Superintendent's Report
February 28, 2008

Curriculum and Instruction -

High School –
WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT

Ms. Siddons’ Spanish II students are reviewing clothing vocabulary and learning words to describe shopping experiences.
Mrs. Cafferty’s Spanish III students are learning about different professions and what these people do for a living. Students discussed the things they liked and didn’t like about the different jobs.
Ms. Torres’ Spanish I students area studying the theme “eating with the family.” Traditional cooking of Puerto Rico and grocery shopping will also be discussed.
Mrs. Washburn’s Italian students researched Black History Month on the internet. They are looking for Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Roy Campanella who have an Italian heritage.
Ms. Siddons’ Spanish I students are learning to talk about feelings, emotions, and locations.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Mr. Ascolese’s Music Theory class is learning about music during the baroque period as it relates to vocal and instrumental composition.
The Concert and Jazz Bands are preparing for the annual “Pops” Concert on March 5.
The Marching Band is busy preparing for the spring trip to Orlando, Florida in April.
Mr. Taylor is continuing work on the “Pops” Concert material as well as working on sight-seeing/reading skills in class.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Mr. Smith’s English 9 classes have begun the new semester with an in-depth study of William Shakespeare and the Globe Theater. Discussion/activities took place as a pre-reading exercise to our study of Romeo and Juliet.
Mr. Smith’s HSPA English 10 class has begun the new semester by completing a project on how companies use persuasion to get consumers to purchase their products. Time and attention will soon be given to preparing students for the practice HSPA test in early March.
Mr. Smith’s Cycle class has begun the cycle by looking at how to evaluate a website for credibility. Our first project will be on diversity in which students must compare/contrast three groups of people in society after completing research on them.
Mrs. Geftic’s journalism students are in the process of working on the third edition of the Pilot’s Log. It includes articles on Campaign 2008, the school play, a prom preview, and sport’s spring outlook. In addition, students completed a hands-on midterm where they used InDesign, PageMaker, and Photoshop to create an original front page of a newspaper. Special attention was given to layout and design as well as applying AP standards to their articles.
Mrs. Geftic’s English 12 students completed their midterm exams. During the essay portion, 16 laptop computers (on carts) were used by the students to complete this portion of the exam. This is essential preparation for taking exams in college where laptop computers are the standard. Currently, students are studying a unit encompassing the epic tale, Homer’s Odyssey. As a culminating project, students will find a new job for Odysseus creating a resume and introductory letter to possible employers. This assignment will teach students to use action words, be concise and tailor their resume to fit the job, skills that are necessary in the real world.
Mrs. Fernandes’ HSPA English 9 students are continuing to sharpen their HSPA skill with various activities. Students will be exposed to new vocabulary, answering multiple-choice questions from a narrative text and writing descriptive essays. The class continues to use HSPA related workbooks.
Mrs. Fernandes’ Advanced Genres students are being exposed to the Avant-Garde film genre. Students began this unit with the highly conceptual film Koyaanisqatsi, exposing them to a series of images that link humankind and nature. Other films in this unit will be Brick, a detective story set within a high school and Donnie Darko, a film that explores the relationship between space and time.
Mrs. Fernandes’ Genres and Critical Issues students are watching one of the favorite genres, animation. Students will be exposed to a variety of styles such as hand drawn animation with Triplets of Bellville and computer generated animation with Hoodwinked. This unit will culminate with student created animated flipbooks.
Mrs. Fernandes’ HSPA English 11 students are preparing for next months HSPA by reviewing skills needed for the test. Students are working on a packet of material containing the persuasive and picture prompt essays, reading, and responding to narrative and persuasive texts. Skills for writing and taking multiple-choice tests will be reviewed.
Mrs. Meyer’s English 9 class has begun their study of William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. In addition to understanding the plot of the play, they will become familiar with the Globe Theater, the Elizabethan society, and the literary devices employed by the author.
Mrs. Meyer’s English 9H class has begun their study of William Shakespeare’s political play Julius Caesar. After becoming familiar with the political climate in England during the time Shakespeare was writing, the class will compare the author’s bias in the play to the conditions in England just prior to and during Shakespeare’s time.
Miss Venneman’s HSPA English 9 class will be working on essay writing and short answer responses in preparation for the practice HSPA exam in March. Students will be focusing on organizing supporting details, writing mechanics for essays, and written responses.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 10 class finished its study of persuasive speeches and moved on to read Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. They will use exercises associated with this novel to prepare for the March practice HSPA.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 12 class is concluding its study of Homer’s Odyssey by playing a board game that replicates Odysseus’s journey home from the Trojan War. They will soon begin reading the Sophocles tragedy Oedipus Rex.
Mrs. Czekaj’s AP English classcontinues preparing for May’s AP test by moving on to terms and strategies associated with the multiple choice section. They continue to read Hamlet closely, sharpening their skills with complex vocabulary and concepts.
Mrs. Czekaj’s Shakespeare classes finished reading Othello and watched the Laurence Fishburn movie to assess one director’s interpretation. They also have watched The Compleat Works of Wm Shakesre (abridged), parts of which they will be performing for the ninth grade in April.
Ms. Monetti’s English 10 & 11 classes are reviewing for the HSPA. We are currently working on the persuasive passage by reading and analyzing various editorials from the newspaper. We are determining the central idea/writers overall opinion, looking at vocabulary in context, and working on open-ended questions.
Ms. Monetti’s HSPA 10 class is currently focusing on comprehending narrative text. We are reading and discussing short stories with the theme, “learning a lesson”. In addition, students are practicing writing stronger open-ended responses.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s English 10 and 10 Honors classes are studying Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. HSPA style quizzes, journals, group projects, and film clips were utilized to enhance student exploration of the text.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11 class is currently reading excerpts from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and selected tales by the Wife of Bath, the Pardoner and the Knight. Students are analyzing the stereotypes and characterizations developed in this literary classic and comparing the medieval character depictions and values with those that exist today. The students also continue to take practice tests and prepare for March HSPA.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11-Honors classes are concluding their study of the Arthurian Legend and are analyzing the primary theme of the conflict between personal interests and the good of a nation or society. Upon conclusion of this unit, the classes will begin a unit on poetry that will heavily emphasize the use of figurative language as a tool to develop sophisticated and artistic written expression.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12-Honors class continues to study Asian poetry, essays, and philosophies. A heavy emphasis is being placed on understanding the philosophical similarities and differences between Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism and how these beliefs compliment and conflict with traditional western values. Upon the conclusion of this unit, the students will begin their comparative study of two classic dramatic tragedies.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12 SRA class continues to work on completing the required PAT’s as well as preparing for the March test.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’ Communications classes are currently working on projects for Read Across America and learning how to send out/burn dvds on editing programs. They are also working on Foley ( sound effect) projects and voice overs
Mrs. Schneeweiss’ Drama class is busy selecting scenes from films prior to 2000 that were rewarded with Academy Award nominations

