MIDDLE SCHOOL 02.14.13

MIDDLE SCHOOL 02.14.13
THE HOBOKEN CHARTER SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Deirdra Grode, Executive Director /
Principal K-8
Elementary & Middle School
255 Congress Street
Jersey City, NJ 07307
John Bellocchio, Principal 9-12
High School
4th and Garden Streets, 4th floor
Hoboken, NJ 07030
Tel: 201-963-3280 Fax: 201-963-0695
Important Dates:
Thursday, February 14—Professional Development, 1:00 p.m. dismissal for students
Monday, February 18—School Closed for President’s Day. HIGH SCHOOL ONLY!
Thursday, February 28—Parent Association Meeting—High School, 4th floor, 8:00 a.m.
Wednesday, March 13—Board Meeting @ Demarest Bldg. 4th floor @ 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 14—Professional Development, 1:00 p.m. dismissal for students
Thursday, March 21—Parent Association Meeting—St. Peter & Paul, 4th & Hudson, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 28—1:00 p. m. dismissal for staff & students. HIGH SCHOOL ONLY!
Friday, March 29—1:00 p.m. prompt dismissal for grades K-8
Friday, March 29—Friday, April 5— Beginning of Spring Break! ENJOY!!! High School closed!
Monday, April 1—Monday, April 5— Spring Break for students in grades K-8
Monday, April 8—Grades K-12 resume classes promptly at 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 10—Board Meeting @ Demarest Bldg. 4th floor @ 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 11—Professional Development, 1:00 p.m. dismissal for students
Thursday, April 18—Parent Association Meeting—High School, 4th floor, 8:15 a.m.
Friday, April 26—1:00 p. m. dismissal for staff & students. HIGH SCHOOL ONLY!
Thursday, May 16th– Parent Association Meeting– St. Peter & Paul, 4th & Hudson, 7:00 p.m.
Tomorrow, Friday, February 15th
Dress the Same Day!!!
Friday, February 22– Dress as your
role model
Table of Contents
Fifth/Sixth LA/Humanities
pages 2,3
Middle School Science
page 4
Middle School Mathematics
page 5
Seventh/Eighth LA/Humanities pages 6,7
HCS High School Sweatshirt Flyer page 8
FOHC Capital Campaign
page 9
Rebuild HCS with Fuzzy Lemons page 10
Water Wings Flyer
page 11
Help Rebuild Hoboken Charter!!
Celebrate with the Fuzzy Lemons
on February 17th! See page 10
HCS High School
is selling Cougar
Sweatshirts. Get
yours before they
are gone and
support our
Senior Class of 2013!!!
Save the date…….
Saturday, March 2nd
Water Wings 2013
see flyer on page 11
5th and 6th Grade
Language Arts
The 5th Grade is finishing up their historical fiction
study of Number the Stars, a story about the Danish Resistance
during the Holocaust. They have been practicing active reading
strategies throughout the unit and learning about new literary
elements such as symbolism and mood. As the novel draws to a
close, they will analyze themes such as bravery and sacrifice. The
5th Graders have also been making excellent independent reading choices this trimester, and we are proud of the progress they
are making. In addition to the work they have been doing in
their reading notebooks, they continue to
expose themselves to different genres of
writing. Many of the students recently
wrote a letter to civil rights activist, Ms.
Gwen Moten, to thank her for visiting
our school on Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day.
As the 6th Grade finishes their realistic fiction study of
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, they will have a chance to reflect on meaningful moments in their lives and revisit their narrative writing skills again. They will also have the opportunity to demonstrate all they’ve learned about the story
through a variety of creative projects such as movie
trailers, maps, and poetry. Then we will begin
the art of persuasive writing. This unit will take
the students through the process of producing a
clear thesis statement, supporting a claim, defending counter-claims, and providing alternative solutions to a topic
We look forward to reading what are sure to be convincing arguments!
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Social Studies
5th Grade
It’s hard to imagine life before Ipads, cars, and street lights. As part of
our prehistoric unit we have been learning about what life was like during the Paleolithic and Neolithic Stone Age. Students created missing hominid posters to
learn more about these prehistoric creatures. We have also been studying what
life was like living as a hunter and gatherer.
This month we will begin studying one of the first ancient river valley civilizations, Mesopotamia. In our study we will be examining primary and secondary
sources as well as aspects of this early civilization like religion, government, and
social class. Students will also be working on a mini-research project where they
will be examining a historic event based on a assigned date.
6th Grade
As our ancient river valley study comes to a close with China, our sixth
grade is immersed in a research project. Students are learning how to develop a
strong thesis statement based on information obtained through online sources and
informative texts. Each topic centers around a theme in ancient China such as religion, art, and family life. The paper is designed not only for students to learn
about the research process but explore an area of interest and curiosity. Once
our research unit is complete our class will be studying ancient Greece and it’s influence on our society.
