The Herald
Hoboken Public School District
Superintendent's Message
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I hope that you are enjoying the remaining days of summer. I want to take this opportunity to provide you with some updates that you will find helpful for the opening of the school year.
School Building Readiness
Last Friday I hosted a "walk through" of our buildings with Board of Education members, administrators, Facilities Department members, and teacher union leadership. We dedicated the day to visit each school. We identified everything that is in place for opening and pointed out a few areas that custodians have addressed this week. We are ready to go with our reopening plan.
To date, all of our schools and playgrounds have been sanitized and disinfected. Each school's custodial staff members have received ultra violet wands and electrostatic sprayers. All of our schools have received hand-held thermometers and stand up scan thermometers, as well as entryway hand sanitizing units. In addition, all classrooms will also have desk shields and hand sanitizing dispensers installed by the start of school. Stickers are in and have been placed on floors and in hallways reminding everyone that social distancing and face coverings are required. Shoe sanitizing mats will also be laid down at the entryways of our schools. This week, we will be putting packages together for each staff member that will include PPE. Our Heating and Cooling service providers have already been in this summer to ensure that all vents, fresh air systems, unit ventilators and air handlers are working and have new filters. They will also be coming out to all of our schools this week to once again clean.
Parent & Guardian Communication
All families will be receiving letters & emails from our school principals with information about class placements and the schedule for the remote learning week of September 14th through September 18th. This school year, we are asking all parents and guardians at all school levels to regularly use our student information system (Genesis).
If you do not have a Genesis Parent Portal Account for your child or each child in your home, you may complete the Genesis Parent Account Request Survey by clicking below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAUvfz30kaSZE4N3pTHB-BDz28ixSuJwjlhKSeM3SyCumDJQ/viewform.
What will you be using Genesis for during the school year?
As parents and guardians, you will be asked to complete a Daily COVID-19 Questionnaire Form for each child in your home if they will be participating in our full-day, onsite traditional learning model. This questionnaire follows N.J. Department of Education guidelines for health and safety. It will ask questions related to symptoms that your child may be experiencing, as well as possible contact and potential exposure to COVID-19.
Each morning, a new Daily COVID-19 Questionnaire will be available between 5 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. This Questionnaire is very important and is part of our commitment to keep everyone safe and healthy. Below, you will find a Screencastify tutorial to help you with this process:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12IkwL7EICI0JNmjExsdgNffMNR-O8O50/view
For those students who are participating in the full-day remote learning program, parents and guardians will need to submit the Remote Learning Attendance Form each day between 8:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. certifying that your child or children will be present for remote learning all day.
Remember, you must complete this form for each child in your home. We have included a Screencastify tutorial below that will assist you with this process as well:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Na8FLtjp-rk_Ssvk-n9VyQQzO3aa_8ds/view
To recap, the completion of the Daily COVID-19 Questionnaire Form will be completed for all children who are coming onsite for our full-day traditional learning model.
The completion of the Remote Learning Attendance Form will be completed for all children who will be staying home and participating in our remote learning model.
We will be sending friendly reminder emails at the start of the year on a daily basis. And, to facilitate practicing both forms, I am respectfully asking all K-12 families in the district to complete both the Daily COVID-19 Questionnaire Form and the Remote Learning Attendance Form during the week of September 14th through the 18th. By doing so, you will help us troubleshoot any issues that families may have or emails that may not be operational.
Partnership with Riverside Medical Group
This school year, we have retained the Riverside Medical Group for required "school physician" services. This medical group has been extremely helpful during the summer months and as we prepare for the opening of school As you know, Riverside has facilitated the vast majority of testing in the City of Hoboken. As a result of our new partnership, they have offered to make testing for Hoboken Public School District students as easy and seamless as possible. They have created a dedicated email for parents and guardians of students in our district who would like to make an appointment for COVID-19 testing. If you would like to have your child tested, please send an email to hobokenstudenttesting@riversidemedgroup.com. Let them know that you would like to have your child, who attends the Hoboken Public School District, tested and leave a phone number so they can reach back out to you. They will expedite your request and schedule an appointment for your child.
Distribution of Chromebooks
As per our 1:1 Grades 3-12 initiative sponsored by the Hoboken Public Education Foundation, we have already given out Chromebooks to all High School and Middle School students.
