HASBROUCK HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent’s Report
October 19, 2006

Curriculum and Instruction
HISTORY DEPARTMENT –

Ms. Golle’s World History classes continued to present their Time magazine covers on various ancient topics. The students learned about Ancient Egypt, including a comparative study of the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Following the unit on Ancient Egypt, they investigated several civilizations that occupied the Middle East from 2500-500 BC. In conjunction, the students participated in a group project which allowed them to develop a strategy to conquer one of the Ancient Middle Eastern civilizations. The honors class completed student-generated information sessions on various topics relating to Ancient River Civilizations. They are currently studying Classical Greece and will complete a mini-research project comparing modern and ancient political systems.
Mr. Warren's U.S. History I classes are wrapping up their intensive study of the Puritans and the formation of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania as Royal colonies. Next, they will be embarking on their journey of how the 13 original colonies developed and the effects of England's Navigation Acts and the Glorious Revolution had on colonial life, laws, and commerce. Students will then compare and contrast the vast differences between Northern colonial life and their Southern neighbors. The students will take part in a role playing simulation based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and analyze the much talked about causes and effects of these trials. Toward the end of the month, the students will be introduced to the details behind the colonial rebellion that leads to the Revolutionary War.
Mr. Gossman/Ms. Cassidy’s U.S. History I students have been studying the Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, and the French and Indian War. Students performed skits on daily life in the agricultural south during class. We will watch the movie 3 Sovereign’s for Sarah, which depicts the Salem Witch trials, and then perform a mock trial of our own. Towards the end of the month, we will begin to discuss the Revolutionary War along with the Declaration of Independence.

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT-

Mr. Ketcho's Computer Programming class - Programming concepts - Words & Text: Using String Variables to Organize Words & Arrays: Variables That Represent MoreThan One Value. Lesson 2: Creating a Windows Application User Interfact & Lesson 3: Writing Code to Handle Events & Set Properties.
Mr. Ketcho's Accounting I class - Finished Chapter 1 - "Starting a Proprietorship: and started Chapeter 2 "General Ledger - Service Business." Tests, study guide quiz, work together problems, on your own problems, and homework assignments covered. How business ethical decisions are made and business communication is conducted.
Mr. Ketcho's Automated Accounting II class - Manual work from Chapter 1 - Introduction was completed, however, the software for this course has not been loaded on the new computer in room 216, and therefore we are in wait mode. Estimated date to begin this class is 10/10/06.
Mr. Ketcho's Life Management Class - Finished Chapter 1 - "The Management Process" and started Chapter 2 - "Understanding Yourself." The management process and the decision making process were discussed in Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 focuses on business communications, improving relationships, how self-concepts are formed and enhanced, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Mr. Ketcho's Computer Applications 9 Cycle - T-Shirt Factory & Encore - A Keyboarding Simulation Jobs #1 - #8 and Jobs #1 - #9 were completed during this time period.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT -

Mr. Smith’s English 9 classes have gotten into their in-depth study of the short story genre. Time and attention is being given to characterization, setting, conflict, climax, and theme within a story. Works recently reviewed include “Cask” and “The Most Dangerous Game.”
Mr. Smith’s HSPA English 10 class continues to review necessary skills related to the HSPA. Most recently, students reviewed methods of breaking down narrative reading passages to correctly answer multiple choice questions. The Bergen Record continues to be utilized in the class regularly.
Mrs. Fernandes’s HSPA English 10 class - This month students are continuing to prepare for the HSPA exam by concentrating on reading comprehension; author’s intent and making inferences are being explored. Students will also begin writing another persuasive essay. The class continues to use the HSPA workbook and various outside texts.
Mrs. Fernandes’s HSPA English 11 class - Students are continuing to prepare for the March HSPA by concentrating on writing skills. Students are working in peer review groups to gain feedback while familiarizing themselves with the state issued rubric. Students are continuing to use the HSPA specific workbook and texts from a variety of sources.
Mrs. Fernandes’s Genre & Critical Issues classes - Students completed the Coming of Age genre early this month with Edward Scissorhands. For this month, the evolution of the horror genre is being explored. The genre was introduced with the film Nosferatu, which will lead to Psycho and culminate with The Ring.
Mrs. Geftic’s English 12 classes are currently honing their writing skills by focusing on the college essay. Writing the college application essay can be one of the most daunting parts of applying to college. To help students complete this task, they focused on using imagery and clear, vivid prose, grabbing the reader’s attention with a concise, provocative introduction, using transitions between thoughts and writing a persuasive conclusion to reinforce their attributes. In addition, attention to such conventional English standards, including comma rules, active-passive voice and sentence variety, was addressed.
Mrs. Geftic’s Journalism classes are in the processes of completing the first issue of the Pilot’s Log. Articles include a tribute to Robert Stine, the October evacuation of the school and abusive relationships. Students are also preparing for Classroom Close-up, NJ to film their classes on October 23, 2006. The segment on our journalism students will air on Dec. 4, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
Mrs. Geftic - The Pilot’s Log is proud to announce that they are among the 50 finalists for the prestigious Pacemaker Award. Judges select Pacemakers based on the following: coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics. Pacemakers are selected by the staff of a professional newspaper in the host city of the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention. The Pilot’s Log was the only newspaper published in New Jersey to be so honored.
Mrs. Meyer’s English 9 and English 9H classes has been studying the short story genre concentrating on character development, plot, literary elements, author’s style, and honing their analytical skills in the process. In addition, they have completed a variety of writing assignments in order to improve their clarity and effectiveness.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 10 classes have been reading selections that support the U.S. History I curriculum for the pre-Colonial period. These include contemporary selections that tie thematically to earlier readings. Their writing includes reactions to readings, a sample newspaper article, and HSPA persuasion.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 12 AP class has read autobiographical essays by twentieth century authors that span diverse cultures: Jamaica Kincaid, George Orwell, and Sandra Cisneros. Modeling on these, they have written their own autobiographical essays, some of which may become college application essays. After reading Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex over the summer, they are exploring both the classical definition of tragedy as defined by Aristotle, and the more contemporary definition Arthur Miller suggests with his modern tragedy Death of a Salesman.
Mrs. Czekaj’s Shakespeare classes concluded their reading of Richard III out on the school’s front lawn, with a spirited improvised staging of the Battle of Bosworth Field. They compared their reading to the Ian McClellan film version, and are preparing projects to celebrate their learning of this history play. In reaction papers, they compared aspects of Shakespeare’s version of history to the historical facts they found through research.
Ms. Kos’ English 9 classes concluded their reading of Of Mice and Men and is now viewing the film. Students will write a critical essay about the novel and will complete a HSPA-style comprehension test. Upon completion of this unit, students will begin a biography unit in which they study Eli Weisel’s book, Night.
Ms. Kos’ English 10 class is finishing its work on Native American poetry. They will begin reading “The Crucible” aloud in parts in the next week or so. Students will also participate in a group project in which they use historical information to create short one-act plays about Salem and the early colonies.
Ms. Kos’ English 11 class is currently doing work on the epic poem, Beowulf. Students are enjoying reading the poem aloud and will be working on related art projects in the weeks to come.
Ms. Kos’ English 12 class is continuing their reading aloud of the classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. The class is using this novel to begin their close examination of race issues throughout the world and throughout history. They will view the film version of this novel upon its completion.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s English 10 Honors class created submissions for the Library of Congress’s Letters About Literature contest in which students explain how pieces of literature have affected their lives. Students constructed their responses while reflecting upon their summer reading book-of-choice.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s English class constructed editorials that compared a feature article about Cal Ripken’s work ethic with the Puritans’ work ethic.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11 classes are continuing their study of the epic of Beowulf. Students are applying literary terms to this work as well as comparing and contrasting the codes and values that the epic presents with those held today. The class will have a mini-unit in preparation for the upcoming PSATs.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11-Honors class has completed their study of Victorian novels and poems and has now begun their study of Anglo-Saxon poetry. The students will read excerpts from the Exeter Book and contrast the limited artistry with the more developed work of Tennyson and Browning. A introductory unit on test taking strategies will prepare the students for standardized tests such as the PSATs.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12 is completing their study of the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh. The focus of study has been on discovering the values that this ancient society embraced and comparing them to our codes and beliefs. Work on the college essay and application process will be ongoing as students obtain applications and topics.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12-Honors class is completing their research on creation myths and will begin their oral presentations on comparative myths. The students have completed their college essays and are working on their Voice of Democracy contest speeches.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12 SRA class has begun to take their individual PATs.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’s Communications class is currently learning to edit on our Dell desktop computer as well as filming Public Service Announcements and investigating colleges and trade schools for their Reality Check projects.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’s Drama class is rehearsing and memorizing classic scenes from film and the silver screen.
Ms. Monetti’s Genre class is finishing up our “coming of age” unit. We finished viewing Edward Scissorhands. We had a great discussion based on the students’ journal writing about this film. Students saw this film as a reflection of our own society and how it tends to exploit people for their talents. The last movie in this unit will be American Graffiti, a “coming of age” film set in the 1960’s. Students will complete and alternative assessment project based on the films un this unit.
Ms. Monetti’s English 10 classes are reading and analyzing selections from unit one. A Majority of these readings support the U.S. History I curriculum for the pre-Colonial period. We will also be discussing strategies for the PSAT and practicing in the format of the test which is coming up on October 18.
Ms. Monetti’s English 11 classes are reading and analyzing Beowulf and selections from early British Literature. In addition we will be practicing for the upcoming PSAT.
Miss Venneman’s HSPA-9 classes are continuing to study Latin-root vocabulary in order to prepare for the HSPA. Students are also identifying various characteristics of persuasive writing.

ART DEPARTMENT

Mrs. Reed's drawing classes have created drawings using six different drawing techniques (full image, cropped image, drastic crop, negative, one color and full color). Students are presently working on grid drawings where students recreate a complex drawing by using a simplified method.
Mrs. Reed's graphic design class has completed a layout of wrapping paper, where students concentrated on patterning. Students have completed a tessellation design that they created themselves. The class is starting layouts for a business card and letterhead design.
Mrs. Kritzer's drawing classes are using black ink as their drawing medium. The students have just completed a pointillilsm drawing, which is toning using small dots. They are set to begin an abstract in which they will use their doodling talents and transform it into a quality drawing.
Mrs. Kritzer's drawing classes have just completed paintings and drawings of our school. The students took several photographs around the building and used theme as a source of their art work.
Mrs. Kritzer's drawing classes are set to begin a Picasso like still life of musical instruments. The students are going to use collage as their medium.
Mrs. Brinker's Altered Books classes have been creating personal diaries, journals and art pieces in their newly designed books. Personal reflection is focused on as students show responsibility for their own learning and growth. Digital Photography pieces are displayed in the main hallway of the high school from periods five and six.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT-

Mrs. Miller’s 6th grade Cycle 1 health class worked with the Lions-Quest curriculum and discussed various issues dealing with adolescence. The class is working on the unit entering the teen years the journey of adolescence.
Mr. Delcalzo’s 7th grade health class are discussing drug and alcohol abuse how ads influence young people and adults.
Ms. Gaccione’s 8th grade health is learning CPR through lectures, written assignments, and videos with practice sessions.