HISTORY DEPARTMENT

Mr. Warren's 9th grade World History classes began the New Year discussing "hot topic" current events that would dominate the news in 2008. The students summarized news articles from the New York Times and then were asked to give three predictions about the future of these current events. Following this activity, the students delved back in time again to the beginning of the European Middle Ages. Analyzing events such as the effects of the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Germanic peoples, the students were able to explain how great leaders such as Charlemagne tried to reunite the world through Christianity. Students were able to describe the knightly code of chivalry and how it gives the modern world a slanted view of how knights really behaved. The students were able to see this behavior while viewing "A Knight's Tale", a modern film based on the duties and daily life of Middle Age knights. In February, students will embark to feudal Japan and be able to compare and contrast their system of feudalism with the Western European version. A PowerPoint project will follow.
Ms. Cassidy’s U.S. History I students will be completing study of the various reforms of the early to mid 1800’s. Discussion took place regarding the “Super Tuesday” Presidential Primaries and students created projects profiling the remaining candidates. Students will continue to view “Roots” and read articles on the Underground Railroad in New Jersey, and view speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mrs. Sadiku’s U.S. History II students completed Chapter 21 "The Roaring Life of the 1920's"and Chapter 22 "The Great Depression Begins." In addition, I reviewed 3 days for the mid-term exams. This month I plan on teaching students about Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs and the impact it had on the economy and the Great Depression. Since it is Black History month, students will create a project of a person or a movement that pushed for equal rights for African Americans. The projects will be put up on bulletin boards. I will also assign the "Children’s Book" project that will be due at the end of the marking period. I plan to start chapter 24 after winter break.
Mrs. Sadiku’s U.S. History I students completed Chapter 6 "Launching the New Nation." I also reviewed with the students for the mid-term exams. This month I will start Chapter 7 "Balancing Nationalism & Sectionalism". Students will learn the economic differences between the different regions of the United States and discuss the contributions and changes Andrew Jackson made during his presidency. Students will create a project of a person or a movement for Black History month. I will also assign the Children’s Book" project that will be due at the end of the marking period. I would like to start chapter 8 when we return from winter break.
Mrs. McGinty’s CWA class will continue to analyze and critically evaluate key issues occurring in today’s society, including, but not limited to, the upcoming primary elections and the impact of the Internet on news and media. Students will continue to engage in discussions and debates as a way to strengthen their abilities to civically engage in diplomatic discourse. In celebration of Black History Month, the students will reflect on the legacies of civil rights actions and protests.
Mrs. McGinty’s Sociology students will begin this month with an introduction to sociology. Subjects include the sociological perspective, the meaning of culture, cultural variation, cultural conformity and adaptation, social control and social change. Students will conduct research using the sociological methods: content analysis, the survey method, observation, evaluating case studies and evaluating statistical analysis.
Mrs. McGinty’s United States History II students will be studying the era of Franklin D. Roosevelt beginning with the New Deal. They will explore the impetus for FDR’s legislations and the impact these policies had on the American nation. They will focus on the effects of the New Deal on groups of Americans such as African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, and women. There will be a focus on the culture of the 1930s and the lasting impact of New Deal programs.
Mrs. McGinty’s Honors - Additionally, the honors classes will be analyzing primary source documents, engaging in debate, and synthesizing information with their performances on the DBQ assessments. A new unit project was assigned for this month.
Mrs. Marzi’s Psychology class we have completed our study of learning and memory. In that study, we have examined the strategies that may be useful in studying for each student based on their learning and personality profiles, and also how to maximize study efficiency and minimize time based on those same profiles. We finished with presentations on psychiatric disorders, utilizing presentation skills, research skills, creativity, and accuracy. Most students used a multimedia approach, including a power point presentation and film clips or posters with their oral presentations.
Mrs. Marano’s Computer Applications I and II classes completed work with the Office Suite of applications, and will be beginning work with Adobe PhotoShop.
Mrs. Squillace’s Accounting students will be able to journalize purchases and payments of accounts payable.
Mrs. Squillace’s Life Management students will be able to identify advertising procedures.
Mrs. Squillace’s Word Processing I & II: Students will be able to create worksheets thru the use of Excel.
Mrs. Mikulka Library Media Center - Among the teachers who scheduled classes into the Library Media Center this month were Mrs. Lewites, Mrs. Khandhar, Mrs. Geftic, Mrs. McGinty, Mrs. Stoehs, Ms. Kos, Mr. Schimel, Mrs. Washburn, Ms. Monetti, and Mrs. Czekaj.
New displays include “Eyes of God” woven by Mrs. Brinker’s 6th grade cycle art class, and wire figures. We continue to display pizza boxes with depictions of the planets from a new 6th grade cycle, depictions of Ancient Rome by Mr. Warren’s World History class, and Cell Projects from Mrs. Hicswa’s Biology classes.

ART DEPARTMENT

Mrs. Reed’s painting classes are starting the class by incorporating the color wheel and it’s theories to an optical illusion painting. Students are creating a design and duplicating to several times, then painting using theories and creating illusion.
Mrs. Reed’s graphic design class is starting the class by creating a modern version of the 70’s Love logo poster. Students will need to meet pre-set requirements such as size, font and images.
Mrs., Kritzer’s Painting classes have begun. The students are learning color theory while completing a tempera painting. They must scramble the letters of their full name to make an appealing design. The students can choose from complementary, split complementary, analogous and analogeous/complemntary color theories.
Mrs. Kritzer’s advanced art have begun their three dimensional study. The students are starting by carving a tribal god. They will be using various cutting tools to sculpt a block of balsa wood.
Mrs. Kritzer’s Student Council will be discussing prejudice in our school. Several students have commented on culture acceptance in our school. The students are going to brainstorm ideas on cultural tolerance.
Mrs. Brinker's Senior Leadership Class is working on preparing details for this year's prom and sample favors are on order.

