HASBROUCK HEIGHTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Superintendent’s Report
November 30, 2006

Curriculum and Instruction

High School –
World Languages Department -

Mrs. Carr’s Spanish II classes will be working on ongoing dialogs and completing their review of Spanish I while the Spanish IV and V classes will be writing a short story using the preterit versus the imperfect.
Mrs. Cafferty’s Spanish III class researched the “Day of the Dead” and explored vocabulary for going to a concert and an art museum.
Mr. Eggmann’s French V/VAP class is completing research work on Moliere’s plays and will write a French term report.
Mrs. Squillace’s Spanish I class continues to learn how to express possession, possessive adjectives, different holidays, and express obligation.
Ms. Perdomo’s Spanish I students have been learning to use the verb “ser” to describe people and the verb “tener” to say what people have. Students will be able to talk about their family members and relationships between different people.

Music Department -

Mr. Ascolese is preparing the marching band with holiday music for the parade and holiday concert.
Mr. McCarthy is working on breathing, voice placement, tone production as well as singing six songs in harmony and unison.

English Department -

Mr. Smith’s English 9 classes continue their study of the short story genre. Time and attention has been given to developing reading strategies such as making predictions, using context clues, etc. Works covered include Poe’s “Cask”, “The Most Dangerous Game”, “Interlopers”, and the famous short story, “The Birds.” We will continue with short stories throughout November.
Mr. Smith’s HSPA English 10 class has been focusing on reading strategies pertaining to the narrative text section of the HSPA. Practice items have been reviewed with periodic assessments for their writing folders have been started.
Mrs. Czekaj’s English 10 classes are doing a staged reading of The Crucible in class. Students are enjoying taking parts in this historically-based drama about the Salem Witch trials. They are also reading self-selected novels independently, and will prepare projects to present to the class about their books.
Mrs. Czekaj’s AP English class has been reading The Odyssey and writing autobiographical essays for college and for a portfolio each student is compiling. They practiced the timed essay writing the AP exam demands by writing entries for the NJ Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s essay contest, and by writing actual AP essay exam questions.
Mrs. Czekaj’s Shakespeare classes have been reading a dark comedy, The Merchant of Venice. Discussions have centered on how Shakespeare treats the anti-Semitism of his era, and how he creates strong female characters.
Miss Venneman’s HSPA 9 classes are continuing to prepare for the HSPA by analyzing and explicating various samples of text as a comprehension strategy.
Mrs. Fernandes’s HSPA English 10 – Students are examining the function of dialogue in published essays and using those techniques in their persuasive essays. The class continues to use the HSPA workbook and various outside texts.
Mrs. Fernandes’s HSPA English 11 – Students are examining the function of dialogue in published essays and using those techniques in their persuasive essays. The class continues to use the HSPA workbook and various outside texts.
Mrs. Fernandes’s Genre & Critical Issues – Students have begun to explore the characteristics of various types of comedy, such as slapstick and parody. The class will be exposed to the humor of Mel Brooks, The Marx Brothers and the Coen Brothers.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11 British Literature classes have completed their study of the Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf. The students, in conjunction with their analysis of the modern relevance of this poem have completed two HSPA type tasks.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 11-Honors British Literature class has completed their analysis of Anglo-Saxon lyrical elegies that examined the theme of exile. They are beginning to read and discuss the epic of Beowulf. A focus will be placed on analyzing the parallelisms that are developed and the modern lessons that can be garnered from this poem. Students will continue to develop their SAT vocabulary as well as completed timed writings that will prepare them for standardized testing.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12 World Literature class has begun their study of the Greek epic of The Odyssey. Students, in oral presentations, will create chapter summaries that include an identification of the key characters, conflicts and analysis of the primary themes that serve to reveal social and political values. Students will continue to rewrite and polish their personal college application essays.
Mr. Van Dam’s English 12-Honors World Literature class has started their reading and analysis of the epic of Gilgamesh. The students will analyze the primary themes of examining and defining man’s purpose or meaning in life. A continued emphasis will be placed on the students developing higher level thinking skills and communicating clearly through analytical essays.
Mr. Van Dam’s SRA English 12 class continues to work on their SAT’s.
Ms. Monetti’s Genre & Critical Issues class is in the middle of our unit on horror films. We started with The Ring and then moved on to Alfred Hitchcock, the “master of suspense”. Students completed an “Alfred Hitchcock Scavenger Hunt” on the internet and then watched the ever famous Psycho. Our horror unit will end with the classics, Night of the Living Dead and Nosferatu.
Ms. Monetti’s English 10 classes finished the first marking period with an alternative writing assessment. This was a creative, HSPA style persuasive writing assignment in which students took on the voice of a Puritan citizen, defending the work ethic of famous baseball legend Cal Ripken. Classes are presently in the middle of our next unit. In this unit we are reading and analyzing political speeches from John F. Kennedy and Benjamin Franklin and analyzing poetry by Abigail Adams.
Ms. Monetti’s English 10 classes are finishing up our unit on The Epic of Beowulf. Students will take a HSPA style reading comprehension quiz on chapter four of the epic and then read and analyze the conclusion. Students also handed in an alternative assessment project at the end of marking period one. The project choices included a story board, essay on leadership in the epic, or a news article on the major events of the epic complete with eyewitness accounts.
Mrs. Geftic’s English 12 are currently completing a unit on Homer’s Odyssey. Through reading Homer's Odyssey, students learned about the epic form of literature, demonstrated their understanding of the text on four levels: factual, interpretive, critical and personal and investigated Greek mythology and Greek gods and goddesses. Particular attention was given to enriching their vocabulary and improving their understanding of the novel. The writing assignments in this unit demonstrated their abilities to inform, to persuade, or to express their own personal ideas.
Mrs. Geftic’s Journalism students are currently working on the second issue of the Pilot’s Log. This issue will cover how the fashion industry exploits teenagers. To help students improve their skills using PageMaker and Photoshop, the Journalism I students have been paired with a Journalism II or Journalism III students who is acting as a mentor.
On October 23, 2006, Classroom Close-up, NJ came to the journalism classes to film a segment about our program. It will be aired on December 4, 2006 at 6:30 p.m.
On Thursday, November 9, 2006, eight students along with their adviser, Lora Geftic, will be attending NSPA National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. There, students will attend workshops and compete in the Best in Show Contest as well as the Write-Off Contest.
Mrs. Meyer’s English 9 and English 9H classes continues to concentrate on the genre of the short story having read several stories from their textbook, in addition to having written a report on an outside book of their own choosing. They continue to do writing samples in class as preparation for the HSPA.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s English 10 and English 10H classes are reading a book-of-choice independently. One class is constructing a book project involving vocabulary, questioning, elements of plot, and constructing a visual representation of the book. The other class is downloading college applications from the Internet and completing the application as the protagonist of their books- including the college essay. Both classes have also started their study of the Salem with trials and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’ Communications classes are currently working on I Am poems and collages as well as original children’s stories that will be delivered to Tomorrow’s Children at Hackensack Hospital. The stories will also be illustrated and creatively put together.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’ Drama class is writing original monologues entitled All About Me which will be used as a class exercise and will also be useful when writing college essays and in job interviews. The students are also joining the communications classes in writing and illustrating original children’s stories.
Ms. Kos’ English 9 classes are in the midst of their biography unit and are reading Eli Weisel’s Night. Students are very interested in this book and are using it as inspiration for a number of journal writing assignments.
Ms. Kos’ English 10 class is reading “The Crucible” aloud in parts. This unit, which coincides with their study of early U.S. History, works to demonstrate to students how literature and history overlap and intersect. Students often use historical events and places to further their understanding of Arthur Miller’s critical play.
Ms. Kos’ English 11 class turned in their final projects on the “Beowulf” unit. Projects included a video of the famous fight between Beowulf and Grendel, an alternative ending to the epic poem, a model of Herot and a number of posters and artistic renderings of various characters in the poem. Students are now leaving the text behind for a short unit on William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. As the students read the play, they will be urged to look for themes they encountered in Beowulf, such as power and violence. And as always, students are devoting a good deal of time to practicing HSPA skills.
Ms. Kos’ English 12 class recently finished their study of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. After viewing the film version, students will write critical essays on this important text. They will then begin a practical writing unit, in which they will work on college essays and other writing projects aimed at getting them to begin thinking seriously about their plans for next year.

