Superintendent's Office

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent’s Report
October 17 , 2007

Curriculum and Instruction
HIGH SCHOOL - HISTORY DEPARTMENT –

Mr. Warren's World History classes began the month by viewing the film, Engineering an Empire: Egypt, from the History Channel. The movie focused on the engineering aspects of ancient Egyptian society as they built super structures such as pyramids, obelisks, and massive stone temples. It also provided insight to several religious practices and everyday life of the Egyptians. After viewing the film, the students produced a two page summary based on the notes they took during the film. Moving on from Egypt, the students examined the rise of the Assyrian empire and how it became the mightiest empire of the world at the time. Following that, students analyzed the Persian Empire and created a poster advertising people of the ancient world to come and visit the wonders the empire has to offer. To end the chapter on early empires, students will identify and describe all the ethical systems that evolved in ancient China, Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, some of which are still used in the modern world today. Later in the month, students will travel to ancient Greece to analyze the effects of the Trojan War and the conquests of Alexander the Great
Mrs. Lewites’ World History POR class is working on the different river valley civilizations that developed and how these people organized their societies and built their civilizations. Utilizing classroom computer and LCD projector the class will view PowerPoint class notes and maps, as well as interactive websites reinforcing each river valley civilization to re-teach lessons on the Code of Hammurabi, Names in Hieroglyphics, and Mummification.
Mrs. Sadiku’s U.S. History I and II classes are required to present a current event on President George Bush and the Iraq war. A class discussion on this topic will conclude the lesson. Family history papers (1st marking period project) for all three classes are due on Monday, October 15, 2007.
Mrs. Sadiku’s U.S. History II will be starting World War I.
Mrs. Sadiku’s U.S. History I will be discussing the original thirteen colonies and the causes that led to the Revolutionary War.
Ms. Cassidy’s U.S. History I students have studied the period of exploration and started reviewing early Colonial America. Students will view a movie: Three Sovereigns for Sarah, a true account based on the Salem Witch trials. Student teacher, Ms. Fueshko has taken over classes and will now instruct the students.
Mrs. McGinty’s U.S. History II students completed the study of The Progressive Era and completed their first assessment. The next area of study will include American imperialism, the Spanish-American War, and the view of America as a world power. As progressives worked for reforms, others pushed for U.S. expansion overseas. This goal was achieved when the United States gained colonial possessions in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. Students will uncover significant developments during this era.
Mrs. McGinty’s honors class has completed their first DBQ test successfully. Additionally, the honors class will examine primary source documents, engage in debate over the building of the Panama Canal, and will complete and present their unit projects.
Mrs. McGinty’s Contemporary World Affairs class formed groups to begin yearlong coverage of the presidential candidates for the 2008 election. Groups are covering all major candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as all independent and 3rd party candidates. Forums of discussion will include debate, QAR, and panel discussion.
Mrs. McGinty’s Sociology students continue to explore culture. Topics include the meaning of culture, cultural diversity, cultural change, resistance to change, and cultural conformity. Students continue to engage in using sociological methods to uncover information such as the observation method, case study, content analysis, and the historical method.
Mrs. Lewites’ US History II POR class is working on different progressive movements at the turn of the 20th century, which led to greater government involvement in many aspects of peoples’ lives. The class will compare the book, The Jungle and its effects on people in the early 1900s with the effects of different government recalls today.
Mrs. Marzi’s Psychology class completed the unit introducing psychological theories and research methods. We now have started on the biological aspects of psychology. To date we have discussed the form and function of neurons and are working on the structure and functions of the brain. We will also study other aspects of the Central and Peripheral nervous system. In addition, we will study inheritance and twin studies.
Mrs. Mikulka--The Library Media Center is now open both before and after school. Ms. Kos opens in the morning at 7:30 am, and Mr. Warren stays open in the afternoons till 3:00 pm on Mondays and Fridays and till 3:30 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Some of the teachers who brought classes in for research and/or computer use were: Mrs. O’Brien, Mrs. Washburn, Mr. Pankiewicz, Mrs. Kolich, Mrs. Czekaj, Mrs. McGinty, Mrs. Lewites, Mrs. Geftic, Mrs. Meyer, Mr. Schimel, Ms. Kos, and Ms. Khandhar. Ms. Dolan brought all her 6th graders in for Library Orientation, and they learned how to access the online Catalog to find a book, and how to locate the book on the Library shelves.
The Book Fair sponsored by the Library and the Key Club on September 19, 20, and 21 was a great success. Almost 40 Key Club members “worked” at the Fair during various periods of the 19th and 20th, and did a great job! The Key Club earned $771. for the charities that they sponsor, and the Library received 37 new books. On display in the Library Media Center we have lovely baskets woven by 6th grade Art Cycle students.
Mrs. Squillace’s Accounting students will be able to journalize transactions using journals, source documents and recording journal entries in a journal.
Mrs. Squillace’s Life Management students will be able to prepare corresponding employment forms and complete tax return (form 1040). Also students will be able to understand the function of checking accounts. (Check cashing, bank reconciliation, etc.)
Mrs. Squillace’s Word processing students will be able to prepare various tables using word 2003.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT –

Mrs. Geftic’s journalism students are in the process of completing their first edition of the Pilot’s Log. It includes articles on Darfur, spirit week, and the renovations to Depken Field. In addition, students prepared an ad campaign and t-shirt sale to stop the genocide in Darfur. All profits will be sent to Save Darfur Foundation.
Mrs. Geftic’s English 12 students have completed a unit encompassing the epic tale Gilgamesh. As a culminating project, students created poems and short stories about the Creation or the Flood, both discussed in the epic. Currently, students are working on composing and improving their college essays.
Laptop Use: Mrs. Geftic’s Journalism students used the laptop to view NSPA Best of the High School Press and CSA winning newspaper entries in their national contests.
Mr. Smith’s English 9 classes have begun the short story unit. After reviewing literary terms including conflict, climax, resolution, characterization, and theme, students are applying knowledge of these terms in works such as Poe’s “Cask.”
Mr. Smith’s Cycle 9 class is currently working on a webquest in which they need to research an author that they will be covering in English 9. A PowerPoint presentation of research gathered will be presented by students when finished.
Mr. Smith’s HSPA English 10 class continues to strengthen their skills relevant to the HSPA. Resources recently used include the Bergen Record, Princeton Review HSPA guidebook, and a new workbook entitled “Currents in Literature.”
Mrs. Fernandes’ HSPA English 9 students are working on vocabulary and reading comprehension. By the end of the month students will learn thirty new vocabulary words and read three short stories. Students are also working on developing comprehensive answers to open-ended questions.
Mrs. Fernandes’ Advanced Genres students are exploring the difficult world of independent filmmaking. Students will explore how filmmakers create movies on a strict budget; the successful independent film Swingers illustrates this idea. Later in the month we will explore the theme of the outcast, as seen in such films as The Elephant Man and X-Men.
Mrs. Fernandes’ Genres and Critical Issues class in honor of October is watching a variety of horror films. The horror sub-genres such as the thriller and the slasher film are being analyzed with films such as Night of the Living Dead and Psycho.
Mrs. Fernandes’ HSPA English 11 students are preparing for the HSPA exam by concentrating on reading comprehension. The class is focusing on author’s intent and central ideas. Near the end of the month, students will begin writing the persuasive essay.
Mrs. Meyer’s English 9 students have finished their in-depth study of Animal Farm and Big Mouth/Ugly Girl and for the next two months will be reading and discussing a number of short stories from their recently distributed textbooks. All elements of the short story including plot, characterization, theme, literary devices, and vocabulary will be part of the course of study.
Mrs. Meyer’s English 9H students have finished their in-depth study of Animal Farm and Big Mouth/Ugly Girl and for the next two months will be reading and discussing a number of short stories from their recently distributed textbooks. All elements of the short story including plot, characterization, theme, and literary devices will be part of their study. Vocabulary books have been given out and the class will be responsible for one unit a week.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s English 10/10H classes have completed a comprehensive study of Early American Literature. As a culminating activity, students read an article on Cal Ripken and compared his work ethic to that of the Puritans. Two ongoing projects include participation in the 2007 Letters About Literature Essay Contest and an independent reading assignment (novel/play).
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 10 students have begun their study of American Literature with Native American myths and stories that stress the importance of preserving the past through writing. To reinforce that concept, they prepared projects such as time capsules, brochures for potential “museums of the future,” and stories from their own cultures.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 12 class has reviewed the elements of an effective essay, focusing on audience and purpose for writing. As authentic application of these elements, they wrote essays for the NJ OIFP Insurance Fraud contest, and drafted their own college admissions essays.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 12 AP class also wrote essays for the Insurance Fraud contest, and revised the college admissions essays they wrote over the summer. They have been reading examples of effective essays by George Orwell, Jamaica Kincaid, and Sandra Cisneros, learning how to apply their effective writing techniques to their own essays.
Mrs. Czekaj’s Shakespeare classes culminated their reading of Henry IV part 1 by staging their reading of the final act out on the lawn, where with a variety of toy swords they were able to recreate the Battle of Shrewsbury. They are preparing individual or group presentations to prove their familiarity with the play.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11 students have begun their study of the Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf. The students are evaluating the themes, stereotypes, and the social relevance of this ancient poem while being assessed using HSPA type tasks.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11-Honors classes completed their study and analysis of selected Victorian poems and novels and are now beginning their evaluation of the Anglo-Saxon elegies and the epic of Beowulf. As part of this unit the students will also be reading and presenting their analysis of John Gardner’s Grendel.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12-Honors students have completed their summer reading tasks and are currently working on their college admissions essays as well as the Voice of Democracy scholarship essay/speech. In class the students are reading and analyzing six creation myths as well as beginning their research projects.
Mr. Van Dam’s HSPA 12 class has completed taking the October test and will now begin the SRA process.
Ms. Kos’s English 9 students are continuing their work on John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. After completing the novel, students will view the film version and will write critical essays in which they address plot, setting, characterization, and major themes. Students will also work on HSPA skills in the context of their work on this novel.
Ms. Kos’s English 10 students are still in the first unit of the American literature textbook and are working on Native American literary selections. Students just completed their own origin myths and will begin a research project in which they study and write about a Native American author. HSPA skills continue to be addressed on a weekly basis. Students will write HSPA-styled picture prompt narratives using Native American scenes.
Ms. Kos’s English 11 class just finished reading “Beowulf” and did wonderful work on their alternative culminating projects for this unit. Among the notable projects students completed were a soundtrack to the epic poem; a story-board summarizing the story; a narrative told from the perspective of another character; as well as number of sculptures and drawings.
Ms. Kos’s English 12 class continues to pursue its world literature-world change curriculum. Students have worked closely with building officials, the DPW, and faculty members of the committee to begin a full-scale recycling program in our building. Now that the recycling program is completely up and running, students are working on a public information campaign, which includes activities to raise public awareness and understanding of environmental issues. This class will now shift its emphasis to reading and writing about nature and the environment, with the recycling campaign moved to an on-going background activity. Students in this class are also participating in the VFW’s “Voice of Democracy” audio-essay competition.
Ms. Kos’s HSPA 11 class is currently working on explicit strategies to improve reading comprehension skills. Students are doing a number of exercises and drills aimed at breaking down the specific skills necessary to master this portion of the HSPA.
Ms. Monetti’s English 11 classes are currently working on the Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf. We have finished discussing the historical background of the warrior society and have started to read and analyze the introduction to the epic.
Ms. Monetti’s HSPA 10 class is currently working on practicing the picture prompt task and narrative text. We have established and discussed strategies to write better open-ended responses and improve our story writing for the picture prompt task. The New York Times is used as a supplement and to improve student’s vocabulary.
Ms. Monetti’s English 10 class is currently discussing early American literature. Samples of literature from the Native Americans have been covered and classes are learning and being quizzed on SAT vocabulary.
Miss Venneman’s HSPA 9 English class is reading the novella The Bridge to Terabithia and writing answers to open-ended essay response questions that pertain to the text. Students are working on their open-ended questions to enhance their writing skills in preparation for the HSPA exam.
Mrs. Schneeeweiss’ Communications classes are busy researching their Reality Check projects that involve searching for colleges that appeal to the students, college applications, deciding on majors and comparing them to other schools. They are also working on Ullead Studio, Sony Vegas and Moviemaker editing programs
Mrs. Schneeweiss’ Drama class is rehearsing, memorizing and performing scenes from the silver screen. They are learning about independent activities and how they enhance a scene.

MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

Mrs. Boggis' Calculus students will be able to calculate slopes and derivatives using the definition of derivative. Students will also learn the different rules of differentiation to calculate derivatives, including second and higher order derivatives.
Mrs. Boggis' Honors Algebra II students will be able to solve linear systems by graphing and algebraically. Students will also solve systems of linear equations in three variables.
Mrs. Boggis' HSPA 9 students will use properties, definitions, and relationships to identify and classify 2D figures. Students will also develop a variety of strategies for determining angle measure.
Mrs. Boggis' Algebra I students will be able to solve equations systematically using addition, subtraction, and division.
Mrs. Healey’s Precalculus classes continue to review algebra skills while they learn to make the connection between solutions to equations and their graphs. During this Section, Functions and Relations, students are expected to solve problems without the use of a calculator. This provides the opportunity to get ready for college placement tests which do not allow calculator use.
Mrs. Healey’s Foundations of Advanced Math class continue to review algebra skills while they learn to make the connection between solutions to equations and their graphs. During this Section, Functions and Relations, students are expected to solve problems without the use of a calculator. This provides the opportunity to get ready for college placement tests which do not allow calculator use.
Mr. Heller’s Geometry classes are continuing their study of relationships among lines, planes, and angles, turning their attention to the significance of parallel lines and planes. Students have been learning and proving numerous theorems associated with these relationships. Students have become familiar with this material through a combination of textbook reading, classroom discussion, and in-class and take-home practice assignments. Students have also had a variety of practice problems and in-class discussion on HSPA-related material, particularly on ratios and proportions.
Mr. Heller's Algebra 2 class is studying problem-solving techniques, translating word problems into verbal models and linear equations, and learning when it is possible to present results numerically, through tables, and through graphs. Students have become familiar with this material through a combination of textbook reading, classroom discussion, and in-class and take-home practice assignments. Students have also had a variety of practice problems and in-class discussion on HSPA-related material, particularly on ratios and proportions.
Ms. Khandhar's AP Calculus students are learning the various techniques for finding a derivative including the Product and Quotient Rules, the Chain Rule, and implicit differentiation. They will then be applying these techniques to solve related rates problems as well as to analyze various curves.
Ms. Khandhar's Honors Precalculus students are finishing a unit on quadratic equations, including topics such as techniques for solving, graphical analysis, and applications. They will be starting a unit on techniques of graphing where they will discuss symmetry, families of graphs, graphs of rational functions, graphs of inequalities, and continuity and end behavior.
Ms. Khandhar's Foundations of Advanced Math is starting a unit on graphing. They will be graphing lines, parabolas, circles, absolute values, and inequalities using a variety of techniques.
Ms. Khandhar's HSPA 10 students will be completing a unit on ratios, proportion, and percent. They will then be starting a unit on geometry, including topics such as geometric properties and geometrical relationships.
Ms. Khandhar's HSPA 11 students will be focusing on applying prior knowledge to solve a variety of geometry problems, including those that involve circles, polygons, angles, properties, and other geometrical relationships.
Ms. Khandhar's HSPA 12 students retook the HSPA exam on October 2. As they await their results, they will prepare to complete the SRA process by reviewing relevant material.
Mrs. Marano's HSPA 11 class has continued work on topics from Cluster 1. Students complete daily worksheets and frequent quizzes to prepare for the March administration of the HSPA.
Mrs. Michaeli’s Algebra 2 classes learned how to solve literal equations, simple and compound inequalities, equations and inequalities that contain absolute value and how to use various graphs to display data. They also solved word problems and HSPA problems involving clusters 1 and 2.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Algebra I students are busy learning several concepts. They have learned how to organize data in a matrix. They learned how to add and subtract two matrices as well. They also learned how to simplify expressions containing distributive properties. They are learning how to use rates to relate quantities measured in different units. All students in class were introduced to the classzone.com web site. This site will offer students the opportunity to obtain extra practice problems on all concepts discussed in class. It's also a great tool if you are absent. Click on the chapter and section you missed and the site will explain how to do the problems in the section.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Foundations of Advanced Math students are busy solving linear equations. Equations contain distributive properties, fractions and decimals. All students are expected to solve problems without the use of a calculator. We're trying to get ready for college placement tests which do not allow calculator use.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT –

Mr. Binazeski’s Physical Science classes are learning about the scientific method and chemistry. The students performed an experiment turning copper pennies into gold pennies. Using their knowledge of the scientific method and chemistry, they will determine whether the penny is truly gold.
Mr. Binazeski’s Environmental Science class is learning the many areas of environmental science and seeing how they apply to everyday life. A case study is being performed on superfund sites with an emphasis on Love Canal.
Mrs. Hicswa’s Biology classes are completing their study of Ecology/Biological Diversity. The students viewed the major motion picture- An Inconvenient Truth. Many discussions in class were based on what was presented in the film. The students were also able to view a series of DVD’s on the various biomes that exist in the world. The question posed to the students when viewing these DVD’s was – what would life be like for you and your family living under these conditions?
Mr. Pignatiello’s CP and Honors Chemistry students are working on naming inorganic compounds following the IUPAC standards. The students are working their way to understanding and writing chemical reactions, which is one of the most important concepts in chemistry. The students will also learn to balance chemical equations which is vital to the stoichiometric calculations associated with these reactions.
Mr. Pignatiello’s AP Chemistry students are working on electrochemistry. They just recently completed a lab that had them convert chemical reactions into electric energy. The students used voltmeters and applied physics to add the electrochemical cells in series to get a voltage reading.
Mr. Stine’s CP and Honors Physics classes are studying Newton’s Laws of motion, to include gravitational and frictional forces. Lab activity for this unit is the friction block lab.
Mr. Stine’s AP Physics students have completed the unit on Newton’s Laws, and will begin the study of momentum and its conservation. By the end of October, the AP class will have finished about 40% of the AP curriculum.

WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT -

Ms. Siddons’ Spanish IV & V students put together a Spanish newspaper with each student assigned a topic to write about. In addition, students are doing research on “Los delfins.’
Ms. Siddons’ Spanish II students have been reviewing work from the previous year.
Ms. Siddons’ and Ms. Torres’ Spanish I students learned more detailed ways to express likes and dislikes. Ms. Torres’ Spanish I students have learned the verb “ser” and are working on a project where they will learn about negotiations between Miami and Hispanic countries.
Mrs. Cafferty’s Spanish III students are learning to talk about keeping in shape and training to participate in sport activities as well as mail and post office vocabulary.
Mr. Eggmann’s French IV/V students are now actively reading French newspapers and then discussing news items with their classmates in French.
Mrs. Washburn’s students researched different Italian explorers including Christopher Columbus. Many small projects consisting of pictures were also created to accompany the Italian descriptions. The internet was used to generate the research on the explorers and understand the explorer’s accomplishments.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT –

Mr. Ascolese reports that the bands are busy preparing for the holiday concert.
Mr. Taylor reports that the choral music classes are exploring breathing, tone production, melody, and harmony.

ART DEPARTMENT-

Ms. Caputo’s Drawing classes are currently working on a new project. The technique of stippling was introduced to them. Students had to find a colored or black and white image and reproduce the same values, shadows, and shading using colored pencils. Students then needed to incorporate the technique of stippling over those values.
Ms. Caputo’s Graphic design class is working on a layout project. The students have to come up with a creative book cover layout that will be all hands on. Students need to keep in mind the placement of text, illustrations, font, etc. when creating their layouts.
Mrs. Brinker's Senior Leadership Class is currently working on coordinating communication protocol between for senior parent information. This class is also working on directing the Annual Senior Luncheon.
Mrs. Brinker's Digital Photography classes are working on Digital Reflections as they learn Adobe PhotoShop in computer lab 101.
Mrs. Brinker's Altered Books classes are creating a new layout for their books which requires interaction from the viewer. Individual ideas and concepts are encouraged and applied in this class.
Mrs.Kritzer’s drawing classes are learning the techniques of drawing with pen and ink. They are practicing using hatching, cross-hatching, stippling and stumbling.
Mrs. Kritzer’s Advanced Art Class are working on a self-portrait that was torn up and taped back together, The students have to show the torn edges and the tape that holds it together.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT -

Physical education department The 10, 11 and 12 grade students are participating in physical fitness twice a week which includes running and fitness stations. The other three days the students are participating in tennis, football, soccer and Ultimate Frisbee. The 9th grade is participating in physical fitness three times per week and activities twice a week.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT -

Mr. Delcalzo’s and Mr.Tessaro’s Driver Education classes have lt. Lt. Mullins interacting with the class talking to them about DWI laws. The classes will get to perform several tasks using the Fatal Vision goggles to simulate the effects of alcohol.
Ms Gaccione’s 9th grade classes have just finished up nutrition and fitness units. Students have begun the unit on tobacco and alcohol. Students will participate in class discussions and activities according to the curriculum.
Mrs. Kolich’s 12th grade Health class just finished the Drug and Alcohol unit and will begin having class discussions on tolerance and prejudices.

INDUSTRIAL ARTS DEPARTMENT -

Mr. Masucci’s high school classes are working on making different types of lamps.