Senior Week events are starting to take shape at this point in time.

Mrs. Brinker's Multi-cultural Arts Class is learning the art of latch-hook rug making.
Mrs. Brinker's Altered Books classes are creating a new layout for their books reflecting the theme of inspiration. Individual ideas and concepts are encouraged and applied in this class.

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 volleyball, hockey, and fitness room. The 9th grade is participating in physical fitness three times per week and activities twice a week.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Mr. Llauget’s and Mr Scuilla’s 11th grade health classes started a unit on birth control and STD’s. Students will explore the different types of birth control and their effectiveness.
Mrs. Kolich’s 12th are working in the library to study drugs and alcohol. Students are using the internet as a tool to research the long term, short term effects, withdrawals, and how to help a person with a problem.
Ms Gaccione’s 9th grade classes began the third marking period with nutrition and fitness. Students have compared food labels, food diary logs, and discussed the new food guide pyramid. Students will also learn how to define portions and fad diets.

INDUSTRIAL ARTS

Mr. Rossi took over for Mr. Masucci’s high school classes are finishing up making different types of lamps. He will begin teaching them how to frame a wall.

MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

Mrs. Boggis' Statistics students will be able to explore the definitions of mean, variance and standard deviation for populations and samples. Students will also be able to determine which percentage of the data fall within numerous standard deviations of the mean.
Mrs. Boggis' Honors Algebra II students be able to find and classify all real zeros of a polynomial function. Students will also analyze graphs of polynomial functions by finding intercepts and graphing.
Mrs. Boggis' HSPA 9 students will be able to recognize, create, and extend a variety of patterns and functions. Students will use inductive reasoning to understand and represent mathematical and other real world phenomena.
Mrs. Boggis' Algebra I students will be able to graph and solve linear inequalities in simple and compound variables. Students will also use linear inequalities as a model for real life situations.
Mr. Mastropietro - 10th grade Geometry classes are working on Chapter 5 in Geometry textbook.
Mrs. Marano - Honors Geometry The concept of similar triangles is being introduced. Students will review properties of proportions and learn to solve similar figures.
Mrs. Marano - Geometry The students will work on congruent triangles and will be learning how to prove that triangles are congruent and solve for missing parts of congruent triangles.
Mrs. Marano - Algebra 2 students have begun to work on solving systems of equations by graphing and by algebraic manipulation.
Mrs. Healey’s Precalculus classes are exploring infinite sequences and series before discovering the number e. They will learn to apply the natural log and common log to real-life situations.
Mrs. Healey’s Foundations class is exploring sequences and series before discovering the number e. They will learn to apply the natural log and common log to real-life situations. The focus of this class is algebra and arithmetic skills which will be practiced as the students are exposed to the advanced math concepts.
Ms. Khandhar's AP Calculus students will be learning about differential equations. They will analyze and solve differential equations through slope fields, Euler's method, and separation of variables. They will also use linear differential equations to solve applied problems. After studying differential equations, students will move on to applications of integration. They will apply integration techniques to find the area between two curves as well as the volume of three dimensional figures.
Ms. Khandhar's Honors Precalculus students will study conic sections this month. They will be introduced to the concept of loci and how conic sections can be described as a locus of points. They will also learn how to graph and write equations for circles, ellipses, parabolas and hyperbolas as well as translate the conic sections in the coordinate plane.
Ms. Khandhar's Foundations of Advanced Math - This marking period, study will focus on consumer mathematics. Students will learn about banking, earning interest, saving money, using credit cards, etc. Students will apply their knowledge of algebra and exponents to analyze how the value of objects and/or money can grow or depreciate.
Ms. Khandhar's HSPA 10 Students will continue their study of probability this month. They will then move on to statistics and data analysis where they will review different methods of data display and measures of central tendency.
Ms. Khandhar's HSPA 11 will be finishing HSPA review material this final month before the HSPA exam in early March. They will review such topics as relations and functions, equations and inequalities, and transformations. At the end of the month, they will take a few practice HSPA exams to prepare for the actual test.
Ms. Khandhar's HSPA 12 students will continue to prepare for the HSPA exam, which will be taken in early March.
Mrs. Marano's HSPA 11 class has completed work on Cluster III, and are now working on Cluster IV, Algebra concepts. Students completed a practice HSPA exam for their midterm and are continuing to prepare for the March admission of the HSPA.
Mrs. Michaeli’s Algebra 2 classes learned how to identify a relation and a function. Students displayed relations by using ordered pairs, graphs, mapping diagrams, and equations. They performed operations with functions and sketched the graphs of the inverse functions. They also solved HSPA problems involving Cluster 3.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Algebra I students are currently solving and graphing linear inequalities. We will be solving inequalities in one variable, writing and using a linear inequality as a model for a real- life situation, solving compound inequalities, and learning how to solve absolute value inequalities.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Foundations of Advanced Math is currently reviewing the laws of exponents. We will be utilizing this knowledge to help us calculate exponents to base 10.