Library Media Center -

Mrs. Mikulka - The big excitement in the Library Media Center this month was a High School Book Fair held on October 19th and 20th. The Fair was a cooperative venture between the Library and the Key Club. Students helped with advertising, setup, and sales. Mrs. Lewites, Key Club Advisor, and Mrs. Mikulka supervised. English teachers from both the High School and the Middle School brought classes in to purchase books. Profits (over $500.) will go to Key Club charities.
Teachers who brought classes in for research this month were Mrs. Kolich, Ms. Kos, Mrs. Lewites, Ms. Perdomo, Ms. Monetti, Mr. Stine, Mr. Binazeski, and Mr. Schimel. Mrs. Washburn and Mr. Pankiewicz brought students in to use the computers. Mrs. Czekaj’s sophomores came in to choose novels for book reports.
The Library Media Center was also used to administer the PSAT, for a Peer Leaders meeting, for some of the filming of our Journalism program by Classroom Close Up, and by Mrs. Czekaj’s and Mr. Van Dam’s students recording their essays for the Voice of Democracy contest.

Social Studies Department –
History -

Mr. Warren’s U.S. History I classes enter the second marking period by embarking on the road to Revolution! Students are analyzing the various factors that led to the rebellion of the colonies against England. A chapter project was distributed to the classes based on the events surrounding the Revolution. These include an insight into the types of sports and entertainment the colonists involved themselves with, a look at colonial courtship practices, a 3-D model of a Revolution battle, and a recreation of a newsletter involving interviews and first hand accounts from the Revolution battle front. The classes will also work cooperatively to re-create and translate the Declaration of Independence for 2006. Finally, students will analyze and describe the various parts of the Constitution and discuss how a document over 200 years old still affects our society and the world today.
Mrs. Lewites’ U.S. History I class started a unit on the American Revolution. We will be analyzing the causes of the revolution and how the idea of freedom and independence kept the colonists from succumbing to the British. We will also see how the United States in 2006 is helping other nations achieve their independence and freedom.
Mr. Gossman’s U.S. History I classes completed a chapter on the colonies and how they came of age. This included England and its colonies, the agricultural south, the commercial north, and finally the French and Indian War. Students had a few quizzes throughout the chapter along with a chapter 3 test. Students then researched and performed a mock trial on the Salem Witch trials. Right before we performed the mock trial in class, we watched the movie, “Three Sovereign’s for Sarah.” Students also read an article on Iraq and answered some questions regarding the war. We then started chapter 4 which is on the American Revolution. We are currently on this chapter as we are looking at all aspects of the war.
Ms. Cassidy’s A.P. History class discussed the Articles of Confederation and the issues which led to the debate and creation of the Constitution. Students will soon be studying the early republic and the formation of political parties
Mrs. McGinty’s U.S. History II classes have begun a new unit: The 1920s and The Great Depression. It consists of 4 chapters and will be completed by the end of December. This month, the students are focusing on the politics of the Roaring Twenties and the “roaring life” of the 1920s. Their primary objectives are tracing the political and social changes after World War I and throughout the decade of the 1920s, and understanding such issues as Prohibition, the changing role of women, and the influence of the Harlem Renaissance.
Honors- In addition, the honors students will be completing and presenting a research project for the unit.
Ms. Golle’s World History classes are currently learning about Roman influence on Western Civilizations. The film Gladiator was shown to all students, thereby allowing them to visualize various aspects of Roman life. They were able to compare information from the film to traditional materials, such as notes and texts. In addition to these assignments, the honors also completed a collaborative project to construct a Roman villa. Once we complete the unit on Ancient Rome, we will take a few weeks to compare the five major world religions, including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

In addition to the standard curriculum, all classes studied genocide and completed a case-study on the current situation in Darfur.

Psychology -

Mrs. Marzi’s students have completed the study of sleep, dreams and altered states of consciousness. In our study, we discussed theories of daydreams, dreams, the biology of sleep, and sleep disorders and their treatments. We analyzed simple dream scenarios using common dream symbols. In addition, we discussed circadian clocks and related topics such as jet lag.

The next topics we will be studying are learning and intelligence and memory.

Sociology -

Mrs. Marzi’s students have completed a study of socialization and the agents that help accomplish this. We have included some aspects of personality, and the development of a conscience according to Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development. We have examined socialization within the school setting. The next topic that we will study is social stratification and class.