MIDDLE SCHOOL-
MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT-

Miss Keller’s 6th grade mainstream Geometry classes will continue to learn how to organize and display data using line and bar graphs. The students will learn how to create a bar graph with the aid of a computer presentation. By filling in information into different areas, the students will be able to see the graph being created on the over-head projector screen. Once the graph is completed each student will receive a copy of it. After completing chapter one the class will move on to exploring points, planes and lines.
Miss Keller’s 6th grade Honors Geometry classes will spend the month of October continuing to report frequency. The students will learn about random samples and surveys as well as using data to persuade. Once the students have mastered these areas they will display the information with scatter plots. During this section the students will spend time comparing and contrasting scatter plots and line graphs. After completing these sections the students will conclude with a chapter test. .
Miss Mercandino’s 6th grade mainstream Geometry class will apply the previously knowledge of organizing data and use it to create bar, line, and circle graphs. Students will work cooperatively in groups to make a bar, line, or circle graph on poster-size graph paper and present it to the class. This month students will finish chapter 1 and have their first test. Students will be given a website to research in which they can create their own bar, line, or circle graph on the computer.
Miss Mercandino’s 6th grade mainstream Algebra class has been working on Patterns and using Algebraic thinking in word problems. After chapter 1 is completed, the students will begin focusing on fractions. In addition to learning about fractions, students will also learn divisibility rules, and prime and composite numbers. After the students have mastered fractions they will continue to go into further depth by learning how to convert fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions.
Miss DiPiano’s 6th grade Algebra classes have been working hard on Patterns and Algebraic Thinking. After completing a chapter test at the beginning of the month, the students will be ready to investigate fractions. The students will learn divisibility rules, be able to identify prime and composite numbers, and work with fractions. At the end of the month the students will move from one strand of math to another as they will understand how to convert fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions. This topic will better help the students to understand the number system.
Miss DiPiano’s6th grade Honors Algebra classes are busy with fractions and number theory. They will be learning how to find the prime factorization of a number as well as using the same methods to find greatest common factor, least common multiple, and fractions in lowest terms. The students are looking forward to working with fractions and decimals later this month.
Miss DiPiano: Miss DiPiano’s website is a great asset to the class. The students are excited to visit the website and are using it in many different ways. From checking homework and getting copies of notes to working on projects, the students are able to use technology from home to help them in the math classroom.
Mrs. Caputo’s 7th grade mainstream Algebra classes just recently finished Chapter Two, Decimals. We will start Chapter Four, Fractions in a few days. The students are learning the basic vocabulary and rules before working with all four operations with fractions. The students will soon receive cluster IB gepa packet for homework. We are in the process of completing the packet and will check it together on 10-13-06.
Mrs. Caputo’s 7th grade Honors Algebra class is working in Chapter Two, Scientific Notation using positive and negative exponents. Soon the students will have the chapter test. Next we will study Algebraic Expressions and Equations in Chapter 5. The students will soon receive cluster IB gepa packet for homework. We are in the process of completing the packet and will check it together on 10-13-06.
Mrs. Caputo: All of the students appear to be comfortable and working hard. Many of them are doing very well with the review of decimals. Extra help sessions have steady visitors and I encourage them to continue. Pull out support will start next week. The students are excited about the continuous debate about the HW pass chance project. This is a fun way of showing the students that math is everywhere and what they are doing has purpose. I will be taking the Peer-to-Peer leaders on their annual trip on Friday, October 10th.
Mr. Sickels’ 7th grade Geometry mainstream students are currently working on Chapter Seven, Investigating Geometry. As the class explores the different types and parts of polygons and circles, the students will be reacquainted with such Math tools as a ruler, compass, and a protractor. The first of many GEPA packets will be collected and reviewed on October 4.
Mr. Sickels’ 7th grade Geometry Honors class currently working on Chapter Eight, Patterns in Geometry. As the class explores the different types and parts of polygons, the students will be reacquainted with such Math tools as a ruler, compass, and a protractor. The first of many GEPA packets will be collected and reviewed on October 4.
Mr. Mastropietro’s 8th grade Geometry classes are currently finishing Chapter One, Drawing Conclusions from Statistical Data. Next, we will work on Chapter 8, Patterns in Geometry which includes angles, line, polygons, and circles.
Mr. Mastropietro’s 8th grade Honors Topics class is currently finishing Chapter 5, Graphs and Data Analysis. Next we will complete Chapter 6, Introduction to Geometry working with points, lines, and planes.
Mr. Mastropietro: I am currently working towards my masters in educational studies. I am also coaching the girls JV soccer team and working at the football games.
Mrs. Dunne’s 8th grade Algebra I class is completing Chapter 1 by working in groups solving verbal problems using equations. The students have been given their 2nd NJASK Cluster Packet which is due on October 12th.
Mrs. Dunne’s Math 8 classes have completed the four operations using integers and evaluating variable expressions that contain integers. Next the classes will begin evaluating expressions with exponents. The students have been given their 2nd NJASK Cluster Packet which is due on October 12th.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT-

Mr. Rispoli’s 6th grade science the students are finishing their unit on Newton’s Laws. They will then begin applying those laws to all different types of motion. A lab on friction will be completed by the students as well as a lab on momentum. Videos have been viewed using the LCD and computer to show different examples of Newton’s Laws in real world situations.
Mrs. Toy’s 7th grade science classes have begun the unit on Microscopes. They will learn the parts and functions of the microscope, then examine various slides. On October 3, the Bergen County Utilities Authority will be presenting a program to select middle school classes. The program is called, What’s in my Trash?
Mr. Cassiere’s 8th grade students are becoming familiar with calculating density, volume and mass. Two labs are performed in October addressing key concepts: mass vs. weight, and dimensional analysis. For the first lab students were handed a random object in which they had to measure mass using a digital scale and volume using water displacement. Students were assessed through lab work and chapter tests.

ART DEPARTMENT-

Mrs. Kritzer’s Cycle 8 art completed name plates. The students used distorted letters to write their names. Patterning was used to decorate the letters. The students learned about complementary colors to make the letters more appealing.
Mrs.Kritzer’s Cycle 7 art recently studied Vincent VanGogh. Instead of making “Starry Night” the students made “Scary Night”. In the style of Vincent VanGogh”s famous painting, the students produced a Halloween inspired painting.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH-

Ms. Gaccione’s 8th grades Health are finishing up the unit on Heartsaver CPR. Students will be evaluated next week by demonstrating their CPR skills on the provided manikins.
Mrs. Miller’s 7th grade Health cycle finished a unit on fitness and exercise and will begin the Family Life portion of the cycle class.
Mr. Delcalzo’s 6th grade Health class is finishing a unit on drugs and alcohol. They are bringing in adds from the newspaper and magazines to show the adds influence young people to buy there products.
6th, 7th and 8th grade PE classes are all participating in a fitness unit three times per week. This unit includes a period of a run/walk outside and stations inside. The stations are: sit ups, push ups, jump roping, and step ups. They are playing football, soccer and tennis. The classes will also be playing a large group game called “Capture the Flag” which will be incorporated into the fitness days.

INDUSTRIAL ARTS-

Mr. Masucci‘s cycle classes are doing a pre-test on all of the tools to be used. They will be making cutting boards.