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The 5th Grade will be venturing into the Kingdom of Animalia! Between vertebrates and invertebrates, there are millions of different species. Arthropods alone, which include all insects and crustaceans, make up 2/3 of all animal species. Numbers wise, we humans are a
small fraction of the animal kingdom. And yet, we have impacted the plight of all species,
of all six kingdoms of life, in the shortest most condensed amount of time. And, if we are
not careful, we may very well trigger the sixth mass extinction, if we haven’t already. And
you just know, the cockroach will be sitting back laughing at us when all is said and done.
Survival of the fittest, indeed!
Speaking of extinctions (Jeez, this is a light hearted newsletter, isn’t it?), there were a couple of cool things in the news which correspond to what the middle schoolers have been, or
are about to look at…genetics, half life carbon dating, how and why elements behave in
conjunction with the Periodic Table, timelines, weather patterns, greenhouse gases and
their effects on the ecosystems, and life in general. It’s quite amazing how all of those scientific concepts relate to each other in one way, or another. As you will see, some of the
most seemingly unrelated aspects of life have more in common than two desperate souls at
a local speed dating event!
There has been a discovery which looks at the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million
years ago that, more accurately than previously estimated, points to and confirms the collaborating effects of the massive asteroid/comet collision at Chicxulub, Mexico within a
time frame of 33,000 years through radiometric dating. That might seem like a lot of years,
but in the grand scale of global time, that is almost instantaneous! There were large climate changes at that time which already weakened the Earth’s ecosystems allowing the
large impact of an asteroid to have far more influence on a fragile planet’s climate and food
supply. The dinosaurs could not adapt and thus died off making way for their flourishing
ancestors the birds, as well as, their non relatives and sometimes prey, mammals! Which
brings us to Protungulatum donnae …These little rodent like creatures shared anatomical
characteristics with placental mammals which led to 5400 living species such as mice, elephants, cats, dogs, and of course, humans. It is known that genetically, we are 99%
mouse, and this discovery further demonstrates that lineage. So, when in the unenviable
and confrontational position to be asked: “Are you a man, or a mouse?” You may now reply
with relative certainty: “Both!” This will then confuse your assailant, as it may be presumed they did not pay much attention in middle school science class, allowing you enough
time to escape such a situation through a small crack in the wall!
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5th Grade—5th grade is exploring the wide world of decimals. They
are learning how to add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals. They
are also learning how to convert between fractions and decimals. Next
they will be using decimals to solve real world problem.
6th Grade—6th grade is the midst of unit on geometry. They are about
to embark on a challenging project that will require them to use a variety of skills to solve. See the website mathhcs.wikispaces.com for
more details.
7th Grade—7th grade is finishing up a unit on percentages. Next they
will be doing a project on area and circumference of a circle. They will
be learning how to create an e-brochure and other tech skills.
8th Grade—8th Grade just finished their first midterm exam. They did
quite well. With the conclusion of the first half of the year, the algebra
students will be moving away from linear relationships. They will first
study exponential relationships and then move on to quadratic equations. Much fun lies ahead!
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In 7th grade Language Arts, students are working on a number of projects
to supplement their reading of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. They are
practicing and performing Mockingbird Monologues from the perspective of many
different characters in the novel, writing literary analyses of the book, and creating
unique “Mockingbird Websites” on which they will publish these works. The websites will also provide a space for students to engage critically and creatively with
the novel. Our 7th graders also participated in our monthly Reading Buddy program and worked with their 2nd grade buddies to read fiction together. We also
used this time to create Valentine’s Day crafts for our classrooms.
In 7th grade Social Studies, students finished our study of the scientific revolution
with their very own Invention Convention. Each student drew blueprints for his or
her own invention, and wrote a mini marketing campaign to try and sell the idea to
our SharkTank Teachers. Will these inventions garner the coveted HCS Patent?
We also drafted our very own “9.5 Theses,” modeled after Martin Luther, and
pinned them to the classroom wall. In the upcoming weeks, students will be studying Cartography, Map Skills and the Age of Exploration. These units will help foster a more global perspective of history and the layout of our world.