Business Department -

Mr. Ketcho’s Accounting I class- Finished Chapter 2 “General Ledger – Service Business.” Tests, study guide quiz, work together problems, on your own problems, and homework assignments covered. The interviewing process was explored. Began Chapter 3 – Analyzing Transactions into Debit & Credit Parts.
Mr. Ketcho’s Automated Accounting II class completed Chapter 2 – General Ledger practice.
Mr. Ketcho’s Computer Programming class – Service Business was completed and Chapter 3 – GL – End of Fiscal Period for a Service Business and Bank Reconciliation is in process.
Mr. Ketcho’s Life Management class finished Chapter 2 – “Understanding Yourself.” Chapter 2 focuses on business communications, improving relationships, how self-concepts are formed and enhanced, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Began Chapter 3 – “Managing Family Life” – understanding a person’s life cycle and different family structures are covered.
Mr. Ketcho’s Word Processing I, II and Computer Applications 9 Cycle completed 101 Spreadsheet Exercises was begun with 3-4 Excel spreadsheets per day in all classes. Learning Style Self Assessment Report is being done with new cycle classes in grade nine.
Fall ’06 Stock Market Game – One Hundred and Six HHHS Teams entered the state wide financial game six weeks ago. We have four weeks left in this event and incredibly have forty-two of the top one-hundred teams in New Jersey. It is unbelievable because there are over sixteen hundred teams involved in this investment simulation game. JB, DD, ZK, GR, CC, DB, MD, JM, AK, ZLT, YK, JP, MC, ML, SB, MS, JR, NA, BL are leading the way.

Science Department -

Mr. Binazeski’s Environmental Science students worked on learning about the food web and how organisms all are interrelated in reference to predator prey relationships. Students utilized the internet and computers to generate a PowerPoint presentation on various environmental regulations that they will be encountering in class. The presentations were presented to the entire class and the students asked many intelligent questions on the various ways that the laws affected them on a personal level.
Mr. Binazeski’s Physical Science students learned about the way minerals and rocks are related, the choice for alternate energy sources and various views of the earth (map making, mountain formations and time zone). A topographic map project is currently being created by the students by developing their own topographic map of their own designed island
Mrs. Hicswa’s Biology classes are just completing a unit on inorganic and organic chemistry. They have taken part in labs and activities in which they were able to observe and take part in compound formation, compound breakdown, testing common substances for pH readings, and testing various food products for the presence of the organic compounds of sugar, starch, lipid, and protein.
Mrs. Hicswa’s Honors Biology class read about and discussed histocompatibility in reference to organ transplants. Their discussion included concerns about tissue rejection after transplant, the process by which recipients are chosen, methods of preventing rejection, and biochemical reasons for this possible occurrence.
Mr. Pignatiello’s Honors Chemistry class has just completed a test on nomenclature and types of reactions. The students have also learned many special cases with types of reactions that deviate from the simple ones. We have now begun introduction to stoichiometry which is the essential mathematical method for determining quantities in chemistry. The Honors students will learn many advanced techniques in utilizing math in chemistry.
Mr. Pignatiello’s Chemistry CP class is just ending nomenclature and equation writing. They have seen and been tested on the basic concepts of reactions and how to recognize them. The CP students will also begin work in stoichiometry, which is the mathematical method for determining quantities in chemistry.
Mr. Pignatiello’s AP Chemistry class is exploring gas laws. Many of the gas laws that we are studying are new to the students. They learned a good amount of formulas in chemistry honors but now are going above and beyond the basics of that class. They students are also going on two trips in the upcoming months. The one trip is to FDU to work on a hands-on lab that will take several hours to complete. The lab is to reinforce electrochemistry which is the chapter that we just finished. The students will also be taking a trip to Philadelphia to explore science in two museums, Mutter and the Franklin, this trip is also provided by FDU as part of the middle college experience.
Mr. Stine’s physics classes are completing the unit on momentum. We will begin the second marking period with an introduction to circular motion, followed by a study of universal gravitation.
Mrs. Stoehs’ Biology class enjoyed the lab on nutrients. They used experiments to determine the protein, starch, sugar, and fat content in every day foods such as hot dogs, nuts, cottage cheese, pretzels, lettuce, and fruits. The class is learning to do lab work on a very independent level and to discuss their findings as they proceed. The laptop was handy in researching these foods and the processing each goes through.