SOCIAL STUDIES-

Ms. Wallace’s sixth grade Social Studies classes have been exploring the textbook by utilizing the resources available on the internet, and in the cd-room set that came with the text. Ms. Wallace presented a PowerPoint slide show and even reviews for tests by using review games that are available in the form of slide show flash cards. Students received homework passes for the accumulation of three points. Students also commented about the review game on the Social Studies blog which has been a constant web information and discussion since the beginning of the school year, utilized by both parents and students. The brand new sixth grade Social Studies textbooks were distributed.
Mrs. Gay's Social Studies 7 students are continuing their exploration of the influence of different political philosophies on the creation of the U.S. Constitution. Working in their discussion groups, they combed the Constitution for examples of the characteristics of "higher law", such as citizens' rights and limits on the government's powers. They are gaining an appreciation for the effectiveness of the three-branch separation of powers and the system of checks and balances as means of controlling our government's power.
Mrs. Rucci’s/Mr. Gossman’s Social Studies 8 students have been assessed on their understanding of both the origins of the War on Terrorism and the first people on the American continents. Then they reviewed the most famous European explorers and their impact in America. Students analyzed the reasons why the Spanish were so powerful here and the pivotal event that allowed the English to successfully colonize. We watched a short documentary about slavery that outlined the transitions from Native Americans, to white Europeans, to Africans. Presently, students are preparing for a test about colonial life (economic activities, religions, regional climate, etc.) The new Junior Scholastic magazine features a “World Affairs Atlas and Almanac” which we will use to supplement social studies notes. Periods 1 and 6 have developed a rapport with Mr. Brett Gossman who has been taking over the lessons more frequently. He will complete his student teaching requirement for William Paterson University in December.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Ms. Wolf sixth grade students have been busy improving upon their writing skills by examining problems in sentence structure and learning ways to fix them. They have also been learning correct punctuation for revising problems such as sentence fragments, run-on sentences, stringy sentences, and choppy sentences. In addition to the grammar and writing, the students have continued studying their spelling units to increase their knowledge of spelling rules and strengthen their vocabulary. The students are also receiving a new word everyday that they are asked to define and understand in order to use in their future writings.
Mr. Sicilian’s 8th grade students are finishing their first major vocabulary development unit and will begin a focus on strong context clue sentence writing skills. Students are beginning to select a series of genre/portfolio writing topics as we begin to introduce the writing process. Students are being encouraged to utilize internet resources and references with the use of technology at home, and then sharing their internet resources with classmates. We are keeping an informal list of internet resource sites that students can access for help at home. The Honors section will begin work on PSA (Public Service Announcements) in preparation for segments that will be included in the “revival” of the Middle School News Show. The class will be assisted by some of Mrs. Schneeweiss’s Communications students in this endeavor. The annual VFW Patriots Pen essay contest is also underway in all classes.
Mr. Stillman’s 8th grade Literature and Literature Honors classes have begun applying their literary skills to selected short stories. These stories will help hone the students’ analytical skills as they gradually begin reading more and more difficult works.

The Honors class is also working on the return of the Middle School news program, Good Morning Middle School. This concept, which originated in the Literature Honors class a couple of years ago, had gone dormant for a while, but this year’s students are determined to see the program return in an expanded format. This new format will include projects, such as the PSAS, created in the English 8 Honors class.
The Literature Honors class will soon begin working on preparing and participating in debates to help sharpen their ability to support an idea. These skills are crucial for both daily classroom activities and for the GEPA.

Mrs. Rowland’s 7th grade English class was drilled on all parts of speech contained in a sentence. Diagramming was shown as a visual aid and culminated in relay races displayed on the board by students.
Miss Venneman’s 7th grade Literature classes are continuing to follow Ulysses on his Epic journey. Students are creating travel brochures depicting various settings featured in The Adventures of Ulysses.
Mrs. Dolan’s sixth grade literature classes will complete Tuck Everlasting at the end of October. They will take their first vocabulary test on Monday, October 16, 2006 and will have their novel test on Monday, October 30, 2006. The sixth grade honors literature students are reading Tuck Everlasting in literature circles. They too will complete the novel at the end of October.
Mr. Colangelo’s 8th Grade Literature class has begun applying their literary skills to various short stories. These stories will help the students recognize various literary elements present in a short story. This process will benefit the students when they encounter more difficult texts.
Mr. Colangelo’s 7th Grade Literature classes will continue their journey with the Greek hero, Ulysses, as he battles monsters, witches, and gods in The Adventures of Ulysses. The students will be responsible for all vocabulary covered in the reading.
Mr. Colangelo’s 7th Grade Creative Writing class has completed a number of writing assignments which include: journal writing, autobiographies, movie reviews, and stories with out endings. The students are currently working on newspaper articles.
Mr. Colangelo’s 6th Grade Study Skills class will continue to work out of their Study Skills workbook, You Can Take Charge. The students will be responsible for all vocabulary covered in the workbook. Accurate note taking is of the utmost importance.

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. Perdomo’s 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. Perdomo’s seventh graders are learning the vocabulary to describe their room. They will also learn about Mexico by making a piñata and celebrate with a fiesta at the end oft his cycle. Seventh grade Spanish cycle students are learning the names of various classroom objects, animals, and food and how to describe them.