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT –

Mr. Binazeski’s Physical Science classes have completed their study of volcanoes, earthquakes and weather formation. Students are utilizing Mr. Binazeski’s new website to download class notes. Review for midterm was provided daily after school. Mr. Binazeski has invorparated his new technology, Smartboard, to help students with note taking.
Mr. Binazeski’s Environmental Science class has completed the lesson on tundra/desert biomes and performed multiple labs on biomes. Students are utilizing Mr. Binazeski’s new website to download class notes. Review for midterm was provided daily after school. Mr. Binazeski has incorporated his new technology, Smartboard, to help students with note taking.
Mrs. Hicswa’s Biology classes have completed a unit on cell division, mitosis, and meiosis. Discussions included DNA replication, protein synthesis, and mutations. These discussions were further enhanced by viewing “Lorenzo's Oil” with Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte. This film allows the students to see and discuss the devastating effects of a genetic flaw and brings to light the legal, ethical, and scientific procedures that must be followed in order for new treatments to be made available to patients.
Mrs. Hicswa’s Honors Biology class completed the above unit of study as well as a unit on photosynthesis and cell respiration/fermentation.
Mrs. Hicswa’s classes are now involved in studying the probability of inheriting various traits or characteristics- for example, hair color, widow's peak vs. straight hair line, etc. By setting up Punnett Squares, students are incorporating mathematics in the biology classroom to make predictions concerning inheritance.
Mr. Pignatiello’s CP and Honors Chemistry students have just finished their exams and are starting the 3rd marking period. The students will be introduced to atomic history and the periodic table. The students will discuss the History behind the atom from early times right up to current ideas. The students will learn about electron configurations and go into a great amount of depth on the whereabouts of electrons within the atoms.
Mr. Pignatiello’s AP Chemistry class has completed their exams and performed extremely well as a whole. The second half of the year poses a difficult challenge in terms of material. We will be discussing solution chemistry, kinetics, equilibrium and Acid/Base reactions. These topics seem to give students the most trouble on the AP test statistically nationwide. It is my goal to focus on the troubled spots to make that adjustment easier on the students. The better prepared they are, the more confidence they will have.
Mr. Stine’s CP and Honors Physics continues the study of waves and wave phenomenon. Topics include interference, Doppler Effect, Resonance, and Polarization. Labs and demonstrations include sympathetic tuning forks, Doppler demonstrator, polarized lenses, thunder drum, and singing rods.
Mr. Stine’s AP Physics will begin the study of rotational motion to include rotational kinematics, rotational inertia, angular momentum, and rotational kinetic energy.

Middle School-
MATHEMATICS DEPT

Miss Keller’s 6th grade mainstream Geometry classes will learn how to find the area of parallelograms, triangles and trapezoids. Next, the students will explore pi, learning why pi is equivalent to 3.1415926……... By gaining an understanding of pi, the students will have an easier time learning area of a circle and circumference. The class will then begin to explore three-dimensional figures. The students will explore prisms, pyramids, cones and cylinders and become familiar with the characteristics that distinguish. The students will learn about nets and will be able to identify shapes by their nets. The students will learn to apply their understanding of area to figure out the surface area of rectangles and squares. By using connecting blocks and other hands-on activities the students will be able to gain a better understanding of surface area. Our next objective is volume.
Miss Keller’s 6th grade Honors Geometry classes will begin the month of February learning how to find the area parallelograms, trapezoids and triangles. Next, the students will explore pi, learning why pi is equivalent to 3.1415926…….. Once the students have learned about pi, they will use their understanding to find the circumference and area of circles. Through the use of graph paper and cube blocks, the students will master the concepts of perimeter, area and circumference. The students in Miss Keller’s class will finish off the month learning how to change units of measure.
Miss Mercandino’s 6th grade mainstream Geometry students will learn how to find the area of parallelograms, triangles and trapezoids. They will also learn the difference between area and perimeter. After understanding the area of these polygons they will learn to find the area and circumference of circles and understand the concept of Pi. After mastering area, the students will then begin to explore three dimensional figures. During this section the students will learn about prisms, pyramids, cones and cylinders. In this section the students will learn what a net is and will be able to identify shapes by their nets. After understanding three dimensional figures they will then being to find the surface area of these figures. Through connecting blocks and hands on activities the students will be able to gain a better understanding of area and surface area. After this section the students will study volume.
Miss Mercandino’s 6th grade mainstream Algebra class has been busy using fractions. They have learned to estimate the sums and differences of fractions as well as modeling fractions with like and unlike denominators. Another topic learned was to add and subtract mixed numbers using different techniques. The students were able to recall some topics from previous years learned and apply it to the new topics. After completing a mid chapter test, the students will be looking forward to working with the multiplication and division of fractions and using diagrams to solve word problems.
Miss DiPiano’s6th grade Algebra students have been investigating fractions. They are learning how to change fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions. They are also learning how to multiply and divide fractions and mixed numbers. Students have recently completed their midterm examinations that covered three chapters they have worked on. Towards the end of the month, the students will begin Chapter 7, which will focus on ratios and exploring percents.
Miss DiPiano’s6th grade Honors Algebra students have been busy beginning Chapter 6. They are working with ratios and proportions. The honors students are learning how to use ratios and set up proportions. They will also begin working with percents and how to change them to decimals and fractions as well as working with percent of increase and decrease. The students have recently completed their midterm examinations that covered four chapters they have worked on.
Mrs. Caputo’s 7th grade mainstream Algebra classes are currently working on exam reviews to prepare for our upcoming midterms. After midterms we will be working on NJ ASK chapters in Algebra. Our next chapter in our curriculum is Chapter 7 Ratios, Proportions and Percents.
Mrs. Caputo’s 7th grade Honors Algebra class is busy reviewing for the upcoming midterm. After the midterms are over we will also work in the NJ ASK booklets in the chapters of Algebra. The next chapter in our text book will be chapter 7 on Percents.
Mrs. Caputo: All of the students will receive cluster IVA gepa/njask packet for homework and class work review. We are in the process of completing these packets and will check them together before our February break.
Mr. Sickels’ 7th grade Geometry mainstream students are currently working on Chapter Eight, Geometry and Measurement. We just completed lesson 8-4 Area and Circumference of a Circle. The students are doing very well with these math concepts. They are excited and eager to learn.
Mr. Sickels’7th grade Geometry Honors class is currently working on Chapter Six, Applications of Proportions. We just completed lesson 6-5, Similarity Transformations. We will continue to working on this chapter throughout this month.
Mr. Sickels: As we continue in February we are on schedule with the gepa/njask assignments, currently completing pack II C. You will also see njask review packs in the students’ notebooks as we continue to prepare for this year’s njask Test. The midterms went well and the students are working hard in the third marking period to do their best.
Mr. Mastropietro’s 8th grade Geometry classes are working on Chapter 9 with nets, surface area, and volume. We are also finishing gepa/njask Cluster 3.
Mr. Mastropietro’s 8th grade Honors Topics class is currently on Chapter 6 in the Algebra book solving and graphing Inequalities. We also are in the process of finishing gepa/njask Cluster 3.
Mrs. Dunne’s 8th grade Algebra I class classes have completed graphing the equation of a line. They will now write the equation of a line given certain information.
Mrs. Dunne’s Math 8 classes have become proficient in equivalent forms of fractions, decimals, and percents. They are now applying that to problems that use percent of change, discount, sale price, mark up, and selling price.