Mathematics Department -

Mr. Aldea's AP Calculus class is finishing Chapter 3 on derivatives in the first week of November. The class will then be studying applications of the derivative in Chapter 4. Sample AP test questions will be used on all tests and quizzes.
Mr. Aldea's Calculus class is finishing the study of limits in Chapter 2 and will then begin Chapter 3 on derivatives.
Mr. Aldea's Honors Algebra II class will be studying matrices and their applications. The class will be finishing HSPA Cluster II in November.
Mr. Aldea's Foundations of Advanced Math class is graphing quadratic equations. After the graphing portion of the class, students will be solving systems of equations.
Mrs. Healey’s Precalculus classes have begun learning to calculate with exponents to Base 10.
Mrs. Healey’s HSPA 11 class will conclude Cluster II and begin Cluster III preparation. HSPA weekly “Pull-Out” will begin on approximately November 15th for students exhibiting a need for additional support.
Mr. Heller’s Geometry classes have extended their study of lines and angles into their relationships within triangles. Students have been learning and proving a variety of theorems and formulas associated with these relationships. Classroom exercises have included group discussions in problem solving and developing proofs.
Mr. Heller's HSPA Math 9 class has studied how to evaluate algebraic expressions, and how to solve equations and word problems with one variable. The class has demonstrated its understanding of problem solving approaches by responding to numerous practice problems and employing self-checking techniques.
Mr. Heller’s HSPA Math 10 class been studying the fundamentals of geometry, particularly angles, lines, and triangles, as well as how to make transformations of geometric shapes. Classroom exercises have included numerous drawings and sketches to confirm the students' understanding of the terminology and patterns involved.
Mrs. Michaeli’s Algebra 2 classes learned how to sketch the graphs of linear equations and inequalities, absolute value equations in two variables and how to find and interpret the slope of a line. Students also reviewed HSPA problems involving cluster 2.
Mr. Monks’ Fundamentals of Geometry class is currently working with identifying types of triangles and determining the angle measurements.
Mr. Monks’ Algebra I class took a Mid Chapter 3 test involving solving mutli-step equations with variables on both sides of the equation.
Mr. Monks’ Geometry class has completed their work in Chapter 2 which finished up with identifying polygons and included angles.
Mr. Monks’ HPSA 9 class has been applying there algebra knowledge to finding solutions to word problems.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Algebra I classes have been busy solving linear equations and solving real world problems. In November we will be solving literal equations and equations involving decimals.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Fundamentals of Algebra I class is currently solving linear equations with variables on both sides. As well we are solving real world problems in which we have to write equations and solve.
Mrs. O’Brien’s Fundamentals of Algebra II class just finished solving absolute value equations. In November we will begin sketching graphs of linear equations by using a table of values. They will also be able to identify equations whose graphs are horizontal or vertical lines.
Mrs. Rad’s Fundamentals of Algebra 2 class is learning to solve a variety of algebraic equations and analyzing word problems and solving them.
Mrs. Rad’s HSPA 9 class is studying Cluster 1: Macro B and Cluster IV: Macro C. These topics include changing from a fraction or decimal to a percent and from a percent to a fraction or decimal, solving a variety of problems using percents and algebraic methods to solve problems arising from math situations, everyday experiences, and other disciplines.
Mrs. Rad’s Integrated Math 4 class is studying comparing and adjusting a personal check register to agree with a monthly bank statement, calculating simple interest in a loan balance, calculating interest compounded annually, quarterly, and monthly, and calculating fixed and variable interest rates in loans.
Mrs. Rad’s HSPA 10 class is studying Cluster 1: Macro B and Cluster IV: Macro C. Students are illustrating and modeling percents in real-life situations, comparing effects of percent increase (decrease) in prices where sales tax is applicable and using algebraic methods to solve problems arising from math situations everyday experience, and other disciplines.
Mrs. Stoehs’ Fundamentals of Geometry class completed chapter 3, Properties of Triangles and Quadrilaterals. We used three dimensional objects to determine edges, faces, and vertices of prisms. We’ve just begun transformations. Students are enjoying the break from math calculations while working on graphing reflections, translations and rotations.
Mrs. Stoehs’ Fundamentals of Algebra class just finished Chapter 2, Real Numbers. The students used the distributive property to solve problems. They also saw how matrices can be used to organize information.

Art Department -

Mrs. Reed’s drawing classes have completed their grid drawings and created a still-life drawn in charcoal. Presently students are working on a stipple project where they are creating shades and tones using a dotting process.
Mrs. Reed’s graphic design class has completed their letterhead design that went with their business card design. Students learned about greeting card layouts and then created with own design layout. Presently the class is creating a visual drawing for a known statement such as “Gone with the wind” or one of their own.
Mrs. Kritzer’s Advanced Art class are working on a self portrait that consists of 9 5x5 squares. The students will make nine different portraits using famous artists as their influence. They are encouraged to us the techniques and styles of the artist to a self portrait of themselves.
Mrs. Kritzer’s drawing classes have begun the color section of drawing. The students are using colored pencils to reproduce the art work of Peter Max. They must use several color pencils to form a single color. They are encouraged to find a way to blend and fade colors.
Mrs.Kritzer’s Student Council has completed a very successful spirit week. For a second year in a row the class of “09” has won spirit week. All students had a great week of competition in winning the most spirited class title. This year’s week can be remembered as one of the most exciting weeks in the high school.
Mrs. Brinker’s HS SADD Club sponsored a week of events in honor of the nationally recognized Red Ribbon Week. Students received a donation of red ribbons from Bill O’Shea’s Florist and wrapped ribbons around all the trees in front of the school. Club members also planted red tulips in front of the marquis sign in front of the High School.
Mrs. Brinker’s HS SADD Club sponsored a poster contest for 6th grade students and prizes were awarded. Finally, our annual classroom door decorating contest was judged on Friday October 27th and the winning homeroom was Ms. Venneman’s homeroom. This homeroom received a breakfast sponsored by the HS SADD Club.

Physical Education/ Health Education-

Mr. Caruso and Mrs. Kolich’s Physical Education classes are finishing up an Arena Football unit.
Mr. Scuilla’s classes are doing a cardio unit in the fitness room.
Mrs. Miller and Mr. Ciappina’s (Student Teacher) classes are doing a badminton unit.
*After the Thanksgiving holiday ALL classes will be beginning a volleyball unit.

Health Department-

Mr. Scuilla’s 12th grade Health class is discussing a unit on Nutrition and the rate of obesity in the United States.
Mr. Delcalzo and Mr. Tessaro’s 10th Grade Driver Education classes are preparing for state driving test. They are learning the rules of the road.
Ms. Gaccione’s 9th grade Health class finished the tobacco unit and began discussing nutrition and dietary supplements. Students will work in groups this week and examine fad diets, food guide pyramid, and effects of caffeine on the body.
Mrs. Kolich and Mrs. Miller should be commended on raising over $400.00 for Breast Cancer Research by selling pink ribbons to students and faculty during the month of October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Industrial Art Department-

Mr. Masucci’s students make table lamps. They are learning how to wire and construct them out of wood.

Technology Department

Mrs. Marano's Computer Applications class is working with the AppleWorks database module. Students are learning how to create and modify fields and how to create sorts, searches, reports and various layouts. Students are becoming familiar with the data manipulation capabilities of a database.
Mrs. Marano's Computer Cycle 9 is completing their research PowerPoint presentations. Students must research a topic and put together a coherent presentation using the research findings and appropriate images.