MUSIC DEPARTMENT
Middle School-

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 graphing items by their color and size. They are sorting, classifying, and working with promotional words. They are discussing the properties of a triangle and a square. They are focusing on word problems related to similarities for their math folders.
Grade 1 is working on the concept of subtraction. They are using unifix cubes to model subtraction combinations. They are subtracting to compare numbers. They are beginning to work with counting on and are using the problem solving strategy of drawing a picture to solve word problems.
Grade 2 is counting by tens both forward and backward. They are using the problem solving skill of using a model to solve problems. They are identifying a numbers ordinal position from first through twentieth. They are comparing two digit numbers and ordering numbers to 100. Grade 3 is working on place value to six digits. They are completing word problems involving algebraic expressions. They are comparing numbers and ordering numbers. They are working on problem solving skills.
Grade 4 is working on solving problems utilizing the creation of graphic organizers. They are beginning their study of place value and number sense.
Grade 5 is working on the addition and subtraction of decimals. They are working with money and using logical reasoning for problem solving.

Science-

Kindergarten has been working with the mixing of color. Various experiments have been completed and students conducted a test using color paddles to mix their own colors. They are learning about the monarch butterfly and its migratory pattern south. They are participating in a symbolic migration project.
Grade 1 is learning all about the characteristics of living and non-living things. They created charts through brain storming activities and made mobiles depicting living and non-living things.
Grade 2 is learning about plants and how they adapt to their different environments. They are focusing on the woodland, prairie, and desert plants. Students involved in the What’s Blooming project have grown grass. They are utilizing their math skills to measure its’ growth.
Grade 3 is studying about different life cycles like that of the frog. They are learning how animals are grouped and classified.
Grade 4 is using strategies to determine the characteristics of minerals. They are identifying vocabulary related to rocks. They are learning how chemical weathering changes the earth’s surface and creating a weather wheel.
Grade 5 is beginning their study of the Biomes. They are learning about the characteristics of each and the different ecosystems that we have.

Social Studies

Kindergarten is learning about school helpers and their jobs. They are reviewing the school rules. They listened to stories about Christopher Columbus and sang songs. They learned about firefighters and reviewed their fire safety rules. They practiced their fire drill procedures.
Grade 1 began their study of a unit entitled “All about Me”. They are identifying the components of their neighborhood. They are creating and using simple maps.
Grade 2 is working on their map skills. They are locating communities, states, and countries. They are identifying the characteristics of a rural, urban, and suburban area. They created posters of each type.
Grade 3 is learning about different communities that exist in the United States. They are creating comparison charts and identifying unique activities. They are learning about the importance of respect within the community for it to prosper.
Grade 4 is learning all about New Jersey. They identified the various symbols related to New Jersey like the state flower, bird, song, etc. They are completing research packets in relation to New Jersey.
Grade 5 is beginning to develop an understanding of Early American cultures. They are learning about the Anasazi, Inuit, Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Empires. They are studying their migration routes and the components of each civilization.

Language Arts-
Kindergarten is working with the letter t. They are reading their decodable books to reinforce their word skills. They are reinforcing skills through tactile activities such as “rice cards”. They are matching rhyming pictures and focusing on sight words.
Grade 1 is working with the sound of “o”. They are charting words with an ot and an op. They are working on pre-reading strategies to improve comprehension. They are writing words with inflectional endings like ed and ing. They are creating sentences when given a question word and a noun word. They answering guided reading questions while they read their weekly story.
Grade 2 is working on recognizing the inflectional ed ending on words. They are working on a story map and learning about commands and exclamations. They are practicing their punctuation marks and identifying sentence types. They are working on retelling a story and identifying the central theme of a paragraph read.
Grade 3 is developing their expressive writing skills. They are creating graphic organizers to rewrite a story. They are working with the identification of subject and predicate. They are working on essential skills for reading like point of view.
Grade 4 is locating supporting details and identifying character traits. They are practicing the appropriate way to respond to short answer questions and open-ended questions. They are continuing their work on subjects, predicates, and editing. They are writing personal narratives related to a past birthday.
Grade 5 is working on their narrative elements and taking notes. They are building listening skills through auditory activities. They are working with the books for all learners to reinforce skills like making judgments. They are expanding sentences by utilizing adjectives and adverbs. They are creating outlines for persuasive writing. They are reinforcing the identification of the subject and predicate and combining sentences.

Art –

Kindergarten has been viewing famous portraits and are talking about the differences between photography versus a painting.
Grade 1 is learning how to draw an oval to create a self-portrait.
Grade 2 is working on leaf collages.
Grades 3-5 are learning about the rules and routines of the art room. They are learning the location of art materials and understanding the outline of projects for the year.

Music –

Kindergarten is developing their listening skills by following directions in a song.
Grade One is learning about orchestration. They are learning the difference between a rest and a note.
Grade 2 is practicing their listening skills through a stop and start method of instrumentation.
Grade 3 is working on beat and rhythm.
Grade 4 is listening to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
Grade 5 is learning about different drums and their role in an ensemble.

Physical Education –

All grades at Euclid have been working on Football related skills. Passing and kicking have been developing their fine and gross motor skills. The concept of teamwork has been the focus for all students.

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. They are also 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.
5th grade has learned place settings and types of food at the grocery store, talking about their likes and dislikes.

Library/Computers –

Kindergarten is learning to open, operate, and close a computer program. Grade One is practicing their skill of logging on and off of Class Link. Grade Two is working with the word processing program “Max Write”. Grade Three is learning to operate the New Math Blaster Program. Grade Four is learning about the programs available for grades 3-5. Grade Five is reviewing the functions of basic toolbars in Microsoft Word.