SCIENCE DEPT –

Mr. Rispoli’s 6th grade science students learned about the sun, Earth and moon. They learned about tides, the seasons, rotation and revolutions. Early space travel to current day travel was learned in class. The features of the moon were covered as well as the landings on the moon. The students learned the features of the sun and the ways solar winds, sunspots and solar flares actually affect us here on Earth. The students created a moon phase calendar. They are currently learning about the Inner Planets.
Mrs. Toy’s 7th grade science students have completed their class discussions on DNA and genetic cloning. The crime unit is well under way. All of the students have been fingerprinted and evidence is being collected throughout the classroom. Students will investigate a series of crime scenes and use their newly found knowledge to solve the crimes.
Mr. Cassiere’s 8th grade students will be reviewing for njask/gepa using “Preparing for the NJ GEPA” text. Topics for this month will include plant/animal cells, atoms, chemical bonds, force/motion, weather, water cycle, and plate tectonics. Students will be assessed using section quizzes and open ended responses from the text.

ART DEPARTMENT-

Mrs. Kritzer’s Cycle 8 Art will be making African masks in honor of “Black History Month”. The students will be using plaster strips over a face mold to form their masks. The internet will be used to influence the students on African masks.
Mrs. Kritzer’s 7th grade cycle studied Harlem Renaissance artists to kick off Black History month. The students will do collages in the style of Romear Bearden, who was a black artist influenced by the culture of the south and New York City.
Mrs. Brinker's 6th Grade Cycle Class has a display of completed Reed Basket Projects in the glass cases for the month of February at the HH Public Library. Parents of these students have been notified via email through the RenWeb system.
Mrs. Reed’s 6th grade technology cycle class has completed a layout of a theme park design. The designs needed to meet pre-set requirements. Students are beginning a word puzzle where they need to use problem solving skills to complete.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION-

PE classes 6th, 7th and 8th grade are continuing a fitness unit three times per week. This unit includes a period of a run/walk and stations inside. The stations are: sit ups, push ups, jump roping, and step ups. They started a basketball unit.

HEALTH DEPT-

Ms. Gaccione’s 8th grades Health class has just completed the Dare program with Lt. Mullins. Students worked collaboratively to discuss drugs, tobacco, and violence. Students also completed their CPR unit with Ms.Gaccione.
Mrs. Kolich’s 7th grade Health finished their unit discussing the reproductive systems of both the female and male. They are now exploring their families on a project drawing their family trees.
Mr. Scuilla 6th grade Health class started a new cycle. The class is working with the Quest books and started a unit on how to get along with people by fellow students.

INDUSTRIAL ARTS-

Mr. Rossi who is filling in for Mr. Masucci‘s cycle classes are doing different projects from making a table to building a house to scale.

TECHNOLOGY DEPT-

Mrs. Marano’s Computer Cycle 6, working with Mrs. Dolan, have recently concluded their cycle with a research PowerPoint presentation.
Mrs. Marano's Computer Cycles 7 and 8 are currently working on projects using Microsoft Excel.

SOCIAL STUDIES-

Ms. Sigl’s 6th Grade Social Studies students have just completed the first part of the school year with MIDTERMS. The learners will be able to complete the Unit on Egypt from Wed., January 30th-Friday, February 8th.

To begin on Wed. the learners will re-cap from the week before MIDTERMS when the students watched the teacher do a demonstration with "mummifying apples" after mummifying the apples and uncovering the apple the students will be able to discuss the process that Egyptians took when mummifying bodies and the results of the in-class apple experiment. The learners will then be able to finalize the Egypt Unit with Chapter 6 called "Kush and Other African Kingdoms." A pillar making project will be completed in class for this section-as well as reading the text/note taking. A long-form quiz will be given on Friday, February 8, 2008 to assess the students. The week of February 11th the students will begin a new Unit-the first chapter focuses on India. Within this chapter, the students will be assigned a project for the winter break in addition to readings/class notes. The students will continue with India after the winter break and will then be given a formal assessment.
Mrs. Gay’s 7th Grade Social Studies students have begun their Political Science course. In the first unit of study, they will begin to explore the United States Constitution and the philosophical ideas that were the basis of it. They will be introduced to John Locke's natural rights philosophy, and to the vision of a republican government endorsed by French philosopher Montesquieu. To celebrate Black History Month, they will examine the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments, and the cases of Plessy v Ferguson and Brown v Board of Education. They will create a timeline highlighting important events in the United States' struggle to end discrimination.
Mrs. Rucci’s 8th Grade Social Studies students started the New Year with a recap of recent news events, such as the political upheaval in Pakistan, and the messages of presidential hopefuls in the U.S. Every student had to find out a little about at least one candidate. Throughout the month we have discussed the results of the caucuses and primaries as the choices narrow down for each political party. We anxiously await Super Tuesday’s big vote. In the text, we covered the administration of the very first president of the modern day democratic party, Andrew Jackson. Then, we looked at immigration patterns and who the reformers were in the 1800s. In the Junior Scholastic magazines, recent topics have been about the country of Greenland and the religion of Islam. Last, but not least, students reviewed for and took the midterm exams.