Please see the following schedule for the distribution for the following grade levels:
Tuesday, September 8th - Grade 5 Students
- Location: High School Cafeteria Patio - 9th Street Entrance
- Time: Brandt 5th Grade Chromebook Distribution 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Time: Connors 5th Grade Chromebook Distribution 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Time: Wallace 5th Grade Chromebook Distribution 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 9th - Grade 4 Students
- Location: High School Cafeteria Patio - 9th Street Entrance
- Time: Brandt 4th Grade Chromebook Distribution 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Time: Connors 4th Grade Chromebook Distribution 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Time: Wallace 4th Grade Chromebook Distribution 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 10th - Grade 3 Students
- Location: High School Cafeteria Patio - 9th Street Entrance
- Time: Brandt 3rd Grade Chromebook Distribution 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- Time: Connors 3rd Grade Chromebook Distribution 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Time: Wallace 3rd Grade Chromebook Distribution 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Week of September 14th - 18th
As you know, the week of September 14th through September 18th is dedicated to remote learning for all students. During this week, we will be hosting small group orientations for students so that they may walk through new procedures in our schools and learn more about safety protocols. Each principal has developed their own specific orientation time frames for the week and remote learning schedules for all students. The principals' letters to all families will include detailed information and how to access the start of remote learning for this first week of school for all students. Please be on the lookout for this letter and an email from your child's principal, as well. If you do not receive a letter from your child's principal, be sure to email him or her. I have provided those emails below:
- High School Principal (Robin Piccapietra) robin.piccapietra@hoboken.k12.nj.us
- Middle School Principal (Anna Marra) anna.marra@hoboken.k12.nj.us
- Wallace School Principal (Martin Shannon) martin.shannon@hoboken.k12.nj.us
- Connors School Principal (Juliana Addi) juliana.addi@hoboken.k12.nj.us
- Brandt School Principal (Charles Bartlett) charles.bartlett@hoboken.k12.nj.us
During this week of remote learning for all students, breakfast and lunch will be available for any family that would like to pick it up. We will be distributing grab and go meals from 8:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. from Connors Elementary School at 201 Monroe Street for all K-12 students in the district.
Keep in mind, during this week we will ask all families to complete the Daily COVID-19 Questionnaire Form and the Remote Learning Attendance Form each day for every child in your home that attends any of our schools.
September 21st - October 9th
September 21st marks the first full-day of on-site traditional learning for students whose parents opted for this via the Declaration of Intent during the time frame provided. If your child is attending school onsite, please be sure that you complete the Daily COVID-19 Questionnaire Form and review our reopening plans once again before school begins. If you would like to change your decision from the onsite learning option to remote learning, you may do so by emailing your child's principal. At this time, we cannot accommodate a change from remote to onsite learning. At the end of September, I will send out another Declaration of Intent for our next learning period that will run from October 12th through November 13th.
For those K-5 families that indicated that they are in need of after care, you should be receiving an email from Mr. Christopher DellaFave shortly including pricing and schedules. We will only be servicing those families that indicated they are in need of assistance after school on their original Declaration of Intent. We will certainly include this service on the next Declaration of Intent. This after care offering is not our popular Passport to Learning Program. Instead, it is a supervised homework help program to ensure that your child is safe until you are able to pick him or her up no later than 6:00 p.m.
If your child will be participating in our robust remote learning model, be sure to complete the Remote Learning Attendance Form each day. For those students who are on remote learning, grab and go breakfast and lunch will be served daily from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. from the Calabro School located at 524 Park Avenue.
Free & Reduced Lunch Application
Each school year, our schools distribute Free and Reduced Lunch Applications to all families. In years past, these applications were paper-based. While we can provide paper applications for those that prefer hard copies, we have digitized the application this year to make it easier for record keeping.
These applications are so important because the amount of federal funding a district receives is directed related to the percentage of students that qualify for free and reduced lunch. That means that our ESSA Grant funds for Title I, Title IIA, Title III and Title IV are tied to our percentage of free and reduced lunch students. These grant funds cover things like teacher professional development, English as a Second Language Programs, Safe and Drug Free Schools' initiatives, and supplement our Passport to Learning Program. When an application is not completed for every child in the district, is lowers our changes of receiving the full funding we actually qualify to receive.
Some families do not complete these applications because they believe that if they complete it, their child cannot bring in their own lunch to school. That is not the case at all. If you complete the application, your child can bring lunch to school from home on any day he or she chooses to do so.
Other families are concerned that these applications are tied to county, state or federal databases. Please note that they are not and should not frighten any family. They are merely to ensure that children can be fed in school at a price that is reflective of their family's income level. Students who qualify for free lunch do not pay for breakfast or lunch. Students who qualify for reduced lunch pay 30% of the breakfast and lunch prices. A la carte items are not included in the free or reduced breakfast and lunch discounts.
We ask that all families complete this application so that all children in need of these free or reduced prices will get them and that our district is fully funded by the federal government.
We ask that you complete and submit a separate application for every child in your home that attends any of our schools. Please access the updated link below to complete and submit your application(s):
https://hoboken.rocketscanapps.com/
Parent & Guardian Resources
Our Assistant Superintendent's Office has developed an interactive site to assist families with remote learning and beyond. This site was created in response to feedback from parents and guardians over the past few months. We are cognizant that the partnership between home and school is critical both in the traditional and remote learning models. You will find student links, as well as parent and guardian resources. There is also valuable information about Chromebooks, the Google Classroom, various platforms and online safety. Take a look by clicking the link below.
https://sites.google.com/hoboken.k12.nj.us/guardians/home
In closing, I want to thank all of you for your cooperation, patience and partnership. All three ingredients make for an incredible school district. I could not ask for a more dedicated staff and committed body of parents & guardians. You are truly amazing and I am honored to serve the Hoboken Public School District.
Have a wonderful evening.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Johnson
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: 158 4th Street, Hoboken, NJ 07834
Phone: (201) 356-3600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HobokenPublicSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @HobokenSchools