LINCOLN SCHOOL
Mathematics:
Kindergarten students have been learning all about patterns in chapter 2 of our Math series. We have been making different types of patterns including color and object patterns. Our first graders have started subtraction from 10. We continue to review addition with flash cards. The second grade has been working on graphs and charts. The third graders are multiplying with facts 0 -12. This month we have mastered: finding the value of a digit using its place-value position and predicting numbers in a pattern. We are currently using benchmarks to understand the relative magnitude of numbers, as well as ordering numbers and rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000. Fourth grade- The learners have been working on Chapter 3-Add and Subtract Whole Numbers. A chapter 3 test will be given on Wed., October 11, 2006, which will include 20 short answer questions and one open-ended essay. Upon completion of the Chapter 3 test, the students will begin to Use Addition and Subtraction in algebraic relationships (Chapter 4).
Upcoming in Chapter 4, the learners will be able to review the properties of addition, and distinguish the difference between an expression and equation. They will also be able to do hands-on activities to work with patterns, balance equations, and solve problems. The fifth graders have completed a unit on decimal place value and are beginning a new unit on rounding whole numbers and decimals.

Science:
Kindergarten completed the first chapter in our Science series, "Needs of Plants and Animals". We took our first Science test. We have also been learning about fire safety and prevention and the season of fall. Our first graders are beginning Chapter 2 on "Habitats." The second graders recently studied the effects of what happens to flowering stem plants when they are placed in colored water. The third grade students have been investigating various ecosystems (grasslands, tundra, deserts, rain forests, etc.) as well as how living things interact with each other. Food webs and chains will be explored at the end of this month. The fourth grade is investigating weather. This includes the forms of precipitation in addition to the water cycle. Our fifth grade students are beginning the unit on ecosystems and biomes.

Social Studies:
Our kindergarten students have begun the first unit of our Social Studies series, which is all about families and homes. We made family trees and constructed our very own homes. We have also been learning about Christopher Columbus. The first graders are completing Chapter 1 "All About Me."
The second graders compared and contrasted the different types of communities such as urban areas, suburbs, and rural areas. The third graders have finished Chapter 1 which focuses on community. We have also been identifying, comparing, and contrasting suburban, rural, and urban communities in Chapter 2. The fourth grade students have completed the first chapter on the 4 regions of New Jersey. They also learned our state symbols. Students United Nation's Day posters/reports are due on Friday, Oct. 13th. The fifth grade students have completed the unit called Life in the Eastern Hemisphere and began the unit called World Exploration.

Language Arts:
The kindergarteners have been learning all about letter formation, letter recognition, and sound recognition related to the letters M,S,R, and T. We have also begun to recognize and read high frequency words including "a", "my", and "the". We have also been practicing our writing skills in our writing journals. Our first graders have completed the story "Jack and Rick". This concentrated on the short vowels of a and i. We are presently working on the story “Todd’s Box". The story introduces the short vowel sound o. We are always introducing and reviewing sight words. The students have been reviewing the short vowels a and i. We are identifying short o with several activities throughout our day. Second grade- READING: The second grade just completed reading a delightful fall story about a boy named Henry and his dog Mudge. The focus skill of this story was finding the narrative elements. PHONICS: The second graders reviewed the short vowel sounds and had practice with the phonograms –ame and -ake. ENGLISH: Exclamation and command sentences were reviewed and the corresponding end marks-Exclamation point and period were introduced and discussed. SPELLING: The third spelling unit of the year. Third grade- Reading: Third graders have been reading and understanding realistic fiction selections. They are determining what characters are like by what they say and do. They are also identifying the narrative elements in a story (problem, solution, characters, setting, and plot). Writing: This month, students have been using compound sentences and sensory details in their writing. They have been exposed to both picture and poetry prompts. We are continuously working on their responses. Students will also be writing paragraphs that give directions. The fourth grade- Grammar - Students have just finished 2 weeks of differentiating between the simple and complete subjects and simple and complete predicates within sentences. Students are currently learning about simple and compound sentences. Writing- Students will be concentrating on writing Personal Narratives over the next few weeks. Fifth grade- Reading- Students are busy working on their realistic fiction book report which is due on October 27th. They are enjoying stories from Theme 1 in their text. English- students completed the unit on sentence structure, where they worked on complete subject and complete predicate. Students worked on thesaurus skills and the proper use of quotation marks.

Physical Education:
K-2nd- This month the students from Lincoln school worked on spatial awareness using parachute play and assorted relays. Some of the activities included soccer skills for foot eye coordination and balance. Line soccer and pin soccer were some lead up games used during this unit.

3rd-5th grades- This month was devoted to our soccer unit. Drills and skills included dribbling, passing and shooting. A 6-person soccer game was then introduced and students were placed into teams. Each class had three teams that alternated into the 6-person game. We are now in the process of preparing for our physical fitness unit.

Music: (All Elementary Schools)
K-5 the children are working on listening activities, orchestration, rhythm ensembles and the difference between a rest and a note.

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
5th grade has learned place settings and types of food at the grocery store
             talking about their food likes and dislikes.

Media Center:
Pre-K through grade 5 are taking out books and getting ready for the book fair. The grade five students are starting the I-Save program for computer safety.

