The Herald
Hoboken Public School District
Superintendent's Message - 9/25/2020
Dear Parents and Guardians:
I hope that you had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend, as we usher in the fall season.
As you know, our first Declaration of Intent for either the onsite or remote learning model covered the period of time from September 14th through October 9th. The next Declaration of Intent period will run from October 13th through November 30th.
Today, all families with children on remote learning in any of our schools will receive a new Declaration of Intent to complete and submit. In order to staff accordingly, we must have your response no later than Friday, October, 2nd. Please complete and submit this Declaration of Intent only if you want to switch your child from remote learning to onsite learning from October 13th through November 30th.
If you wish to keep your child on remote learning, please disregard the email you receive which will include the Google Form. There is no need to complete it if your child will remain on remote learning. If your child is already participating in onsite learning, you will not receive an email with the Google Form and will not need to complete and submit anything.
This edition of The Herald provides information about our upcoming Virtual Back to School Nights. There are also a number of highlights from across the district and stories about things to come.
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 committed collection of guardians and parents. You are truly amazing and I am honored to serve the Hoboken Public School District.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Johnson
Virtual Back to School Nights
The Hoboken Public School District is excited to announce the dates and times for each of our Back to School Nights. Your child's principal will be sending out specific information to all parents and guardians. Be on the look out!
Brandt Elementary School
- Monday, October 5th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Wallace Elementary School
- Tuesday, October 6th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Connors Elementary School
- Wednesday, October 7th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Hoboken High School
- Thursday, October 8th from 5:00 pm-6:30 pm
Hoboken Middle School
- Thursday, October 8th from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Amid new challenges, Hoboken High School Continues with the School Climate Transformation Project
Heading into the third year of the School Climate Transformation Project (SCTP), Hoboken High School is not only prepared for COVID accommodations but also to continue to improve the school’s climate and culture. The school has been a part of the program since September of 2018 and has collected data, developed goals, and established a plan of action that was unfortunately interrupted when all New Jersey schools went on remote learning in March. The school community is excited to continue its growth in the ever changing Hoboken community.
The SCTP is a program through the Rutgers School of Applied and Professional Psychology. It is an initiative designed to provide support to School Safety/School Climate Teams (SS/SCT) in K-12 New Jersey schools in developing a positive and inclusive school climate. Hoboken High School works with SCTP consultants to support school leadership teams in using the New Jersey School Climate Survey (NJSCS) to drive systems change to address school climate needs. The members of these teams take part in SCTP training and customized consultations as part of an overall school climate improvement process that involves developing and implementing a data-driven School Climate Improvement Plan (SCIP).
“Hoboken High School has a very deep rooted history and tradition. Through the SCTP we are able to receive valuable input from stakeholders and develop a School Climate Improvement Plan to make our school even better,” said Derek Piccini, a lead advisor on the school’s committee. Based on the results from the NJSCS, Hoboken High School identified three key areas to improve in the upcoming school year. These areas are to (1) improve the school’s physical environment, (2) improve the emotional environment of the school, and (3) improve the overall morale of the school. In the first half of the 2019-2020 school year, the school began making improvements, which included utilizing three-hundred recently refurbished lockers, new displays of our school’s vision and mission statement, administration expediting the school’s maintenance request procedure to improve cleanliness, the Student Center and Deans training all incoming freshmen on conflict resolution techniques and social emotional skills, and creation diversity awareness events led by students throughout the school.
Hoboken High School is looking forward to continuing the development of these goals and pursuing an outstanding school culture. For the upcoming school year, the school has rewritten our People Who Shaped the World curriculum and developed Holocaust, Genocide, and Modern Humanity, African American History and Culture, Latino American History and Culture as new courses. Hoboken High School will also work throughout the year with students and faculty to create Redwing artwork throughout the building to foster a greater sense of school pride. In the spring of 2021, The SCTP Committee will send another school climate survey for students, staff, and parents to measure our growth and continue to look for areas of growth and improvement.