Use of Laptop-

Mrs. Geftic’s English 12 students traced Odysseus’ route in the Odyssey on the laptop computer and to show an overview of the epic poem to the class. In addition, students viewed comma rules and participated in an on-line quiz.
Mr. Pankiewicz’s Cycle Humanities class used the laptop to conduct research on literary and historical allusions in Rand’s Anthem. The creative writing and journalism classes continue to utilize the laptop for word processing and Internet research. The laptop has also been used to write numerous college recommendations for senior students.
Mrs. Schneeweiss’ Communications and Drama classes are using the laptop to research illustrations and story ideas, writing college essays, applying to college, researching colleges, writing letters of recommendations for students and for rehearsal for the Middle Level Musical Adventures of a Comic Book Artist.
Mrs. McGinty utilized the LCD and The Americans software; students participated in a PowerPoint review for the chapter assessments.
Mr. Ketcho’s use of the school district laptop computer: I lead all my instruction with this device hooked up to a document camera and a LCD projector. www.fdu.edu/rothman and www.stockmarketgame.org are accessed to demonstrate to my classes how to navigate these applications and web-sites. Lesson plans, E-mail, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet access, CD’s for additional instructional material – on-line text books, graphics, library material, almost everything I do somehow utilizes my district issued laptop computer.
Mrs. Healey: The laptop is being used to communicate with students, parents, and teachers via email. Excel and Word is used to create necessary periodic reports and testing materials for the department. HSPA 11 worksheets are generated from Adobe Acrobat.
Mr. Monks: Grades and reports were calculated on Excel. Lesson plans have been generated in Word. Tests, quizzes and extra help worksheets have been generated in Word. Email has been used to communicate with parents and department teachers.
Mrs. Stoehs: The laptop was used in the course of our study on nutrients in foods. It also is used in creating transparencies for class notes and for working with transformations. The students in biology will also be able to access websites for information for their class project on the cell.
Mrs. Washburn’s students are using the Internet to research various Italians who came to this country and how they are grateful to be celebrating Thanksgiving.

6th Grade Technology Pilot Program

Michelle DiPiano – Math

Weekly quizzes, tests, and worksheets are created using Microsoft Word and the Prentice Hall Computer Item Generator CD. Grades and homework assignments are entered daily using Microsoft Excel.

Students in Miss DiPiano’s Algebra classes have been busy completing a “My Special Number” Project. The students chose a number between 10 and 100 and needed to explain why they chose this number. They also spent a week doing research on the internet to find 4 mathematical things about the number as well as 4 connections between the number and their world. Many students created posters, power point presentations, and diagrams. The project was demonstrated in class and the students were able to see how to search on the internet, create power points, and type documents. The project was a big success and the students really enjoyed incorporating math into their world.

Miss DiPiano’s webpage at teacherweb.com seems to be a very popular site. The students use the site daily to check homework, review notes, complete extra practice, and find links to some great math websites. They could also access their project through the webpage to see the directions and use the links to complete their projects at home. The students also like that they can contact Miss DiPiano through the website which happened frequently during the week. The students are also able to update their notebooks through the website. Notes are updated on a daily basis which helps the students when preparing for an assessment.

Karen Dolan – Literature

On Halloween, Ms. Dolan’s literature students were brought back in time to the year 1919. This was the culminating activity for the novel Tuck Everlasting. Through internet research Ms. Dolan was able to create a power point showing the students exactly how much changes over 87 years. 87 is a special number, the exact number of years that the Tucks had drank from the spring of eternal life. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful unit. By making it a visual presentation using the technology provided by the pilot program, the students were able to make more of a connection to the changes.

Additionally, Ms. Dolan continues to use the computer for all administrative activities associated with her position as a teacher. This includes, but is not limited to grading, creation of test and quizzes, internet research to assist with her lessons, and, most importantly, communication with the parents.

Finally, as technology liaison for the Sixth Grade Team, Ms. Dolan met with Mr. Matty, Mr. Bolcar, and Mr. Luongo to discuss the new grading system that will be used by the teachers. After much anticipation, the Gradequick program was installed on all of the teacher’s computers and after training beginning in mid-November, the teachers expect to use it for their second marking period grades.

David Rispoli – Science

The laptop in Mr. Rispoli’s possession was used to create a gradebook in Excel. All of the students grades are stored in the laptop. Averages are also calculated by Excel. Worksheets, and quizzes were created using word. It was also used to research various questions the students asked while learning. The LCD Projector in my possession has not been used since it was hung from the ceiling. I am waiting for a cable. The cable that came with the projector was not long enough. We were told a new cable was ordered and it would take about a week to arrive. It has not arrived yet.

Candace Wallace – Social Studies

Students in Ms. Wallace’s classes have been working on Complex Villages, some of which are being displayed in the school library as representations of their hard work. The designs show the housing of early settlers who used mud to build the shelters.

Students have also been utilizing the website www.classzone.com which the publisher of the new textbooks has designed to enhance the learning experience with their texts. There are review games, flashcards, and even crossword puzzles for each chapter that are interactive, and the students love using the resource.

Ms. Wallace also uses PowerPoint to introduce and review the chapters. The lcd projector which is mounted in her room allows her to show work with the students as a group in tandem with the chapter resources in the book.

Allison Wolf – English

Ms. Wolf has made great use of technology in the past month with her school provided laptop. The laptop has been used as an instruction, communication, grading, and preparation for class.

As an instructional tool, Ms. Wolf has used the laptop to show power point presentations for review of material learned in class. She has also used the software on the laptop with smaller groups of students during after-school help and pull-out support.

The laptop continues to be a great source of communication with the parents. Ms. Wolf is able to communicate quickly with parents about their child. This is a great tool for a specific response to a question, an update on a grade, or a behavioral issue.

Although Ms. Wolf used Microsoft Excel for the first marking period grades, she is looking forward to using “Grade Quick”, which has just been provided, for the upcoming marking period. This program was tested during the summer, and is a great program for grades.

The laptop continues to be used to create all tests, quizzes, and assessments for Ms. Wolf’s classes. This is a very quick and convenient tool.