SOCIAL STUDIES-

Ms. Sigl’s 6th grades students upon completion of the Chapter 1 test will begin Chapter 2 "The Earliest Human Societies." The learners will complete Chapter 2 vocabulary and then continue working with the chapter using the text, notes, and hand-outs via teacher driven instruction. The learners will begin Unit 2,"Early Civilization of Southwest Asia." The unit begins with Chapter 3, which describes the development of human civilization in Mesopotamia.
Mrs. Gay's 7th grade students continue to explore the five themes of Geography in more depth. They are learning to read a time zone map and to locate places on a map using longitude and latitude. Towards the end of the month, the course will focus on the United States and Canada. Students will be examining current data including population density, infant mortality, and per capita income for each U.S. state and Canadian province. They are continuing to earn points towards an end of the marking period test grade by correctly answering Geography Challenge questions.
Mrs. Rucci’s 8th Grade students covered the Native American migration across the continents, the effects of the arrival of the European explorers and the influences of the different European nationalities. Also covered were the economic activities of the English colonists and the infamous Salem Witchcraft trials. The students have also been reporting on various news stories adding to the current events section of their binders and making for some thought provoking class discussions.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT-

Mr. Colangelo’s Study Skills 6 class will continue to work out of their Study Skills workbook, You Can Take Charge. There will continue to be an emphasis on note taking skills. The students will have a ten-lesson test in the middle of the month.
Mr. Colangelo’s Creative Writing 6 class will continue to write in a variety of forms. They have completed lessons on journal writing and autobiographies. They will begin a lesson in which they have to finish stories without endings. They will also complete a lesson regarding newspaper articles.
Mr. Colangelo’s Literature 7 classes will continue their reading of The Adventures of Ulysses. They will be responsible for study questions and vocabulary as they read. The classes have completed two assessments: a quiz (the first four chapters and vocabulary) and a project (illustrate, using figurative language, Polyphemus – the fiercest of all Cyclops).
Mr. Colangelo & Mr. Stillman’s Literature 8 classes will continue their unit on short stories. They have completed two short stories, The Sniper and The Ransom of Red Chief. They will begin reading The Monkey’s Paw, followed by The Third Wish. They will look for similarities and differences between the two stories. There will also be a consistent emphasis on identifying literary terms in a work.
Ms. Wolf’s English classes are busy ending their unit on “Writing” and beginning to understand “Grammar”. At the conclusion of the “Writing” unit, the students reviewed for a test using a Power Point presentation. Currently, they are starting to identify sentence structure, run-on sentences, and fragments to add to and better their writing skills. In addition to beginning the Grammar section, the students will continue enhancing their writing skills with bi-weekly writing assignments. All of the writing assignments will follow the format of the NJ standardized tests. The writing will be based on pictures or scenarios for writing tasks. The students will also continue to broaden their vocabulary with daily words and bi-weekly spelling units. Ms. Wolf is excited to build upon their already existing skills and introduce them to more advanced information in writing, grammar, and spelling in the months to come.
Mrs. Rowland’s 7th grade English class is working on grammar aspects of sentences. Students had relay races diagramming sentences on the board. Understanding the make-up of a sentence should produce not only better sentences, but should eliminate fragments and run-ons.
Miss Venneman’s Literature 7 classes will continue on their epic journey with Ulysses in The Adventure of Ulysses. Students will be using events in the story in order to draw conclusions of Ulysses’ status as a hero. Students have recently been identifying various types of figurative language throughout the text.
Miss Venneman’s Creative Writing cycle class has recently completed an autobiography where they chose important aspects of their lives to write about. Currently students are exploring various forms of poetry as catalysts for expression.
Ms. Dolan’s sixth grade literature classes will complete Tuck Everlasting at the end of October. The students have been enjoying discussing the novel and the different themes presented. At the end of the book, the students will watch the Disney version and compare the book and the movie.
Mr. Sicilian’s eighth grade English classes are completing a unit on word usage, word choice, sensory detail writing and word connotation using sentence writing activities.

The classes will begin working on the first of a series of writings for their journal portfolios in October. The journal responses are short writing pieces that capture a personal experience. Several students, Conner Blake and Alexa Cintron have expressed an interest in creating a digital photo essay; I may ask Mrs. Brinker’s photography students to “teach” them how and then use them to work with other 8th graders. Conner and Alexa were inspired by the digital photography display outside the library. The 8th graders are gearing up for the annual Patriot’s Pen Essay contest offered to all middle schools.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES-

Mrs. Cafferty’s eighth graders worked on talking about familiar foods and discussed what they and their classmates are wearing and learned the professions.
Ms. Torres’ sixth graders are learning to put together the vocabulary and phrases they’ve learned to write basic dialogs that include questions they ask when they meet someone.
Ms. Torres’ seventh graders are learning the vocabulary to describe their room. They will also learn about Mexico.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT-

Practice has begun in the sixth and seventh grade symphonic band in preparation for the holiday season concert in December.
Mr. McCarthy is covering the baroque, classical, and romantic periods of music in the seventh grade cycle class with American music in the eighth grade cycle class.

EUCLID SCHOOL

Math

Kindergarten is identifying AB patterns. They are using colored counters to copy and extend patterns. They are also using cubes to extend patterns. They are working on word problems by acting them out.
Grade One has completed four chapters in math. The goal is to master simple subtraction and addition facts. Along with this skill, the students are learning how to solve word problems. As a fun assessment, the children created their own word problem and number sentence.
Grade Two is working with tables and graphs. They are working with tally tables. They are also working with concrete graphs. They are creating a class chart of apples and oranges and learning a poem and song for their mapping buddies.
Grade Three is working on comparing numbers, rounding, and creating bar graphs. They are also continuing to practice their multiplication skills, as well as problem solving skills.
Grade Four is focusing upon the balancing of equations. They are working with the associative, communicative, and identity properties. They are solving problems with the “act it out” method.
Grade Five has been estimating sums and differences. They are rounding whole numbers and rounding decimals. They are working on word problems by giving detailed explanation to the solution. They are also practicing their mad minute drills for multiplication and division.

