The Wallace Wildcat
Hoboken, NJ- January 6, 2023
Dear Wallace School Parents and Guardians,
Kindergarten
Wallace kindergartener’s first week of 2023 was off to a great start. We were all so excited to see one another after the Holiday break and catch up. In Social Studies, we talked about the new year as it related to calendar skills. The students also continued to learn about families as they shared about their own families and listened to peers share about theirs. In English Language Arts, we started Unit 4, week 1. The overarching topic of the unit is “What can we learn from our neighborhood?”. The first week’s topic is “Time to work” and the essential question is “What do people use to do their jobs?”. We read the informational text “Whose Shoes?”, a book about the shoes people use to do various jobs, to help answer the essential question. We wrote facts about some of the jobs and shoes we read about. The sight word is “you”. The students practiced writing it in sentences. The letter of the week is short “Oo” as in “mop” and we practiced it by sounding out CVC words with the vowel Oo. Our math unit is also Unit 4 and titled “Collect, Count and Measure”. This week we learned and practiced our counting, combining and comparing skills as we played several math games during our Math Workshops. Games such as “Double Compare” and “Build it/ Change it” are fun ways for the kids to practice these skills because they call for the students to combine numbers and quantities as they play them.
First Grade
Math - We are wrapping up unit 3 on addition and subtraction within 20. We practiced filling in 120 charts, adding and subtracting to solve a story problem, and ways to make numbers using addition sentences.
Social Studies - We listened to the story "Squirrel's New Year's Resolution". It was about a little squirrel who helped his friends make resolutions but struggled to make one of his own. We discussed the New Year and made some resolutions for ourselves.
Second Grade
To start the new year, the scholars in Ms. Frene’s class completed a New Year’s Resolution project. The scholars began by sharing with each other during class discussions meaningful personal and academic goals. The class then used the writing process to create an amazing writing piece.
In Addition to their writing piece, the class picked up where they left off before holiday break practicing their high frequency and reading comprehension.
During Math, mathematicians worked on calendar skills, minute math and number patterns. The class also worked on multiple pathways to show their thinking to solve addition and subtraction story problems.
Third Grade
Happy New Year!
In ELA, students started their brand new core novel, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. They have enjoyed reading the first three chapters and making predictions about what will happen in the rest of the story. This week, students also got back into the routine of working on various ELA skills (grammar, spelling, guided reading, comprehension, etc.) through centers.
During Math, students wrapped up Unit Two: Graphs and Line Plots. Students prepared for their unit assessment through centers. They analyzed multiple graphs, played line plot games on their Chromebook, and created their own graphs.Students also continued to work on their multiplication fluency through minute math.
In Social Studies, students started to make a New Jersey State Notebook. The notebook has all topics related to New Jersey. Students took time to research each topic (state bird, state flower, state seal, state nickname, etc.) to create their own NJ book.
Fourth Grade
ELA
Our 4th grade readers began the new year with the book, “What Would She Do? 25 True Stories of Trailblazing Rebel Women” written by Kay Woodward. This biographical anthology presents a brief overview of the lives of famous women. Spanning 2,000 years and five continents, Woodward's subjects specialize in a variety of backgrounds, from academia to the arts to politics. So far we have read and learned about Cleopatra, The Trung Sisters, and Murasaki Shikibu.
Math
Our 4th grade mathematicians continued with Unit 3: Multiple Towers and Cluster Problems (Multiplication and Division). Students continued long division with remainders by using manipulatives to understand how many groups and how many are left over. Students solved math problems with arrays using multiplication and division. A quiz ended the week successfully. The unit 3 assessment is soon to follow. Make sure they start to review and study.
Social Studies
Our 4th grade historians started Chapter 4 in their Social Studies edition. This week they were able to identify the problems the colonists faced with the British. We read about the The Townshend Act, The Tea Act, The Boston Massacre, and the Coercive Act. Students identified and explained why the British government enacted each policy and how the colonists felt about it. They also learned the different perspectives the Patriots, Loyalists and neutral parties held.
During PGP, our court staff worked on the case of Humpty Dumpty versus the King. Each student had a role to play and enacted the trial successfully and with excitement.
Fifth Grade
In Math, students are engaged in solving two by two and two by three digit multiplication problems by using strategies they are familiar with (i.e standard algorithm, breaking apart, changing one factor and adjusting, or creating an equivalent problem).
In Social Studies, our 5th grade historians are explaining the many key abolitionists' contributions before and during the Civil War by engaging in a read, listen, and learn activity.
Wallace's Music Department
As the class came to an end, we played a friendly game of Poison Rhythm. The object of the game is to learn and memorize the poison rhythm and get it stuck in your head. The narrator of the video would pull up random patterns for the class to read and clap but you have to be careful of the poison rhythm. If you accidentally play or clap it, you crack the egg and are out! Everyone had a fun time trying not to crack the egg and a few “cracked up” as some started to say the poison rhythm only to realize they were to late to stop!
Our music adventures will continue next week, but until then, have a wonderfully musical weekend Wildcats!
Ms. McGeehin's Art Class
Wildcat Theatre
Individualized Learning Pathway - Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
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 verbal 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.
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a relaxing, well-deserved break! Students got right back into the swing of things, as they returned to school to put the finishing touches on their CTY portfolio presentations. Students will be presenting their portfolios some time next week, as we celebrate their terrific work!
The CTY Math courses begin Monday, January 9th. We have few students joining CTY for the first time, so welcome aboard! Next week, we will transition our weekly newsletters to overviews of the CTY Math courses. We are looking forward to a great semester of math enrichment!
The Counselor's Corner
Dear Wallace Families,
Welcome back and hello 2023! We hope everyone had a restful holiday break and are excited for the new year.
The month of January is here! In January, Wallace School will be focusing on the character trait of Cooperation. Being cooperative means that you work well with others to accomplish a goal or task, and that you also work with someone despite your differences! Cooperative people are helpful, thoughtful, and balance their own needs and wants with someone else’s. How can you be cooperative at home? What about at school?
During this month, the Hoboken Library will be visiting for a pop-up. They are going to be coming in on the week of January 23rd! We will be sending out more information when the date gets closer- we are super excited.
Students will require a Library Card in order to check out books. On the Pop- Up Flyer there is a Google Form to fill out if anyone needs a Library Card. Please follow this link to do so! Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ud4K1uPqTi1cI-9a_1f5qIazV7Ap0ROfgtwAgFM1Qzw/prefill
We will also be celebrating Kindness that week while participating in “The Great Kindness Challenge” This challenge is a proactive and positive SEL-focused program that improves school climate and increases student engagement. The Great Kindness Challenge - School Edition is one week devoted to performing as many acts of kindness as possible at school and at home. Using their kindness checklist, students accept the challenge and show the world that KINDNESS MATTERS!
As always, please feel free to click Here and log in to MOVE THIS WORLD and explore all of its resources and lessons at home with our Wallace Family account.
Username:WallaceWildcat
Password: movethisword
Feel free to contact me at: frank.cagiao@hoboken.k12.nj.us
As always, please be sure to find some time to relax and enjoy the weekend. Until next time… Martin Shannon, Principal
Martin Shannon, Principal
Email: Martin.Shannon@Hoboken.k12.nj.us
Website: Hoboken.k12.nj.us
Location: 1100 Willow Avenue, Hoboken, NJ, USA
Phone: 201-356-3654
Twitter: @WildcatsWallace