Middle School-
Mathematics Department-

Miss Keller’s 6th grade Geometry classes will begin learning about triangles. The students will learn how to classify triangles by their sides and their angle measures. While learning to classify triangles, the students will work with manipulatives to gain a better understanding of each type of triangle. Once the students have mastered the skills to classify and create different types of triangles they will begin to explore polygons. They will understand how to determine if a figure is a polygon, and whether or not the polygon is convex. Towards the end of the month the students will begin to learn how to classify quadrilaterals. They will investigate the different characteristics of rectangles, parallelograms, trapezoids and other geometric shapes. Throughout these sections of the textbook the students will be working closely with hands on materials in order for them to fully grasp the ideas and concepts being taught.
Miss Keller’s 6th grade honors Geometry class will be using tables to solve word problems and begin to understand how tables can be used to organize information. The students will then begin learn to identify patterns and will be asked to create their own to present to the class. Later this month, the students will begin exploring angles. They will learn to classify and measure angles, as well as construct their own using a protractor. Once comfortable classifying, measuring and drawing angles, they will learn how to construct bisectors. Throughout these activities the students will have the opportunity to experience cooperative learning
Miss Keller: The students continue to adjust to the middle school environment. By constructing pair and group activities I hope to extend the students’ circle of friends. Enabling the students get to know one another, creates the opportunity for a more positive learning environment, one that is warm and inviting. It is hoped that the students will begin to see that their classmates are a great source of additional support as they grow through their ups and downs.
Miss DiPiano’s 6th grade Algebra classes have been busy investigating fractions. They are learning divisibility rules and prime factorization and are using these to find the greatest common factor, the least common multiple and to reduce fractions. The students are developing the understanding that there are many ways to solve these problems. They are encouraged daily to use different methods, such as factor trees and subsequent division, to see what methods suit their learning styles. The students are looking forward to learning how to multiply and divide fractions. They will become familiar with fraction bars and models of fractions to be able to understand more clearly what happens when fractions are be divided or multiplied. Students are also solving word problems by working backwards as well as completing their Gepa packets.
Miss DiPiano’s6th grade honors Algebra students are completing a chapter on integers and equations. The students were introduced to variable expressions by writing them and using models to solve the expressions. They have become familiar with Algebra Tiles and use they use the tiles to solve simple variable expressions. The students have also mastered subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers using this manipulative. This hands-on method is giving the students a positive outlook and attitude towards math because they understand.
Mrs. Caputo’s 7th grade Algebra classes just had a mid chapter test on chapter 3 entitled Algebra Equations. The students are solving one and two-step equations. We are continuing in chapter three with equations and order of operations.
Mrs. Caputo’s 7th grade honors Algebra students completed their chapter two test. We started our next chapter three on Algebraic Expressions and equations. They are working hard on this chapter.
Mrs. Caputo: All of the students received cluster IC gepa packet for homework and classwork review. We are in the process of completing these packets and will check them together on 11-8-06. Mrs. Caputo’s extra help sessions have steady visitors and they are encouraged to continue. Pull out support is going very well. The students are excited about the continuous debate about out HW pass chance project, math is everywhere in all jobs. This is a fun way of showing the students that math is everywhere and what they are doing is for a purpose.
Mr. Sickels’ 7th grade Geometry classes are currently working on Chapter Seven, Investigating Geometry. We will continue to working on this chapter throughout this month.
Mr. Sickels’ 7th grade Geometry class is currently working on Chapter Eight, Patterns in Geometry. We will continue to working on this chapter throughout this month.
Mr. Sickels: As we continue in November we are on schedule with the GEPA assignments, currently completing pack II B. I look forward to getting to speak with parents again during conferences.
Mr. Sickels attended workshops during the month of October on CPR, 6Th – 9th Test Results, School Crisis Management Planning, Suicide Awareness and Prevention, and Avian Influenza.
Mr. Mastropietro’s 8th grade math classes we are currently working towards completing chapter 8, Geometry and Polygon. We also covered additional material on translations. The classes are also working with Geometry Gepa problems this month.
Mrs. Dunne’s 8th grade Algebra I class has completed the Rules of Algebra chapter. The students have an understanding of the set of real numbers. The class has begun solving linear equations. The class has completed the Cluster I assessment test.
Mrs. Dunne’s Math 8 classes have completed the Integers and Variable expressions chapter. They have begun their study of rational and irrational numbers beginning with primes, composites, factors and multiples. The class has completed the Cluster I assessment test.

Science Department-

Mr. Rispoli’s 6th grade science classes the students having been learning about work and mechanical advantage. They identified when work was being done. The classes also calculated how much work was done when given examples. Mechanical advantage was applied to simple machines.
Mr. Rispoli attended two workshops this past month. One was about school law. The other was learning how students learn by using the process of debate.
Mrs. Toy’s 7th grade students have begun their unit on cells and heredity. At this time they are investigating the 5 Kingdoms of Living Things through the use of microscopes and computer technology.
Mrs. Toy attended a workshop on October 23rd, that addressed forensic science, engineering, environmental science and bioethics. The program was run by Bureau of Education and Research. The program stressed using contemporary issues and inquiry strategies to strengthen science instruction.
Mr. Cassiere’s 8th grade students will be investigating phases of matter, composition of matter, and the behavior of matter under various conditions. In addition to content material students will complete a very challenging lab by distilling wood. This process will illustrate and isolate the fundamental building blocks of a common material such as wood. Students will be assessed through 2 chapter tests and lab procedure quizzes.

Art Department-

Mrs. Kritzer’s Art 7 is currently studying pop artist Keith Haring. The students learned the life and short lived career of this local artist. They will make their own pop art by enlarging candy wrappers and changing the descriptions.

Mrs. Kritzer’s Art 8 completed a large name plate. Using the methods of designing a hex sign, students use their names as a means of design using color and repetition.
Mrs. Brinker’s Art 6 Cycle class competed in a Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest sponsored by the HS SADD Club. Winners were Gabe Toledo, Jessica Shapiro and Bethany Manzo and each winner received a ten dollar gift card to McDonald’s.

Physical Education-

6th, 7th and 8th grade classes are participating in an indoor soccer unit. They are doing drills and learning the game.
Health Department-
Mrs. Miller’s 6-grade health class is working on a getting to know you unit. The unit deals with treating family and friends with respect and to pre judge other people.
Mr. Delcalzo’s 7-grade is doing a unit on drugs and alcohol. The class is working on how ads influence young people to buy their products.
Mrs. Gaccione’s 8th grade health class has began the DARE program with Lt. Mullins. Violence and substance abuse will be discussed. Club drugs will also be introduced along with the substance abuse unit. Students will work from the DARE workbook and group discussions.

Social Studies-

Ms. Wallace’s classes have been working on complex villages, some of which are being displayed in the school library as representation of their hard work. The designs show the housing of early settlers who used mud to build the shelters.
Mrs. Gay's seventh grade Social Studies class participated in a national Middle/High School mock election. Kean Jr. was victorious in the Senatorial race by a narrow margin over Menendez, while hometown candidate Michael Jarvis was a clear victor for the House of Representatives. As part of this activity, they also debated and indicated their choice of solutions for the situation in Iraq, immigration reform, global warming, and the economy. The children are currently studying key events in English history that were influential in the design of the American government, such as the signing of the Magna Carta and the adoption of the English Bill of Rights. They are continuing to discover the similarities between the philosophy behind English constitutional government and concepts found in the documents considered the backbone of ours- the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Later in the month, they will be exploring the events that contributed to our split with Britain and the Revolutionary War, and will be either creating pamphlets or writing letters to the editor in which they attempt to convince their fellow colonists to support the Patriot or the Loyalist cause.
Mrs. Rucci’s/ Mr. Gossman’s eighth grade social studies classes learned about colonial life and how the French and Indian War led to the American Revolution. Students also made political cartoons from the 1700s, which are on display in room 322. Parents should have all received a “Test Folder” of graded papers that they should have reviewed and returned back signed. We addressed United Nations day with some history and present action of this organization. Students’ binders were collected and graded to assess how each student has been following along. We also did a Junior Scholastic Issue titled, “This is My U.K.” in which students read about living in the United Kingdom today and compared what it used to be like. Lastly we conducted a mock election for Election Day and currently have plans for Veterans Day. The students also participated in the National Mock Election. After the votes were tallied, Bob Menendez and Steve Rothman were the winners.