Workshops -
High School –

All teachers were involved with the October 6th out of district in-service program as well as the in district in-service program of October 9th.
Walter Eggmann attended the 2006-07 Regional Roundtable of Supervisors of World Languages on

October 16, 2006 at Fair Lawn – Thomas A. Edison School.

Lesa Brinker will attend the 2006 Governor’s Conference for Women on October 30, 2006 at the Hilton in East Brunswick.

Middle School-
All teachers were involved with the October 6th out of district in-service program as well as the in district in-service program of October 9th.
Mr. Mastropietro: Early October I will be attending a workshop in North Arlington entitled, Mathematics in the Real World. I am currently working towards my Masters in educational studies. I am coaching the girls JV soccer team and working at the football games as well.

Euclid School –

9/30/06 –Teachers in grades 1,3,4, and 5 met to discuss QAAR pre test results.
10/6/06 – Professional Development Day – SBJC- All elementary staff attended workshops on various topics. Mrs. Cintron and Mrs. Hagert served as presenters for NJASK Math Preparation and Mrs. Mansfield and Mrs. Sturm served as presenters for Multisensory Activities.
10/09/06 – All elementary staff attended workshops on the Avian Flu Pandemic and Suicide Prevention as mandated by the state. In addition, Elementary Teachers in Grades 3-5 attended NJASK Language Arts – Striving for Advanced Proficiency and Elementary Teachers in Grades K-2 attended Differentiated Instruction.
Safety Committee Meeting – 10/11/06 – Mrs. Simmons
I&RS Meeting – 10/19 – Mrs. Simmons, Mrs. Ciraco, Mrs. Eisenberg, Grade Level Teachers

Lincoln School -
October 6, 2006 SBJC entire staff
October 9, 2006 HHBOE NJASK LAL grades 3-5, Differentiated instruction K-2, Avian Flu and Suicide Prevention K-5

General Administration - fire drills, day, date and time - from beginning of school year

High School –
Successful fire drills were held on:

9/12/06 @ 10:05 am

9/21/06 @ 9:04 am
10/3/06 @ 12:02 pm

Lockdown:

Elevator Tests –
Successful tests completed on:

9/18/06
10/13/06

Middle School-
Successful fire drills were held on:

9/12/06@10:05am
9/21/06@9:04am
10/03/06@12:02pm

Lock Down:

Euclid School –
Fire Drills
9/13/06
10/10/06

Elevator Checks
9/21/06

Lincoln School –
Fire Drills
9/13/06
9/22/06

Lock Down
9/22/06

Elevator Check
9/22/06

Sixth Grade Technology Pilot Program

Miss DiPiano: With the help of the students, Miss DiPiano has created a teacher website at teacherweb.com. 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. This is also a great way for the students to contact Miss DiPiano.
Mr. Rispoli: The LCD projector was hung from the ceiling of Room 407. Before it was hung, the project and laptop were used to show educational motion videos from www.unitedstreaming.com. The videos showed different examples of Newton’s Laws in real world situations.
Ms. Wallace explored a web quest that was created to go along with the new text books. The web quest takes the children to four different Archaeological sites to explore. Students were given worksheets with questions that they have to answer as they explore the websites. Then students will be culminating this experience by creating a visual aid project to go along with the research they have done.
Ms. Wallace has successfully been communicating with parents via her email address, and parents have become quite taken with its usefulness. Parents are also invited to write comments on the blog at the URL address found below.
Ms. Wallace’s classes will be exploring more archaeological sites via the web in the next few weeks, utilizing Virtual Archaeological Digs to add interest and to motivate students. Sixth Grade Web Blog: www.socialstudies6.blogspot.com

Email: wallacec@hhschools.org

As part of the sixth grade technology program, Ms. Wolf continues to use her school provided laptop computer to create worksheets, tests, quizzes, and other forms of assessment to aide in her teaching. She also uses the laptop to create reviews such as the review for the last test that was created using a “Power Point” presentation for the students to view.
Ms. Wolf has also continued to use the laptop as a communication tool with the parents. She continues to receive and send emails daily to parents with whom she needs to communicate. It is a great way for quick and accurate dialogue.At this point, Ms. Wolf has not been able to utilize the computer for grading purposes because of a lack of a grading program. As soon as one is available, Ms. Wolf will record and average all of the students’ grades using the computer.
The e-mails have been flying between the parents and Ms. Dolan already. E-mail has proven to be an effective communication tool. Parents have contacted and been contacted by Ms. Dolan and it has really streamlined communication.

Additionally, the sixth grade literature students will utilize the computer to do a search about what life was like 87 years ago for an 11 year old, to see the significance of a never-ending life.
Spectroscope lesson were downloaded from the Buehler website.

Mrs. Marano's Computer Cycle 6 class has completed a picture using Paint and is now working on a tri-fold brochure using Microsoft Publisher.

Computer Applications 7, 8 & 9 Cycles

T-Shirt Factory & Encore - A Keyboarding Simulation Jobs #1-#8 and Jobs #1-#9 were completed during this time period
Laptop Computer – The school district issued laptop computer was updated with current software to be a useful productivity tool for me the second half of the month. Once again I am using my laptop for pretty much everything I do. Word, Excel, PowerPoint files help me manage all of my day to day tasks.