https://gsapp.rutgers.edu/centers-clinical-services/center-applied-psychology/sctp/about-sctp
Sneak Peek: Author & Holocaust Survivor Marion Blumenthal Lazan Set to Visit Hoboken Middle School
Following Hitler’s rise to power, the Blumenthal family — father, mother, Marion, and her brother, Albert — were trapped in Nazi Germany. They managed eventually to get to Holland, but soon thereafter it was occupied by the Nazis. For the next six and a half years the Blumenthal's were forced to live in refugee, transit, and prison camps that included Westerbork in Holland and the notorious Bergen-Belsen in Germany. Though they all survived the camps, Walter Blumenthal, Marion’s father, succumbed to typhus just after liberation. It took three more years of struggle and waiting before Marion, Albert, and their mother at last obtained the necessary papers and boarded ship for the United States. Their story is one of horror and hardship, but it is also a story of courage, hope, and the will to survive. Holocaust speaker and author, Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s unforgettable memoir, Four Perfect Pebbles, recalls the devastating years that shaped her childhood. Mrs. Blumenthal Lazan will be visiting Hoboken Middle School on March 22, 2021 to share her powerful story with our students.
Shout Out to the HPEF
I can't thank the Hoboken Public Education Foundation enough for all of their support. As you know, the HPEF sponsored our 1:1, Grades 3-12 Chromebook initiative. At this time, all high school, middle school, 5th and 4th grade students have already received Chromebooks. Today, our 3rd grade students are set to receive them. We are well on our way to becoming a Google District fully operational Google District.
A few weeks back, I spoke to HPEF leaders and explained that our art teachers want to eliminate the sharing of supplies. Our art teachers shared a list of items that they feel our student should have. The Hoboken Public Education Foundation graciously agreed to sponsor the purchase of art caddies filled with supplies for every Kindergarten through 5th grade student, as well as sketch pads and drawing utensils for students at the 6th through 12th grade levels. These supplies are being ordered and we can't wait to distribute them to our students.
Hoboken High School's Virtual College Center
Parent & Guardian Communication
If you have any questions regarding your child's school or schedule, please reach out to his or her principal via email. Our principals' email addresses are as follows:
- 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
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 7:45 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.
Eastwick College & Hoboken High School: Shared Time Program Set for 2020-2021 School Year
When a student has struggled just to pass their classes and seems impossible to motivate toward graduating, many public school administrators throw their hands in the air and label the student a lost cause with a dim future. But schools like Eastwick College have come up with a better option: high school shared time programs. The Hoboken Public School District will be joining Eastwick College in September of 2021 to provide up to 20 students with a shared time career readiness program.
These innovative programs enable academically skills-fragile, at-risk and special education high school students the ability to earn credits toward graduation while learning in-demand career skills like culinary arts, electrical and plumbing repair, and computer/electronics repair. For many, these “shared time” programs can be the difference between graduating with their peers or dropping out, yet local municipalities often keep parents in the dark about this opportunity, instead choosing to consign these students to a study hall where they are largely ignored.
While Hoboken High School’s 4-Year Graduation Cohort Rate is 98.9% and the college application and acceptance rate stands at 96%, a percentage of students could benefit from a job preparatory program infused into their high school experience. Virginia Chiller, Director of the High School Shared Time Program at Eastwick College has seen firsthand that given the right opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in a career readiness environment, students exceed the expectations placed on them.
“Time and time again I’ve seen just how brilliant these kids can be when they’re able to apply themselves in an environment that better fits their aspirations and aptitudes,” she explains. “A traditional classroom might not work well for them, but they easily pick up electronics fundamentals, or the intricacies of medical anatomy and physiology. High school shared time programs help a non-traditional student find their spark.”
Students who choose to attend the daily occupational training at Eastwick College as part of their junior and senior year of high school, would complete state mandated courses at Hoboken High School during the morning. They would then be transported by the Hoboken Public School District to either Eastwick’s Hackensack or Paterson Campus for an 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 pm. program specializing in occupational/vocational training. Students would be back at Hoboken High School in plenty of time to participate in after school clubs, activities and athletics.