ENGLISH DEPT-

Miss Venneman’s Litature 7-The Underground Railroad. Students will review point of view throughout the reading as they travel with Harriet Tubman who conducts fugitive slaves all the way to Canada.
Miss Venneman’s Creative Writing cycle class will be organizing information about themselves in order to write an autobiography. Students will present completed autobiographies.
Mr. Colangelo’s 6th grade Study Skills class is in transition. The new class has been introduced to the various guidelines of the class. They will be working out of the Study Skills workbook, You Can Take Charge. The ability to take neat and accurate notes will be stressed.
Mr. Colangelo’s 6th grade Creative Writing class is in transition. The new class has been introduced to the various writing assignments which include: journal entries, autobiographies, a film study, finishing stories without endings, and news articles. They will begin the cycle with journal writing.
Mr. Colangelo’s 7th grade Literature classes will begin a short unit on Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. Students will review point of view throughout the reading as they travel with Tubman who conducts fugitive slaves from Maryland to Canada.
Mr. Colangelo’s 8th grade Literature class has begun to review the 1960’s in preparation for their analysis of the film, Planet of the Apes. The class will discuss and review a variety of elements that pertain to the 1960’s. Some topics include Presidents (Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon), Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Space Race, Music, etc.
Mrs. Rowland’s 7th grade English classes will be working on persuasive essays. A selection of outstanding editorials has been selected for students to critique. Worksheets will be handed out so students can verify why the introduction, supporting details, and conclusion are so effective. Immediately following these examples and discussions, students will be expected to write their own persuasive essays.
Ms. Wolf’s English classes are continuing to learn grammar rules as to be able to identify parts of a sentence. This is helpful and useful as they begin to use all of the information to improve upon their writing tasks. During the month of January, the students were introduced to Persuasive Writing. This will be done with an introduction to one of the most persuasive speakers of our time, Martin Luther King, Jr. During the next week, the students will have the opportunity to complete research and write their own persuasive pieces. This will be done during class through a step by step guide.
Ms. Wolf’s Honors English class will have the task of completing a debate based on their Persuasive Writing piece. In addition to this 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.
Mr. Stillman’s Literature 8 Honors class is about to begin their in-depth study of Shakespeare and Romeo & Juliet. The regular literature classes are beginning an interdisciplinary study of the Cold War and the film Planet of the Apes.
Ms. Dolan’s sixth grade literature class is reading the historical fiction novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. This Newberry Award winning novel gives the students a glimpse into the racism faced by African-Americans in the 1930s in Mississippi. They will discuss the obstacles faced by African-Americans 50 + years after the end of the Civil War. This is being read in honor of Black History Month.

To supplement this unit, Ms. Dolan has utilized the internet and the overhead projector to show the students what real like was like for African Americans during segregation. The students were also able to see what life was like for all Americans during the Great Depression.
Mr. Sicilian’s 8th grade English classes are currently working on a full concept and skill review of language skills and standard usage. As we move into the heart of the writing process and prepare for NJ Ask, the review will cover many of the skills students will need to incorporate into the writing process. Topics such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, misused verb forms, word and verb usage errors, etc…. will be covered. In conjunction with this, we will be working with picture prompt writing strategies and eventually crossover into persuasive writing strategies and tasks for the month of February. All classes are continuing with the vocabulary development units with continued emphasis on “connecting” word meaning and word usage by analyzing model sentences and writing original sentences.
Mr. Sicilian’s Honors class, in addition to the standard curriculum, will begin initial work on an autobiographical genre project that will span the 3rd and 4th marking periods.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES-

Ms. Torres’ sixth graders are learning to put together the vocabulary and phrases they have learned to write basic dialogs that include questions they ask when they meet someone (name, age, origin, likes and dislikes).
Ms. Torres’ seventh graders are learning the vocabulary to describe what is in their room.
Mrs. Cafferty’s eighth grade class are learning about different sports Latin Americans play. They also practiced their numbers from 0-1000. They also are able to talk about shapes, colors, and sizes of different objects.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT-

Ms. Moroney reports that the middle school students are preparing for the “Pops Concert” focusing on rhythmic accuracy and flexibility in changing keys and tempos.
Mr. McCarthy reports that the seventh grade vocal cycle is working on breathing, voice placement, sol feggio, intervals, and songs. Mr. McCarthy’s seventh grade general music cycle has completed the baroque and classical periods with Bach, Mozart, etc. and is currently working on the romantic period.
Mr. McCarthy’s eighth grade general music cycle is currently working on swing.
Mr. Taylor reports that practice for the “Pops Concert” is moving on schedule. Additional rehearsals are held Wednesday after school.

Euclid School –
Math-

Kindergarten is working on telling time to the hour/number patterns. Students will learn to recognize penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. They will also learn the value of the coins. They will count to 100 and do 100 things on the 100th day of school. Students will use nonstandard units to measure.
Grade 1 is learning about number patterns and developing number sense.
Grade 2 is learning how to make a dollar with coins.
Grade 3 is working on many important skills in Math, such as identifying types of lines and geometric properties, and also exploring measurement. Ask any third grader how to make a "Gallon Man", and you will see how they creatively learned capacity. In addition to this, they are continually developing our problem solving skills, as well as practicing and recalling multiplication facts.
Grade 4 is working very hard in Math. All our 4th graders are able to find the area, perimeter, and volume of a given figure. They can also tell you all about temperature. They are now getting into how fractions and decimals are related to one another. They continue to practice for the N.J. Ask Test, so they will all be prepared.
Grade 5 classes are focusing on problem solving, mad minutes, and division by two-digits with and without decimals. They are also studying how to use division to change fractions into decimals, recognizing the relationship between the two.

Science-

Kindergarten is working on solids/liquids/gases. Students will learn the forms of matter and then relate it to the water cycle. They will learn about shadows and relate this to the social studies of the celebration of Groundhog Day.
Grade 1 is studying landforms and the world around them.
Grade 2 is learning about the life cycles of different animals.
Grade 3 is investigating Forces of Motion and Energy. They are developing their skills of inquiry and investigating.
Grade 4 is learning how tornadoes and volcanoes form, where they form, what causes them, and the damage that they can bring upon the area hit. In addition to their regular curriculum, they are also working on isolated lessons in the Measuring Up book.
Grade 5 students have been working on biomes. They have been assigned many activities to be submitted into the Science Happenings magazine. Activities include web quests, postcards, murals, and graphing.

Social Studies-

Kindergarten is developing their skills of number patterns/counting/telling time/sounding out words/recognizing forms of matter/identifying famous presidents/accepting other cultures. They will be celebrating the 100th Day of School. Students will learn about Chinese New Year and compare it to their celebration of New Years. They will learn about the job of the president and learn about past presidents, Lincoln and Washington. The holiday of Valentine's Day will be studied. Groundhog day will be studied and related to the science of shadows. The students will learn about Jackie Robinson and discover his contribution to baseball. They will also learn about some contributions made by other African Americans.
Grade 1 celebrated Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday by watching a wonderful video and creating a booklet of his life. They completed a unit on community leaders. We also practiced our addresses and map skills.
Grade 2 is learning about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and wrote their own dreams.
Grade 3 has been discussing important documents in our nation's history, such as the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. We also learned about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall by reading a biography, as well as utilizing the Social Studies test to summarize their important accomplishments.
Grade 4 just completed a chapter on the Lenni Lenape. They learned about their way of life and how different it was in comparison to ours. They are also highlighting famous people for Black History Month.
Grade 5 students are completing the unit on explorers and will begin learning about Colonial America. Activities have been completed in the classroom including word searches, poems, and articles to commemorate Martin Luther King’s birthday.