Accomplishments -
High School –

Mrs. Czekaj’s English 12 AP and Mr. Van Dam’s English 12 Honors students are writing essays for the VFW’s annual Voice of Democracy spoken essay contest. They will record their essays on CD or cassette and submit them for judging.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s Creative Writing class is constructing essays about courageous politicians as part of the JFK’s Profiles in Courage essay contest.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’s Communications class has four finalists in the New Jersey Young Filmakers of Tomorrow video contest. Matt Caruso, Conor Cafferty, Krysten Sears and Garrett Vancuren will be presenting their music video Tropicana Morning at Bergen Academy on Thursday, October 12th at 7PM.
Mr. Eggmann’s World Languages Clubs have begun to formulate plans for the various activities that will be conducted throughout the year including field trips to plays, historical landmarks, etc.
Mrs. Cafferty’s Spanish III class created and presented original dialogs.
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.
Mrs. Carr’s Spanish IV and V class is involved in several days of projects involving research on “Los delfins.” The final report will be presented in Spanish to the class.
Mrs. Squillace’s Spanish I students presented a poster with likes and dislikes in Spanish to the class as well as sing a Mariachi song and listen to Mexican music.
Ms. Perdomo’s Spanish I students are writing paragraphs about themselves or others to say their name, origin, age, profession, likes and dislikes. They watched a video and have information about the people in the story.
The marching band under Mr. Ascolese just completed their first competition on October 8th in Midland Park and will host another band competition on October 21st which will include performances from several bands from around New York and New Jersey.
The choral classes are doing solo practice.

AWARDS -

Ms. Perdomo would like to congratulate Daren Isla for his excellent grades and is always willing to learn and Jenilyse Figueroa for her dedication and effort show in class.

Middle School-

Ms. Perdomo’s sixth graders are using phrases to structure dialogs that allow them to establish communication and share information with Spanish speakers. Ms. Perdomo’s seventh graders are more aware of cultural differences between Spain and the United States. They are learning to describe their room and apply some simple structural rules to their knowledge base.
Mrs. Marano's Computer Cycle 6 class has completed a picture using Paint and is now working on a tri-fold brochure using Microsoft Publisher.
Mrs. O’Hagan and Ms. Wolf coordinated a trip for seventh and eighth grade students to attend a Career Exploration Day at Teterboro airport on Thursday October 12, 2006. Our students had the opportunity to learn about careers in aviation/aerospace. The students were able to board a private aircraft, tour the Jet Aviation Terminal, view the military M.A.S.H. display and the aviation museum. They also had a chance to visit the Exhibit Hall featuring over 30 companies, organizations and educational institutions.

Our students entered an essay contest entitled “Aviation Makes the world a smaller place”. We are very proud to report that our students won second and third place in the contest. J.R. Rivera, a seventh grader, won second place and received a $100 gift certificate to the Garden State Plaza and a video Ipod. Jennifer Nass. An eighth grader, won third place and received a $100 gift certificate to the Garden State Plaza and a Sony walkman.

Awards
Middle School-
Ms. Perdomo wishes to recognize Frairee De La Fuente, Maria Antonova, and Edward Frichkorn for the dedication and effort show in the sixth grade quizzes, assignments, and class participation. In the seventh grade, Ms. Perdomo wants to recognize Stephanie Grossano, Paloma Sierra, and Nick Hampton for their excellent work and dedication in Spanish class.

Student Council

Mrs. Dolan reports that the Middle School Student Council is up and running. The Executive Board was elected at the October 4, 2006 meeting as follows:
President – Maggie Biedenkapp, 8th Grade
Vice President – Noelle Paredes, 8th Grade
Secretary – Sherin Shetty, 7th Grade
Treasurer – LeeAnne Hum, 8th Grade

We have already had two fundraisers approved by the Board of Education at the September 2006 meeting.
Halloween Dress-Up Fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation. The middle school students will donate a minimum of $2.00 to dress-up on Halloween. The money will be collected during the week of October 23, 2006 by homeroom representatives. This is the 5th year of this annual fundraiser.

Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Once again the student council will sponsor a food drive to benefit needy families in Bergen County. The homerooms will compete against each other to determine which homeroom is the most generous.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Euclid School-
10/2 – DARE Classes – Grade 5
10/3 – Elementary Basic Skills Program began for Grades 3-5
10/4 – School Pictures – Grades K-5
10/5 – Progress Reports distributed
10/10 – Parent Badge Night
10/11 – Elementary GT Program Began for Grades K-2 – Topic: Nutrition
10/11-10/12 – Euclid Book Fair
10/12 – Firefighter Visitation for Fire Prevention Week – Grades K-5 – Students were introduced to the gear that firemen and women wear. They were informed about fire safety in the home and received Fire Safety Coloring Books.
10/12 – Grade Four Symphony Trip
10/16 – Young Author’s Assembly
10/16-10/19 – Violence Awareness / Character Education Week – Grades K-5 – Teachers completed lessons related to Anti Bullying Topics.

Lincoln School -
10/2- School lunch and Milk program kicked off with 150 participants in each
10/3 and 10/4- Second grade trip to HH Library
10/5- Progress Reports sent home
10/10 & 10/11 Book Fair
10/11- Kindergarten trip to HH Library
10/13- Fire Prevention day visit by the HHFD

Student Recognition
High School – Nothing to report

Middle School-

The 7th grade Students of the Month for September was Jennifer Cheng and Joe O’Brien. Congrats to them. They are doing an outstanding job.
The 8th grade Students of the Month – September- Kevin Harris and Dinaris Mojica.

Euclid School-
Birthday Bulletin Board Acknowledgment
Books for Birthday Treats
Signing of Tests by Principal

Lincoln School – Nothing to report

Staff Attendance by percentage & number
High School –
Attendance from 9/18/06 to 10/11/06 = 98.8%. 14 teachers were absent. Total absences from beginning of the year to present is 99%.