English Department-

Mrs. Rowland’s 7th grade English class has written a Halloween story incorporating better vocabulary, transitional expressions, and irony of the situation.

Presently, students are working in groups on a persuasive presentation of character vs. education.
Miss Venneman’s 7th grade Literature classes are concluding the Unit on The Adventures of Ulysses, with a Unit test and a viewing of The Odyssey. Students will compare and contrast the movie with the book as they fill out a movie viewing guide.
Mr. Colangelo’s 7th grade Literature classes are concluding their reading of The Adventures of Ulysses, with a final test and a viewing of The Odyssey. Students will be responsible for a compare and contrast essay at the conclusion of the movie.
Mr. Colangelo’s 7th grade Creative Writing class is in transition. As the first cycle completed Creative Writing, a new cycle has come to the forefront. These students will be responsible for numerous writing styles and projects which includes: journal writing, autobiographies, stories without endings, newspaper articles, a movie review, and a review of literary terms.
Mr. Colangelo’s 6th grade Study Skills class is in transition. As the first cycle completed Study Skills, a new cycle has come to the forefront. These students will be working out of their Study Skills workbook, You Can Take Charge. Note taking is of the utmost importance.
Mr. Colangelo’s 8th grade Literature class is currently reading Flowers for Algernon. This short story follows the life of Charlie Gordon, a feeble minded man whose goal in life is to be smart. Consequently, Charlie is given that chance; however the outcome is not what he expects. At the conclusion of the story, the students will view the movie version of the story and be responsible for a compare and contrast essay.
Ms. Dolan’s sixth grade literature students began reading The Giver, by Lois Lowry. The students began the book by creating their own idea of a Utopia. The students worked in groups to decide their Utopia’s name, type of government, slogan, etc. The students had a great time trying to decide exactly what would make up the “perfect” society. After completing this activity, the students were introduced to Jonas and his perfect “community.” They are already beginning to question whether or not Jonas’s community is really perfect.
Mr. Sicilian’s 8th grade English classes are working on journal essay writing this month and will begin a unit on Persuasive Writing techniques right before the Thanksgiving vacation. The persuasive writing activities will focus on some GEPA related strategies. In addition to this, all classes will be introduced to the concept of developing Public Service Announcements (PSA) in conjunction with a contest sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ). PDFNJ sponsors an annual middle school contest for students to develop, write and script a PSA with an anti drug and alcohol message. Winning scripts are then professionally produced. Student winners “star” in the PSA.
Mr. Sicilian’s 8th grade English Honors class is currently working on news and PSA segments for the middle school morning news show set to air in November. In conjunction with the literature class, students are set up in production and video teams to tape the various segments.
Mr. Stillman’s 8th grade Literature Honors class is busily preparing the first two episodes of the current season of Good Morning Middle School. In addition to writing and taping stories for the initial episodes, the production crew is also in the process of long term story planning.
Mr. Stillman’s 8th grade Literature class is reading the short story, “Flowers for Algernon,” which continues the theme of having your wishes come true from the 1st marking period.
Ms. Wolf’s sixth grade English Classes over the past month have been busy beginning their unit on grammar. They have identified subjects and predicates in a sentence. They are now beginning to work on the “Parts of Speech” unit. This will be a month long unit that will end with a group project to tie together all of the information learned in the unit.

In addition to grammar, the students have continued enhancing their writing skills with bi-weekly writing assignments. All of the writing assignments follow the format of the NJ standardized tests. The students have also continued to broaden their vocabulary with daily words and bi-weekly spelling units.

Foreign Languages-

Mrs. Cafferty’s eight grade cycle class created “Day of the Day” posters and reviewed familiar vocabulary from previous cycle classes in Spanish.
Ms. Perdomo’s seventh grade cycle class acquired knowledge about important reasons to study Spanish, use cognates to understand dialogs and school supplies.
Ms. Perdomo’s sixth grade cycle class have been learning about differences between Spanish and English alphabets, the use of cognate words to understand general ideas as well as commands that the students will hear and say in the classroom.

Music Department-

Mr. McCarthy reports that the seventh grade cycle is studying jazz, Dixieland, swing, and Stephen Foster.
Ms. Moroney reports that the first cycle has ended and the students learned about advanced rhythm studies plus the holiday concert music was practiced and some for the pops concert was begun also.
Ms. Moroney reports that the second cycle for the sixth and seventh grade bands has started with students who have complete two years of instrumental music and continue by reviewing scales as will as new music in various key/time signatures. The class is focusing on rhythm studies in the keys of B-flat Concert, and F Concert and working toward mastery of the F-Concert, B-flat Concert, E-flat Concert and Chromatic Scales, one octave.

Euclid School –
Math-
Kindergarten is creating number stories using sets of 1-5 items. They are estimating fewer than and more than within given groups of items. They are practicing their counting skills by relating objects to numbers.
Grade 1 is working on their addition and subtractions skills. They are practicing mixed drills where both types of equations are found within the same sheet. They are practicing their problem solving skill naming the information needed and highlighting key words within word problems to develop a focus for each. They are reinforcing their skills with flash card math games.
Grade 2 is working on subtraction strategies. They are practicing their vocabulary related to subtraction and reinforcing their skills through various math games. They are practicing their word problems and answering them in complete sentence format.
Grade 3 is working on estimating differences. They are sharpening their subtraction skills and completing exercises in preparation for the NJ ASK assessment. They are working on front-end estimation and number sentences.
Grade 4 is creating circle graphs to display given information. They are learning its components and the vocabulary that is utilized to describe each part. They are reinforcing their multiplication facts and division facts and practicing their mad minutes. They are learning to choose an appropriate graph to display information. (bar, line, circle)
Grade 5 is working on the multiplication of decimals with and without zero. They are focusing on the place value of the numbers within the equation and the correct placement of the decimal point when multiplying. They are working on their open-ended word problems and continue to practice their multiplication and division mad minutes.

