Hoboken Middle School Participates in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 16
As part of the 2021-2022 School Year, Hoboken Middle School’s 7th grade science classes are proud to announce that students will participate in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 16 to the International Space Station (ISS) hosted by The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) as well as the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education.
This 18th SSEP flight opportunity began on September 1st, 2021 with the submission of a formal implementation plan led by SSEP M16 Community Directors and other SSEP stakeholders. Hoboken Middle School students will work together in small teams in order to create and design an experiment that is able to be conducted in a mini lab under microgravity experiment conditions. Astronauts will operate the experiment during Low Earth Orbit en route to the International Space Station. Prior to producing microgravity-based science experiments, educators at Hoboken Middle School will teach and design lesson plans guided by the SSEP microgravity curriculum.
This hands-on, real world opportunity for Hoboken students is to enable firsthand experience of that of professional scientists and engineers in their exploration for more answers. The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) is designed as a national model for STEM education. Hoboken Middle School Students have started their microgravity curriculum and will begin to meet in small teams to begin the experiment design process. Both students and teachers anticipate a chosen flight experiment for Mission 16 to the International Space Station by December 2021, with a projected launch as SSEP microgravity labs in late Spring/ early Summer 2022.
Award Winning Music Program
The Hoboken Public School District is committed to ensuring that the fine and performing arts are a vital part of our comprehensive educational curricula. The Hoboken Public School District offers a robust program which includes fine arts, creative writing, choral music, strings, instrumental music, marching band, and theatre arts at all three educational levels. As many school district accross the country are reducing or even eliminating arts education, the Hoboken Public School District continues to expand it. Before the school year begins, take a moment to read about all that we offer to our students.
The Hoboken Public School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education for the second year in a row.
Choral Music begins in 2nd grade. It is an introduction to vocal techniques, singing skills, and the performance of choral literature. Emphasis is placed on ensemble performance, with several required evening concerts for the public showcasing skills learned in class. Opportunities for more advanced study are available through select extra-curricular ensembles and festival experiences as a student ascends to higher-level grades.
The Hoboken Public School District performs locally several times a year throughout the Hoboken community such as at the Hoboken Tree Lighting and at concerts in the winter and spring at Sinatra Park. Our choral Program has received high ratings and accolades in such competitions as Trills & Thrills Festival at Six Flags and Hudson County Teen Arts Festival.
The instrumental music program in the Hoboken Public School District provides the opportunity for students to learn how to play an instrument and perform in an instrumental ensemble. Students learn the fundamentals of music and how to apply them in practice and performance. Instrumental students are required to attend all scheduled band classes, rehearsals, and performances.
The Hoboken Public School District offers a String Instrumental Program that begins in the 3rd grade. String Instrumental Instruction examples include Violin and Cello to name a few. (Working on this still) Waiting on teacher narrative
The instrumental program will be adding a Pre-AP course at Hoboken Middle School. The course will focus on such musical aspects as song analysis, music theory, and composition.
They progress through beginning, intermediate and advanced lessons and band based on individual proficiency level. Although beginning in the fourth grade, students may begin instrumental music instruction at any grade level. This academic and performance based program meets the needs of all students interested in studying and performing on a musical instrument during grades 4-8.
Performance and competition is a large part of the Instrumental Music program in the Hoboken Public School District. The district has received awards and accolades as well as awards for individual student achievement.
The Instrumental program has recently received honor and distinction at the following performances at:
Montclair Chamber Day
New Jersey State Solo & Ensemble Festival
Elizabeth Concert Band Festival
Trills & Thrills Festival at Six Flags
Hudson County Teen Arts Festival
The Instrumental program participants have received individual achievements:
3 Middle School students were selected to participate in Brass and Woodwind master classes at New Jersey City University.
New Jersey State Solo & Ensemble Festival Awards
Student video performance of “Afterburn” was chosen to be featured at the New Jersey School Board Association’s “Arts in Education Showcase.”
Individual Student Achievement Hudson County Teen Arts Festival
The Rockin Redwings Marching Band has twice performed and marched in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
The Rockin Redwings Marching Band is a competition band. During the last competitive season, the band earned 2nd Place at Bloomfield Marching Festival, received a Silver Award at State Ratings Festival, and earned 2nd place at West Orange Marching Festival. This season, they will be entering the highly competitive “Tournament of Bands,” a season-long circuit, culminating with the Championships at West Essex High School.
In addition, Rockin Redwings Marching Band is active in local performances such as the Dominican Day, Memorial Day, Hoboken Ragamuffin, ProfitCon, Propellerfest, and the Hoboken Tree Lighting Ceremony every year.
Hoboken Middle & High Schools Are Ready to Set Sail
We are happy to announce that our Fall Learn to Sail Program with Hoboken Sailing Club and Hoboken/Weehawken School District is starting up again. The Hoboken Sailing Club is Hoboken’s premier sailing club. Included in the club is the Hoboken Sailing School. This includes all our lessons and coursework. The club has a fleet of 7 J80s. These are the boats the students will be sailing. The club is located at the Shipyard Marina at 1301 Sinatra Drive.