Language Arts-

Kindergarten is working on short vowel o sound / consonant "w" and "x". The students will learn to blend phonemes to make words. They will count phonemes in words to help them spell. They will learn about opposites and compose a class book of opposites. They will respond to literature appropriately by sequencing story events. They will learn the sort o sound and read simple CVC words. They will continue to learn about the characters, setting, conflict, and solution in reading the various bug literature. They will show their knowledge in recognizing fiction and nonfiction works. They will also read an African Folktale about bugs. Students will write their names and create class books as shared writing. They will learn about personal writing. They will call this personal writing "small moment" writing. This will help them to develop sentences to describe a beginning, middle, and end of a story.
Grade 1’s reading series promotes Friendship this month. The children are reading stories about being kind while developing their writing skills.
Grade 2 is writing stories and working on learning possessive nouns.
Grade 3 is developing as well as improving our skills of using context clues, narrative elements, as well as identifying author's purpose. We are continuing to integrate class novels into our Reading lessons. Examples of novels we are using are "Chocolate Fever", "The Flunking of Joshua T. Bates", and "Frindle".
Grade 4 is up to five paragraph essays. They’re working diligently on persuasive essays as well as narratives. Lots of open-ended questions are being analyzed and written in preparation for March. In grammar, we are learning all about pronouns and the proper way to use them. The Junior Women’s Club Spelling Bee was held in mid January, and everyone involved did an outstanding job. The students involved should be very proud of themselves.
Grade 5 students are writing essays on Ruby Bridges to commemorate Brotherhood month. The essays are five paragraphs, which respond to the Story of Ruby Bridges. In grammar, the students are learning singular, plural, and possessive nouns.
The students are beginning their second book report focusing on biographies. They will be introduced to PowerPoint and will complete a slide presentation. They are reading their second novel, Island of the Blue Dolphins as well as continuing the reading curriculum.

Art –

The Kindergarten just finished creating a Jack in the Box, using a variety of lines, shapes and colors.
The first grade just completed a drawing with Elmers glue. They drew a portrait of a clown and colored with chalk.
The second graders are working with paper mache to create a house out of a milk carton.
The third graders began weaving with paper, and now graduated to weaving with yarn.
The fourth graders are planning their puppets, which will be made with papier-mâché and felt.
The fifth graders are working on their armatures (made from aluminum foil) for a sculpture made of plaster.

Music –

Kindergarten is learning to follow a musical score by reading and playing music using an instrumental chart.
Grade 1 students are reading and playing rhythm patterns.
Grade 2 students are studying about complementary rhythmic patterns.
Grade 3 is learning to embellish a song with instruments.
Grade 4 has just started choir and full band.
Grade 4& 5 students are learning new drumming patterns and using new techniques that are part of the World Drumming Curriculum. To celebrate Black History Month we performed Peace Will Come during music class.

Physical Education –

Kindergarten- Grade 2 students will develop motor skills thru various station work. Students will also develop cardio vascular endurance and agility thru simple tag activities.
Grades 3-5 students will demonstrate skills necessary to participate in indoor floor hockey. Emphasis will be on proper technique and safety.

World Language-

Pre-K- Students are practicing counting, colors and body parts
Kindergarten- Students are learning the names of family members.
1st Grade- Students are learning the numbers 0-20. They are able to start recognizing the word for the numbers in Spanish.
2nd Grade- Students are learning to recognize the numbers 0-20 in Spanish orally and in writing.
3rd Grade- Students are learning to pronounce the numbers 0-59 and recognize them when spoken.
4th Grade- Students are learning to count by tens and recognize the numbers 0-59 in Spanish and recognize them in writing.
5th Grade- Students are learning the names of familiar clothing items and how to use them in a sentence describing them.

Library/Computers –

Kindergarten and Grade 1 are learning about Internet safety through the I-Safe America program. Topics covered include the cyber community, personally safety on the Internet and computer viruses. First graders also listened to a story about MLK’s life.
Grade 2 used the Internet to create a calendar and did simple research on MLK by visiting learning sites. Skills being developed include book-marking sites, using links and the back button.
Grade 3 is finishing a project on Microsoft Word. They are identifying and using toolbars and learning features of the “edit”, “view”, “format” and “insert” menus. Keyboard and mouse commands are also being utilized.
Grade 4 and 5 are now involved in keyboarding practice activities. Typing sites are accessed through the Internet and follow an organized progression of skills.

Lincoln School -
Mathematics:

Kindergarten students have been very busy reviewing patterns. They have used patterns in everyday situations (i.e. patterns on mittens). The kindergarten will now be moving onto an introduction on clocks and time.
Our first graders are working on higher level addition and subtraction strategies.
The second grade students are learning how to count different coin amounts. As reinforcement the students brought in their own bags of money to use.
The third graders completed Chapter 7 on telling time and moved onto some geometry. Third graders made line segments, lines, and rays. They also learned about parallel lines, intersecting lines, and symmetry. They learned how to identify two and three dimensional shapes.
Fourth graders are completing a Unit on Graphing. They are learning about Line Plots, Bar Graphs, Double Bar Graphs, Line Graphs, and Circle Graphs. Skills are being reviewed in order to prepare students for the NJ ASK test.
The fifth graders have completed a unit on putting fractions into lowest terms and adding and subtracting unlike fractions. They are now working on renaming before subtracting fractions before we move to geometry after the winter break. The students also created Diamonte math poems.

Science:

Kindergarten students have been finishing their unit on winter. They also learned all about the Groundhog and its role in the prediction of an early spring.
Our first graders have just finished the Life Cycle chapter and are beginning the Weather Chapter.
The second graders are going to be learning how different animals need each other to survive. Students will be making their own food webs/chains out of constructions paper.
The third graders explored metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks. They also compared different types of minerals. By using a Venn diagram, they were able to compare and contrast rocks and soil.
The fourth grade students continue to work towards reaching their goals for the QAAR objective. Also, they are completing lessons in the Science Measuring Up books in preparation for the Science section of the NJ Ask test.
Our fifth graders are completing a unit on the parts of a cell and the difference between a plant and animal cell. They are beginning a unit on plants.