Science-

Kindergarten is learning the parts of a leaf. They created leaf rubbings. They observed an experiment on what a fire needs to burn and made predictions.
Grade One has completed their unit on Living and Nonliving things. They are taking their final assessment. Many hands on activities were completed while studying this unit.
Grades Two has completed their unit and are now beginning a study of mammals and how they adapt to the environment.
Grade Three is learning about the life cycles and adaptations of animals.
Grade Four is completing their chapter test on weathering and earthquakes. They are discussing their weathering projects and focusing on their QAAR objective on force and motion. They are reviewing latitude and longitude.
Grade Five is learning about the periodic table. They are completing various activities related to the numbers identifying electrons protons and neutrons. They are also discussing how atoms combine.

Social Studies-

Kindergartens have completed their unit on rules and have taken their test on getting along with one another. They visited with the firemen and watched a video about fire safety. They also learned to stop, drop, and roll.
Grade One continues to work on their understanding of home and school rules. They are working on the art of reading a calendar. A discussion was held about Christopher Columbus.
Grade Two has completed their study of various communities. They are now working on conflict / resolution.
Grade Three completed a project on the community of Hasbrouck Heights, as well as differentiating between different types of communities in the world.
Grade Four is working on conflict / resolution. They have read and then discussed many situations related to bullying. They are also focusing on the state of New Jersey.
Grade Five is focusing on Early American Cultures. They are creating mind maps for Mound Builders and identifying the characteristics of the Anasazi.

Violence Awareness Week / Character Education

The following activities were done at Euclid during Social Studies lessons.

Teachers completed a lesson on bullying.
Teachers complete a lesson on conflict resolution.
Teachers completed a lesson on strangers.
HHPD Badge Officers visited the classrooms to discuss violence awareness.
Mrs. Beer and Mrs. Joy involved the students in a “Peaceful Hands” activity.
Mr. Minichiello and Mr. Stark involved the students in lessons related to good sportsmanship and resolving conflicts on the playing field.
An informational parent packet was sent home to parents on October 12th.
Students attended the Officer Phil Assembly Program on October 31, 2007.

Language Arts-

Kindergarten continues to learn new letters that they practice writing and identifying. They are writing words that begin with these letter sounds and discriminating between words. They are writing their high frequency words and building their listening skills through oral literacy. They are learning the rhyming found in poems and following directions for activities like “footprints”.
Grade One students are being wonderful readers while mastering their short vowels. They are having fun reading the leveled readers. They have completed their entire first reading book and are now ready to take the Holistic Assessment. Along with the grammar program the children are writing telling and asking sentences, learning about contractions and putting them into stories.
Grade Two has completed a Holistic Assessment. They are working with facts and details. They are focusing on the phonemes, “ai, ay, and ae”. They are identifying questions and statements and adding the proper punctuation while editing. They are writing comparisons and focusing on critical thinking skills like drawing conclusions.
Grade Three is working on descriptive writing and sentence structure. In Reading, they began novels. Mrs. Hagert's class is reading "Chocolate Fever"; Miss DeFilippis and Mrs. Doyle's class is reading "The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates"; and Mrs. Gant's class is reading mystery books. Some skills they are working on are narrative elements, main idea, and author's purpose.
Grade Four is working on essential reading skills. They are identifying main ideas and recalling important facts and details. They are working with exclamatory and imperative sentences. They are writing personal narratives and descriptive paragraphs for Halloween. They are identifying conflicts within their reading selections as well as the problem and solution of the story. They are focusing on realistic fiction.
Grade Five is working on narrative elements. They are listening to a given story and answering critical thinking questions. They are utilizing the Books for All Learners to further reinforce their skills. They are writing and editing letters to the airlines. They are identifying the components of narrative writing and focusing on setting and background. They are demonstrating their ability to identify simple and complete predicates in sentences.

Art –

Kindergarten has been drawing castles.
Grade One is in the process of designing t-shirts.
Grade Two is creating clay pumpkins.
Grade Three is illustrating skeletons. Grade Four is creating 3-D collages.
Grade Five is working with string art.

Music –

Kindergartens through second grades students have been busy playing a variety of rhythm instruments. They are also learning songs that are appropriate for the season. Movement and listening activities during class help to provide a better understanding of the music.
Third grade students are becoming familiar with drumming techniques. They are working with musical questions and answers using solo and group drumming.
Fourth grade students are preparing for their concert trip to NJPAC. The students are listening to the concert repertoire during music class.
The fifth grade students are preparing an ensemble using voice, drums, and bells. The title of the piece is Peace Will Come.

Physical Education –

Kindergarten has been working on their large and fine motor skills while working with the parachute.
Grades One and Two are working on variations of the game tag.
Grades Three through Five are sharpening their soccer skills. They are learning the positions and ball coordination.

World Language-

Kindergarten has learned my name is . . . and how are you as well as learning
Spanish colors and numbers #1-10
1st grade has learned how to say hello, how are you? What’s your name? Goodbye
weather and familiar colors.
2nd grade has learned house and furniture vocabulary, colors, and numbers.
3rd grade has learned how to locate people and things in a room, community
workers, and toys and drawing familiar objects and describing them.
4th grade has discussed Spain and the people speaking Spanish /English, and days
of the week along with talking about foods they like and dislike and the months of
the year and weather
5th grade has learned place settings and types of food at the grocery store
talking about their food likes and dislikes.
Students in grades 3-5 will sing the ABC song and spell their names, the months of the year as well as the seasons.

Library/Computers –

Kindergarten and Grade One listened to a story about fire safety and discussed the importance of home fire drills. They also talked about the career of a firefighter and listed ways they help everyone.
Grades Two through Four logged on to the Internet and found information related to Fire Prevention Week. They practiced the deletion of a web address and typing in a new one. They completed activities at www.sparky.org.
Grade Five set up tool bars in Microsoft Word. They utilized the view menu to locate selected toolbars. They practiced moving and repositioning the tool bars.

