual Assembly where students were able to see their peers present their amazing speeches. After the assemblies students were also able to cast their votes for who they felt were the best candidates via a google form. This year may be different, but the Student Council will work hard to keep up with our school spirit. Stay tuned for upcoming events like spirit days, American Education Week, and so much more. Please also give a huge round of applause for our officers. This year's winners were:
President: Claudia Da Mata
Vice President: Richelin Gbaguidi
Secretary: Nicolas Trampler
Treasurer: Arjun Oza
Virtual Halloween Costume Contest Winners
First Place: Gloria Madera
Second Place: Kaavish Gangar
Third Place: Joseph Mejia
ELA
"Thank You Ma’am"
Dance Grades 5-8
Band
Math
Theatre
In 5th grade, students explored nonverbal communication and using their bodies to create characters and act out scenes. Students explored the art of pantomime and were able to apply techniques to performances in class. The students also learned about the history of mime and were able to view other performances. This contributed to the research for their personal pieces.
In 6-8th grades, students reviewed the art of body movement and vocal expression. Students learned how to properly dissect a monologue exploring the use of Objectives, Obstacles, and Tactics. They also understood the process of developing Actors Beats within a given piece of material. They analyzed monologues and were able to select one to evaluate and present to the class.
Music
Nurse
The holiday season is right around the corner. Holiday celebrations will need to be different this year to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please be mindful of large gatherings and celebrations during these times. I wish all of our East Rutherford Families a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season. This is usually when family and friends gather to share laughter and joy. Unfortunately, the year 2020 has brought changes in how we gather with our loved ones. Please consider taking measures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please click on this link from the CDC that provides recommendations for the Holidays. I wish you all Health and Happiness!
Science
Exploding Pumpkins! Now that I have caught your attention, let me tell you how the 6th-grade science classes incorporated pumpkins into their lessons. Students learned how to analyze and interpret data and were asked to apply this knowledge by throwing wet paper towels at a pumpkin. Students had three attempts to hit the pumpkin with wet paper towels and show off their skills. We also tried to explode a pumpkin using rubber bands. It took a lot longer than expected but eventually erupted!
Physical Education
Social Studies
World Language
As you are aware the World Language Department Spanish 5th-8th grades, are learning in one marking period this year due to “COVID19”. We began our cycle by giving students the opportunity to share their preferences with regard to learning platforms. We conducted a survey in all of our cycle classes to learn what learning application was their favorite.
The first marking period provided students with the opportunity to continue their learning in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In class, they have had the chance to use different platforms such as Pear Deck, Edpuzzle, Seesaw, Flipgrid, and Wizer Me. To reflect on their comprehension, they were exposed to the track of proficiency. This enables them to evaluate their progress in Spanish class.
The World Language Department has tried to keep our students motivated and engaged during this time. We are saddened that we are still unable to personally see all of our students but happy to know that they are healthy.
Hasta pronto y buena suerte a todos nuestros estudiantes.
Advisory
Finance
The Week of Respect
Grade 8 English and Social Studies Team Up for Holocaust Studies
Sixth Grade English Language Arts
Sixth Grade ELA students have spent the last month reading short stories by Gary Soto, Ray Bradbury, Sandra Cisneros, and Avi. In an extension of reading, students explored literary elements, performed the Point of View rap from Flocabulary, and wrote stories of their own, told from one chosen point of view. The story prompts were to revise a fairy tale and tell it with a fresh, modern perspective or to write a story about the year 2020. The sixth graders are currently wrapping up their revisions. It has been a delight to read insightful accounts on the past year as well as witty fairy tale reboots.
Grade Eight Honors English Veterans Day Movie Assembly
To commemorate Veterans Day this year, Ms. Bayeux and Mr. Barone's Grade 8 Honors English students presented an iMovie to the entire Faust School student body, faculty, and staff. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, the iMovie was streamed for all to enjoy. The movie honored the contributions of veterans by providing background information, a poetry explication on "In Flanders Fields," and introduced various veteran memorials across the United States. Finally, the movie ended with a special slide thanking our local VFW Post 8374. Thank you to all veterans who have served our country! Happy Veterans Day!
Fifth Grade ELA: Mrs. Corsale
Faust 5th graders have been working really hard on reading strategies to improve comprehension. By learning and applying various strategies, students are learning how to engage in “Close Reading” to build comprehension and make connections. Additionally, students are working daily on interactive reading by using “Digital Reader’s Notebooks” to record connections, stop and jot important information, and collect unknown words for vocabulary. One of our recent activities was to use “Close Reading” to unlock the door in our Halloween Escape Room. The students can’t wait to have another escape room challenge!
Science 7th Grade
Science with Mrs. Yang
Mrs. Yang's 8th-grade science class did the Tragedy of the Commons Virtual Lab. To learn about the human impact on the environment, the class researched the natural resources of several countries, analyzed how access to these natural resources have affected the countries’ economies, imports, and exports, and created the global natural resource log to calculate the total revenue and income from each country. A sustainable world is not unchanging as technological advances and human civilizations continue to be productive. However, our current world is not sustainable as the developed countries are using resources faster than they can be replaced. By doing the virtual lab, the students learned to consider the long term benefit more than just the short term interest.