Social Studies:

Our kindergarten students have been extremely busy learning all about the Chinese New Year, the meaning of Valentine’s Day and the special presidents. The kindergarten will now be beginning a unit on the presidents and American Landmarks.
The first graders are finishing the “Work! Work! Work!” unit and will begin Unit 4 Our Earth, Our Resources.
The second grade students are creating portraits of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Inside the presidents faces are important facts about each one. This month a special unit on Martin Luther King will also be presented. Students will be creating dream bubbles.
The third graders compared cultural celebrations, developed map skills to identify the four hemispheres and identified the contributions of Martin Luther King Jr. They created a coat of arms that highlights important aspects of his life.

Language Arts:

The kindergarten students of Lincoln School have been very busy learning the letter K, and now will be moving onto the short O sound. Each child is continuing to look about for objects that begin with the letter of the week.
Our first graders have just completed the reading book Here and There and will begin the Time Together book.
The second graders in honor of black history month students wrote biographies on their favorite black Americans. They are displayed in the halls.
The third graders identified abbreviations, plural pronouns, subject pronouns, and object pronouns. They also completed activities from Study Island on punctuation, subject-verb agreement, and editing. Third graders wrote persuasive book reviews and persuasive letters.
The fourth graders have just begun the book Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. We also continue to work in the Essential Skills for Reading Success book to prepare for the NJ ASK test. The students have finished studying sentences. They are now beginning to explore the parts of speech. Currently, the students are learning about the different kinds of Nouns. They continue to practice their Revising and Editing Skills and Narrative Writing Skills. The students are preparing for the NJ ASK test with Open Ended Responses, Picture Prompts, and Poetry Prompts.
The fifth graders have completed Unit 4 on pronouns and are working on Unit 5 adjectives. They have been developing creative writing skills. In reading the students have just completed theme 2 (Teamwork) from their TROPHIES reading series. They are busy working on their mystery book report.

Pre-K Four

Our 20th unit was Highlighting Heritage. We focused on families, grandparents, and heroes. We also talked about family traditions and celebrations. We reviewed the letter D this week.
Our 21st unit was Where We Live. This week we talked neighborhoods and maps. We discussed the people and places that are found in our own neighborhoods. The students created their own houses to use on a large map that we hung in the classroom. We also focused on shapes and used them in creating the houses. We reviewed the previously taught letters this week.
The 22nd unit was Ways to Say “I Love You.” This week we talked about ways to tell people how we feel. We also talked about the post office and how letters are sent. Our dramatic play lab was turned into a post office where the students could write letters to each other. The letter L was also reviewed this week.
The 23rd unit is called Stay Safe. This week we will talk about fire, playground, vehicle, and street safety. Students will learn what to do in case of a fire, what things are safe and unsafe to touch, how to protect themselves when riding a bike and riding in the car, and how to safely cross the street. We will also be exploring the letter N this week.
Every week we continue to review identifying colors and color words, as well as, counting and number applications.

Physical Education:

K-2nd Grade: Student's in these grade levels have been working on bean bag relay skills. The students have been using bean bags to complete several different tasks and skills in gym class. This has been an excellent exercise in students listening and following class directions
3rd - 5th Grades: Students in these grade levels have been working on their basketball skills and applying this knowledge into a 5 on 5 basket ball game. The students are learning about different defenses used in basketball and how to work together as a team. All students are learning rules and penalties that apply to the game of basketball.

Music: (All Elementary Schools)

Grade 4: The 4th grade students have started rehearsing at lunch in the Full Band setting. They are working on eighth notes this month and applying all of their notation knowledge to simple melodies in 4/4 and 2/4 time signatures.
Grade 5: The 5th grade students are working in ¾ time signature. They are doing some extensive rhythmic work with eighth note patterns.

World Language:

Kindergarten: Students will be able to identify items in the classroom. Prepare a Valentine’s Day card in Spanish.
1st Grade: Students will identify new food items.
2nd Grade: Students will identify clothing items.
3rd Grade: Students will identify food groups. They will prepare a poster with likes and dislikes and present it in front of the class in Spanish.
4th Grade: Students will be able to identify days of the week. They will prepare a calendar of their favorite month.
5th Grade: Students will be able to identify different professions.

Media Center:

Books concerning Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Valentine’s Day, Groundhog Day and Black History Month are being displayed.
Kindergartners are being introduced to using the keyboards. They are practicing using the space bar, the enter key, have begun the process of printing and are learning to locate the letters in their names.
First Graders are developing word processing skills. They have learned to locate and use the apostrophe and the comma and have begun to type short poems. They are learning to locate and use the borders toolbar. Kidsperation will be introduced this month.
Second Graders have been using Kidsperation to create and develop webs, they have been typing poems, begun to center titles and been taught other ways to access borders for their documents.
Third Graders have begun to use Microsoft Word as a primary source of documents (not MaxWrite). They continue to practice the process of locating appropriate files to use for saving, remembering to save routinely. Students have begun to use the tab key, work on editing (through poetry) and will be introduced to the methods of searching, selecting and placing clip art in Word documents. (This is different in MaxWrite)
Fourth Graders are using left tab sets and decimal tab sets to develop lists and columns. They will work on keyboarding skills.
Fifth Graders have been learning to use different graphic organizers. Kidsperation is one and the insert feature of Word is another. They have also done a document activity involving Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

Workshops -
High School –

Ms. Siddons is taking alternate route classes at Montclair State University while Ms. Torres is working towards her Master’s degree.
Mr. Taylor will work at a Region 1 Choir rehearsal on February 9. That coincides with their concert date in which one of our students is participating.

Middle School-

Ms. Torres is working toward her Master’s degree.

Euclid School –

1/18-1/19/08- Miss Mai, “Going to the Heart of Autism”
1/28/08- Staff training for Renweb Report Cards, presented by Renweb Supertrainers, Mrs. Cintron and Mrs. Drago.
2/7/08- Mrs. Weir, “Training for NJ ASK”, Gr. 3&4
2/11/08- Miss Mai, Miss Munier, Mrs. Meola, Miss Ciraco, Mrs. Innis, Mrs. Hughes, “RDI Training”.

Lincoln School -
January 31 Morris County Police Academy internet safety Mr. Forte
February 1 BCEMSAA