LINCOLN SCHOOL

Mathematics:

Kindergarten students have been identifying patterns. Next they will learn how to add on to a pattern using bear shapes, cubes, and color dots.
Our first graders are continuing to work with addition and subtraction as well as strategies for solving word problems.
The second graders are currently working on number patterns. Being able to skip count will make it much easier to recognize the patterns in a chart. We will then take it to the next level and incorporate ordinal positions with different objects.
The third graders finished the first chapter called Addition and Subtraction Concepts. We solved number sentences for missing addends and learned the different properties of addition. We even added and subtracted two-digit numbers with and without regrouping. Along with completing our first chapter, we began reviewing and practicing our multiplication facts 0-7.
Fourth graders are currently reviewing place value and rounding numbers. They review multiplication and division facts weekly as well as problem solving skills.
The fifth graders have completed a unit on decimal place value to the ten thousandths and are beginning the next unit on rounding and estimation of decimals.

Science:

Kindergarten students learned about the season of fall. They discussed the changes that take place. The children made pictures of the life cycle of an apple. During fire safety week, the kindergarten practiced fire safety rules and looked forward to a visit from the HH firemen and fire trucks.
Our first graders are currently finishing up our unit on Living and Nonliving things and will continue with what a plant needs to survive.
The second graders just finished the first chapter in science and are currently growing grass in the classroom. Each child has their own cup with soil and seeds in it. As a class we took predictions as to how long it will take the grass to grow. We put the guesses in a jar and when the grass starts to grow we will see which student was the closest.
The third grade created a model of a backbone using gummy lifesavers and pasta wheels. We identified the needs of animals and adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive. We even identified the four stages of a frog’s life cycle.
The fourth grade students are currently learning about weather and the water cycle. They have learned how water and air affect our weather.
Our fifth graders have finished studying the six land biomes. The students are busy working on one of the land biomes for a presentation due at the end of the month.

Social Studies:

Our kindergarten students read about Johnny Appleseed and enjoyed making applesauce. The classes learned about Christopher Columbus and colored pictures that went with the story.
The first graders are finishing up Unit One - Time for School and will continue with Unit Two - In Our Community in which they will learn the components of a community and discuss the community they live in.
The second graders are becoming more familiar with the different types of communities; they will be creating murals to represent each community type. They will have to creatively draw pictures in groups. The children will also learn the importance of voting.
The third graders completed the first chapter called, “What are Communities?” We compared and contrast three different communities around the world.
The fifth graders have begun reading Chapter 3 Life in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Language Arts:

The kindergarteners worked on the letters R and T. They identified new sight words a, my, and the. The children read stories from the Pre-Decodable Books.
Our first graders have read Ants, Jack and Rick and Todd's Box from the reading series. We will continue to read the stories from the reading series and complete the comprehension tests. We are continuing to cover the short vowel sounds with the class. The students are also writing seasonal stories.
The second graders are really getting an understanding of what characters, setting, plot and solution are. They have also familiarized themselves with the word genre and are able to pick out the genre for each story we have read. The first reading unit will be coming to an end; therefore the first Holistic Assessment will be given. This assessment is a way for the teachers to see how much information each child has retained from the first reading unit. We will be moving at a rapid pace with the spelling words. It is vital that the children study the words given on Monday throughout the week. We are currently learning the ame and ake sounds. Since beginning, middle and ending sounds were just reinforced the children should have more knowledge on how to form and spell words that they are not so familiar with. Naming and telling parts of a sentence will be the primary focus in English. In order for students to form complete unique sentences they must have the proper sentence structure. Naming and telling parts will challenge them in that area.
The third graders learned how to identify complete and incomplete sentences, different types of sentences, and end marks. The children were able to play “Punctuation in a Cup” to help review all of the different types of sentences and end marks that they learned. We learned how to include sensory details and colorful words in our prompts, to make our writing more interesting. We also had the chance to write a descriptive piece, a journal entry, and a personal narrative. We have also had the opportunity to begin drafting stories from pictures. We read three selections from our reading series. They were Officer Buckle and Gloria, Pepita Talks Twice, and Nate the Great, San Francisco Detective. We have defined vocabulary for each story, reread each using readers’ theatre and even listened to them on tape. We have also identified narrative elements using story maps and beach balls.
The fourth graders are learning the four kinds of sentences: Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, and Exclamatory Sentences. They practice their sentence revising and editing skills each day. The students were introduced to Personal Narratives. They read several different examples and then composed one of their own. This week they will be revising and editing them. They also practiced answering Open Ended questions by writing two Journal Entries. This month the fourth grade reading and spelling classes will be completing the book STONE FOX. A book report will be assigned. We will also be working on word relationships using antonyms. The reading classes will continue using a dictionary and thesaurus throughout the year. The students will also start delivering oral summaries in front of the class.
The fifth graders have received their Realistic Fiction Book Report due later this month. They are busy working on all the components pertaining to their Realistic Fiction book. They have also just completed Unit 1 Sentence Structure. They have begun Unit 2 Nouns. They are working on Descriptive Writing Prompts.

Physical Education:

K-2nd Grade: This month the students continued to work on their skipping, hopping and running skills. Students were also introduced to soccer skills such as dribbling and ball throwing and catching skills.
3rd -5th Graders: The students continued to work on their six player soccer games and continue to improve their skills through drills for skills activities. These skills are then used in the six player soccer games. Each class is split up into 3-4 teams with each team consisting of 6 players.

Music: (All Elementary Schools)

The 4th Grade students are working on Concert Pitch B-flat up to D. They are writing and identifying these notes on the Grand Staff and fingering and playing these notes using whole note, half notes and quarter notes with proper articulation.
The 5th Grade students are working on writing and playing both the B-flat Concert Scale and the E-flat Concert Scale. They are also working on music in both keys of B-flat