Campus Locations
- Eastwick College – Hackensack: healthcare assistant, culinary arts, child related careers.
- Eastwick College HoHoKus School of Trade and Technical Sciences - Paterson: trades, computer/electronics technology.
Program Times
- The students are in attendance Monday – Friday from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. All transportation is provided by the Hoboken Public School District.
Minimum Requirements Per Eastwick College
- Be enrolled as an 11th or 12th grader in high school. 10th grade students will be considered on a case by case basis.
- Have an acceptable academic, attendance, and behavior record.
- File an application signed by the parent/guardian and the high school case manager and/or guidance counselor and a copy of the current IEP and evaluations.
- Complete a personal interview with the Eastwick College/HoHoKus School administration, student and parent/guardian where the student’s interest, motivation, and maturity will be judged.
Academic Infusion Program
- Each of the shared time programs features an integrated applied math and/or applied science component. Instruction is based on skills that have been identified as necessary for a success in a given vocational area. These are not comprehensive math or science courses, and are not designed to prepare for End-of-Course examinations or the High School Proficiency Tests.
- Mathematics and/or science credits may be earned through the programs: however, it is up to the Hoboken Public School District’s discretion as to how the credits will be applied.
- Math or science components infused within the courses: Integrated Mathematics in the Workplace, Science Concepts in the Technical Trades, Medical Mathematics, and Anatomy & Physiology.
Memories of Hoboken Middle School's Passport to Wellness - Hoping for a Springtime Return!
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.
Curriculum Updates
Over the summer months, our Assistant Superintendent and teachers worked to make some positive changes to our curriculum. Middle School Science, Elementary English Language Arts, and Elementary Social Studies documents have all been updated. The work that was completed over the summer is comprehensive and best-in-class.
Units in the Middle School Science curriculum were shifted in order to push Project Lead the Way learning to the end of the year. We want to be sure that all students will experience those particular units of study onsite.
At the elementary level, staff members worked to integrate explicit instruction in the Writers Workshop Model with concrete guidance and recommendations, detailed unit pacing guides, and writing units. It was our goal to present robust instruction in the art of writing. In the social studies content area, you will see that we dug deep into the themes of Social Justice and made powerful literature connections that will highlighted authentic writing opportunities. We are proud to present our partnership with Teaching Tolerance and the ways in which those standards are horizontally and vertically spiraled across each grade level and cumulatively from Kindergarten through Grade 5.
At the high school level, curriculum was developed for newly required courses for graduation at Hoboken High School. Before students leave Hoboken High School, they will take African American History and Culture in America, Latino History and Culture in America, People Who Have Shaped the World, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
I would like to thank Sandra Rodriguez-Gomez, Christopher Munoz, Paul Huggins, Karen Koerner, Dr. Robin Baskinger, Christy Gaudio, Savannah Januse, Corrine Yorlano-Doughtery, Elizabeth Lawrence, Kimberly Mara, and Milana Ayers for their work on these curriculum documents. Their dedication ensures that Hoboken Public Schools will continue to thrive and continuously strive for excellence.
To view all curriculum documents, please visit http://www.hoboken.k12.nj.us/curriculum.
Our District's Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Friday Night Flights
Please see enclosed announcement on SAICs Friday Night Flights, coming 9/25 at 6:30pm. The theme is America’s Got an “Imposter Syndrome” Dilemma. The discussion might interest those across education, media, business, elected office and community who want to:
- Affect social issues.
- Fill the void of missing school sports.
- Avoid pop-up house parties on campus or in town.
The panelists will deliver empowering insights on taking civic engagement and career dreams to new heights, civics education to live your best life and squashing biases for social impact. In addition, more will be shared on the expanded Essay Contest. SAIC isn't about being political, but aspirational.
I’ll be reaching out to others about our program, happy to connect with anyone you might suggest. If we all play a part it will move us closer to affecting change and making a difference. I welcome your sharing with those you deem appropriate.
Outdoor Fitness Hour
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 07834
Phone: (201) 356-3600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HobokenPublicSchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @HobokenSchools