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8t
Hu h G
m ra
a n de
iti
es
What I See, by Havana Luis
A villanelle on self-esteem
I want the world to pay attention to me
My huge black glasses and size 18 jeans
There’s more bad than good to see
My fake smile and my crooked weird feet
This is how it is for modern day teens
I want the world to pay attention to me
In school it’s a hierarchy, that’s complete
The rulers, the nobles or as I call them, the
queens
There’s more good than bad to see
Every year, It wouldn’t change, a constant
repeat
Never pretty, never skinny, by all means
I want the world to pay attention to me
But I’m a real person who’s actually sweet
A girl with a dream to be on movie screens
But there’s more bad than good to see
I want to be her, perfect and petite
I’m about to give up, and you know what that
means
I want the world to pay attention to me
but there’s more bad than good to see
In 8LA, we are finishing up our study of The Absolutely
True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by writing literary
analyses; each student tracked the evolution of a theme of
their choosing throughout the novel, using sticky notes to
collect evidence. Students enhanced their study by exploring multimedia and other genres to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their theme.
In 8SS, our study of Native
American culture served as a
framework for our unit on
Manifest Destiny and development of the union from 1789
through 1850. Students have
been practicing their map skills
and creating their own artifacts, like wampum belts.
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Hoboken Charter High School
SENIORS ARE SELLING
HCS SWEATSHIRTS
for $32.50
The sweatshirts are black with the following
logo on the front.
If you would like to order a sweatshirt, please send in cash or check payable to Hoboken Charter
School (noted Senior Sweatshirt) by March 8, 2013 to the 255 Congress St. main office.
Thank you for supporting our seniors!!
Name ______________________ Grade (if a student)____________
Size______________ (specify adult or child and size)
Please feel free to make copies and order multiple sweatshirts
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FoHCS Capital Campaign Update & Status as of February 6, 2013
The 3rd grade is now heading down the homestretch having galloped ahead since the last update
and they are now over the 80% mark! But don’t look over your shoulder as this is still anyone’s
race. Kindergarten and the 1st grade are neck and neck over 60% while number 4 is showcasing their
school pride, joining the ranks of classes that have stampeded past the 50% mark -- along with the 2nd
grade. Grade 5 is right behind them with 45% and we all knew that 6,7, and 8 would pick up the pace
and they too are headed to the finish line.
We would continue the analogy with a Win, Place, and Show reference but in this race it is Win, Win,
Win! We will all benefit from the continued generous Capital Campaign Donations coming in - - we will
all benefit from returning to Hoboken in an IMPROVED facility - - and we will all win by reaching the
100% challenge and collecting on the $30,000 anonymous pledge.
As indicated before, we are asking our families to make the most generous contribution they are capable
of – and we continue to ask those able to reach our dedication levels to consider doing so. We know
that is not possible for everyone so your participation at any level, whether $10 or $10,000, will be an
equal indication of your dedication to HCS. We are all in this together – it’s part of what makes our
school special! We also continue to receive SO MUCH support from outside of our direct school community - - and there is no better way to reinforce to those companies, businesses, and individuals, how
extraordinary our school is than by achieving a 100% participation rate - - across the board! We would
like to get this done by the end of February, so PLEASE SHOW YOUR HCS PRIDE AND MAKE YOUR
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION NOW.
Contributions for the Capital Campaign made payable to The Friends of Hoboken Charter School can be
forwarded in the return envelope sent with the Capital Campaign Letter, mailed to The Friends of Hoboken Charter School, P.O. Box 229, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, or transacted online at www.hcs-pa.org/
donate_now
As always, if you have questions please feel free to contact any one of us by e-mail or phone.
The Rebuild HCS Capital Campaign Committee, Co-Chairs
Steve Calmas
[email protected]
Jane McConnell
[email protected]
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Alissa Modica
[email protected]
The Next B!G Thing
Presents
Rockin' 5th Birthday Party!
Sunday, February 17th, 3:00 p.m.
The Community Church, 6th and Garden, Hoboken
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SAVE THE DATE
> SATURDAY MARCH 2nd <
from Noon to 2:30 PM
-- FOR --
WATER WINGS 2013:
DUCKIES & BUBBLES, OH MY!
A FUNdraiser benefiting H2O for Life to build a water retention tank and toilets for
the Danijo Shiners Academy (a primary school for orphaned children) in Odienya,
Kenya (bringing clean, safe water to the kids of Africa)!
Featuring the first ever “What the Duck? Wearable Art Fashion Show and Auction”
of student altered artful rubber duckware
(c’mon, you know you need some duck boots)
-- PLUS -An afternoon of water games, information and fundraising in a CARNIVAL atmosphere…
(Part of the 3rd grade UBUNTU Art & Water Project)
-- WITH -A Special “BUBBLES” Theme Performance FEATURING
Internationally Acclaimed NYC Dancer/Choreographer
DAVID PARKER of THE BANG COMPANY
&
A Bubbly Performance by this year’s UBUNTU kids
@ Saint Matt’s Parish Hall
@ 8th & Washington Streets) Hoboken, NJ
-- Because every day 4,500 children die due to a lack of clean water --
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