Staff punctuality by percentage and number
Punctuality from 9/18/06 to 10/11/06= 100%. 0 teachers were tardy. Total tardiness from the beginning of the year to present is 100%.

Substitute Information
During 9/18/06 to 10/11/06, 24.5 substitute teacher has been hired. Total substitutes hired from the beginning of the year to present = 25.5.

Based on sick days, professional, field trips, testing, and office sub.

Middle School -
Attendance from 9/18/06/06 to 10/11/06 = 98.2%. 11 teachers were absent. Total absences from beginning of the year to present are 98.5%.

Staff punctuality by percentage and number
Punctuality from 9/18/06to 10/11/06 = 100%. 0 teachers were tardy. Total tardiness from the beginning of the year to present is 100%.

Substitute Information
During 9/18/06 to 10/11//06, 12.5 substitute teachers have been hired. Total substitutes hired from the beginning of the year to present = 12.5.

Based on sick days, professional, field trips, testing, and office sub.

Euclid School –
Attendance from 9/22/06-10/16/06= 98.9%. 4.5 teachers/paraprofessionals were absent. Total absences from beginning of the year to present is 98.9%.

Staff Punctuality by percentage and number
Punctuality from 9/22/06-10/16/06=100%. 0 teachers were tardy. Total tardiness from the beginning of the year to present is 100%.

Substitute Information
During 9/22/06-10/16/06, 4 substitutes were hired. Total substitutes hired from the beginning of the year to present = 9.

Lincoln School -
Attendance from 9/22/06 to 10/12/06 = 98.7%. 6.5 teachers were absent. Total absences from the beginning of the year to present is.7.5. Attendance from beginning of the year to present is 99.2%

Staff punctuality by percentage and number

Punctuality from 9/22/05 to 10/12/06 = 100%. No teachers were tardy. Total tardiness from the beginning of the year to present is 100%.

Substitute Information

During 9/22/06 to 10/12/06 - 6.5 substitute teachers have been hired. Total substitutes hired from the beginning of the year to the present = 7.5.

Press Releases -
High School – Nothing to report
Middle School- Nothing to report

Euclid School –

Submitted article on Mrs. Nickle’s visitation on 10/5/06 related to certificates for summer reading to The Observer.
Lincoln School – Nothing to report

In State Field Trips – Do Not Require Board of Education Approval:

Level: High School
Event: Tour of New Bridge Landing State Historic Park, River Edge, NJ
Date: November 17, 2006
Location: River Edge, NJ
Grade Level: 10th Number of Students: 45
Chaperones: Ms. Cassidy, Mr. Gosman, Mrs. Lewites, Mr. Warren

Level: High School
Event: Heroes and Cool Kids Program
Date: November 16, January 31, and March 27, 2007
Location: Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ
Grade Level: 6th, 11th, and 12th Number of Students: 150
Chaperones: Mrs. Brinker, Mrs. Christianson, Mrs. O’Hagen, Mr. Tessaro, Mr. Delcalzo, and Mrs. Kritzer

Level: High School
Event: Workshops, awards ceremony and keynote speaker at Rutgers /Douglas
Date: October 30, 2006
Location: New Brunswick, NJ
Grade Level: 11th & 12th Number of Students: 15-20
Chaperones: Lora Geftic, Gary Pankiewicz

Level: High School
Event: Student Leaders will be trained to work with Freshman groups
Date: October 10, 2006
Location: Recreation Center, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Grade Level: 11th & 12th Number of Students: 31
Chaperones: Mrs. Brinker, Mr. Pankiewicz, Mr. Schimel, Mrs. Stevenson, Mrs. Christianson

Level: Middle/High School
Event: Heroes and Cool Kids Program
Date: November 16, 28, 29, 2006; January 31, 2007; February 8, 9, 2007; March 27, 2007; April 10, 11, 2007
Location: Bergen Community College/Hasbrouck Heights High School
Grade Level: 6th, 11th, 12th Number of Students: 150
Chaperones: Mrs. Brinker, Mrs. Christianson, Mrs. O’Hagan, Mr. Tessaro, Mr. Delcalzo, Mrs. Kritzer

Level: High School
Event: AP Chemistry Lab at Fairleigh Dickinson University
Date: November 17, 2006
Location: Teancek, NJ
Grade Level: 12th Number of Students: 11
Chaperones: Mr. Pignatiello, Mr. Richardson

Level: Lincoln School
Event: Play at Montclair State University – “My Heart in a Suitcase”
Date: December 6, 2006
Location: Montclair, NJ
Grade Level: 5th Number of Students: 68
Chaperones: Four teachers and parent chaperones (12)

Level: Lincoln School
Event: Meadowlands Environmental Center – guided tour of wetlands
Date: June 14, 2007
Location: Lyndhurst, NJ
Grade Level: 5th Number of Students: 68
Chaperones: 5th grade teachers and parent chaperones (12)

Level: Lincoln School
Event: Walking Trip to Hasbrouck Heights Library
Date: October 24, 2006
Location: HH Library, Hasbrouck Heights
Grade Level: Kindergarten Number of Students: 19
Chaperones: Mrs.Valenti and 5 class parents

Level: Lincoln School
Event: Walking Trip to Hasbrouck Heights Library
Date: October 11, 2006
Location: HH Library, Hasbrouck Heights
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Chaperones: Mrs. Unglert and 5 class parents

Level: Lincoln School
Event: Walking Trip to Hasbrouck Heights Library
Date: October 25, 2006
Location: HH Library, Hasbrouck Heights
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Chaperones: Mrs. Traina and class parents