Our youth sailing program, in partnership with the Hoboken Sailing School provides the knowledge and skills that students will need in order to become confident and safe sailors on the Hudson River. Skills that they will learn will include understanding tides and currents, tacking and jibing (maneuvers to operate the boat), navigation rules, and teamwork.
The first day of the program is this coming Tuesday, September 8th. Participating students will start the session off with a “chalk talk”, a ten-minute discussion about the topic we will be covering that day. Then students will head out on the water to develop and practice their skills. All students will be accompanied by a US Sailing certified instructor. These instructors have been certified as being in the top levels for safety and boat handling.
Creative Outlets Through Writing
World-renowned Theater Program
The Hoboken Public School District Theatre Program is steeped in tradition. The Theatre Arts program produces dynamic performances 3 times a year: a high school production, an elementary production, and a district musical.
The Hoboken HS Theatre Program has received several awards and distinctions on a county, state, and international level. The HS Program participates and consistently places in the STANJ, NJ Thespians, Montclair State University Foxy Award Nominations, and International Thespians Festival.
In addition, many individual achievement awards have been awarded to our theatre participants. Most recently the Hoboken HS Program produced and performed: She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms written by Qui Nguyen and was chosen as one of the top six shows chosen as a Main Stage production for the International Thespian Festival 2021; an honor that has never been bestowed on any high school in New Jersey. The production received 9 nominations for the following:
Outstanding Production of a Virtual Play (Best Play Category top 8 out of 100 entries)
The Peter Filichia Award for Pushing the Envelope in Academic Theatre
Outstanding Achievement in Virtual Background Design
Outstanding Achievement in Editing
Outstanding Achievement in New Media/Special Effects
Outstanding Achievement in Choreography or Movement in a Straight Play
Outstanding Achievement in Stage Combat
Outstanding Achievement in Makeup & Hair Design
The Jo Anne Fox Outstanding Theatre Educator Award
Be on the lookout for upcoming performances. We are so excited to be back on stage soon!
Meet Our New Grades K-5 Fine & Performing Arts Supervisor - Jessica Fasolino
Ms. Fasolino has assumd the role of Supervisor of the Fine & Performing Arts Program (Grades K-5). The Arts have been an integral part of her world since she was a child. Ms. Fasolino has been involved with Art, Music, and Theater and went on to learn every instrument that was ever in front of her. Creatively, the pull was instinctual. Visual Arts became the center of her collegiate universe. It was a magnetic draw and it immediately became necessary to create and inspire.
Ms. Fasolino received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Monmouth University and continued with Monmouth University to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching. She taught in her first district for four years before moving to Hoboken where she has proudly spent four years as Hoboken Middle School's resident Visual Arts Teacher. During this time,she began to aspire to bring the Arts to Hoboken on a much grander scale. Inspiration hit and she returned to school to attain my Supervisor Certification through Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Ms. Fasolino is elated and cannot wait to color our cultured city with our Art, create a beat with our vibrant Music, and envelop our community in the stories of our vivacious Theater.
Meet Our New Grades 6 - 12 Fine & Performing Arts Supervisor - Danielle Miller
Ms. Miller has taken on the role of Supervisor of the Fine & Performing Arts Program (Grades 6-12). Danielle Miller has always had an enormous passion for theatre. Straight from high school, she interned with private acting coach Bob Luke in NYC and performed and toured with the off-Broadway production of Tony and Tina’s Wedding. Her experiences in NYC allowed her to see that her true passion was in directing and theatre education. Danielle went on to earn a BA in theatre with a minor in musical theatre and an MA in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University. For the past ten years she has held the position as the Theatre Teacher & Director for The District of Hoboken where she has created an award winning K-12 Theatre Program. Over the years her students have won hundreds of awards at numerous competitions around NJ and internationally. Most recently the high school play “She Kills Monsters'' written by Qui Nguyen won Top Six Best Productions in the world and was featured as a Main Stage Show at The International Thespians Festival. The Theatre Program she built up has been featured on NJ Classroom Close Up, Playbill.com, Entertainment Weekly Magazine, Dramatics Magazine, and Teaching Theatre Magazine. She has received a Governor's Award in Arts Education for Outstanding Theatre Educator of the Year and was awarded the District of Hoboken's Teacher of the year both in 2015. She currently serves on three statewide art committees 1.) NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards theatre writing team 2). NJ SEL/Arts Education Framework which intersects SEL standards with New Jersey Student Learning Standards in the Visual and Performing Arts and 3.) Arts Ed NJ Task Force which continues to work towards bringing meaningful and impactful art educational experiences to students in grades K-12 . In her spare time, Ms. Miller serves as the President of the Speech and Theatre Association of NJ. This organization is the voice of advocacy for inclusion of speech and theatre arts in education curricula. Ms. Miller has been the Theatre Arts teacher at Hoboken High School since 2010.
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.