Science-

Kindergarten has begun their study of how things move. They will observe animals, modes of transportation, and people to make comparisons. In addition, they are learning about the turning of the leaves in autumn and performing experiments related to leaves.
Grade 1 is learning all about reptiles and how they adapt to their environment. They are creating poems and reading about reptiles to identify their characteristics.
Grade 2 is learning about amphibians, frogs, and snakes. They are writing facts about different types of reptiles. They are learning how these creatures adapt to their environment for survival.
Grade 3 is demonstrating their knowledge of animal adaptations. They are creating charts that identify the different types of adaptations. In addition, they are learning about fossils. They are learning how they derive and how they are used to learn about the past.
Grade 4 is learning all about volcanoes and earthquakes. They are utilizing the 5 W’s method to write an article about an earthquake. They are conducting experiments by erupting a volcano. They are identifying the vocabulary to label the various parts. They are learning the effects of the earth’s shifting plates and creating flipbooks of the evolution of Pangea.
Grade 5 is completing their study of the various biomes and the relationship between an organism and its ecosystem.

Social Studies-

Kindergarten is learning about Thanksgiving. They are studying the first Thanksgiving and learning who participated, what they ate, and what it meant. They are practicing for their Thanksgiving Celebration.
Grade 1 is learning about the different landforms of the earth. They are completing a landform flipbook to reinforce their learning. They are pointing out various landforms found on a map and orally describing its components.
Grade 2 is working on the identification of landforms and bodies of water. They are characterizing mountains, plains, and valleys. They are discussing where people live and how they live. They are creating landforms with clay. They finished their state charts and their presentation to their class.
Grade 3 is studying the characteristics of a rural community. They are describing its geography, reviewing vocabulary, and creating graphic organizers utilizing central idea and supporting details. They are creating charts and drawing features of a rural community.
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. They created a symbol for Euclid School modeled after the state symbol.
Grade 5 is continuing their study 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 sound of “d” at the beginning and the end of words. They are drawing pictures that begin with a d and clapping when they hear the letter d within a word. They are also working with the letter n and practicing their capitals and lower case letters. They are counting the syllables of words and working with the phonetic sound of “ap”. They are recording in their journals and practicing the writing of their first names. They are also practicing to copy the alphabet from a teacher copy. They are listening to stories and practicing their retell skills.
Grade 1 is learning to recognize common abbreviations. They are working with plural nouns and writing descriptive paragraphs. They are reviewing the short e sound and writing in their journals. They are creating contractions and writing telling and asking sentences. They answering guided reading questions while they read their weekly story.
Grade 2 is working on plural nouns. They are identifying abbreviations and practicing their “r” controlled words. They are predicting outcomes and working in their Scoring High books to prepare for Terra Nova Testing. They are practicing abc order and writing paragraphs that require more details. They are also writing descriptive pieces for something common like their rooms at home.
Grade 3 is analyzing the character, setting, and plot of a given story. They are preparing for the NJASK utilizing the Essential Skills Book. They are creating story maps and practicing their 4-square writing as an organizer in the prewriting process. They are writing descriptive paragraphs. They are focusing on compound sentences and “How To” paragraphs.
Grade 4 is working on cause and effect. They are identifying these types of instances in both stories and real life events. They are editing paragraphs and poetry for rhyme. They are practicing their public speaking skills by sharing narratives with lower grade students. They are interviewing various staff members and writing articles in cooperative groups symbolizing that of a newspaper company.
Grade 5 is learning about Asian Folktales. They are writing their book report summaries. They are working with figurative language. They are improving comprehension skills through focusing on details. They are sharpening their revising and editing skills. They are editing a business letter and creating compound sentences.

Art –

Kindergarten has been tracing using stencils. They painted pumpkins, worked on symmetry and created scarecrows utilizing different textures.
Grade 1 is using watercolors to create leaves. They made symmetrical masks and a mosaic corn picture.
Grade 2 is learning about Vincent Van Gogh and creating their own Starry Night. They are working on producing a still life cornucopia and Native American designs.
Grade 3 is learning about the use of adjacent colors. They are creating skeletons to understand proportion and understanding monochromatic colors.
Grade 4 is learning about Georgia O’Keefe and producing a still life drawing. They are creating 3-d housing to show their architectural skills and completing a painting on canvas.
Grade 5 is creating textured masks using paint and markers. They are painting clay pumpkins.

Music –

Kindergarten has been learning seasonal and holiday songs related to Halloween and Thanksgiving. They are preparing for their Kindergarten Thanksgiving show.
Grade 1 is learning about drumbeats and low sound placement.
Grade 2 is working on playing the timbre, drums, and wind chimes.
Grade 3 is listening and enhancing a musical story through creative movement.
Grade 4 is practicing their echo technique and the improvisation of the drums. They are preparing for their Winter Concert.
Grade 5 is learning about an ensemble. They are drumming as a community and preparing for their Winter Concert.

Physical Education –

Kindergarten – Grade 2 have been working on developing their motor skills through the use of scooters, the balance beam, wall cling, jump ropes and the balance board
Grades 3-5 continue to work on football. They are reinforcing their catching, throwing, and receiving a hand off. Emphasis is being placed on simple strategies and rules of the game.

World Language-

Kindergarten classes have been talking to “Lizzie”, the Spanish voice-activated doll and learning their colors and numbers. First grade has reviewed colors and numbers 1-10 along with family members. Second grade has learned numbers 11-20 as well as adding and subtracting those numbers. Third grade practiced farm, jungle, forest, and ocean animals. Fourth grade learned about the seasons, weather, days and dates. Fifth graders learned about familiar professions and where they might practice them.

Library/Computers –

Kindergarten and Grade 1 are learning to open, operate, and close a computer program.
Grade 2 is learning to create a text document. They are adding pictures and a border.
Grade 3 is typing a poem. They are learning to center it, edit the font, and save as.
Grade 4 is learning to insert an art border around a text document.
Grade 5 is discussing Internet safety. They are taking the I-Safe pre-test online.

Lincoln School -

Mathematics:
Kindergarten classes have completed Chapter 2 of our math series and have begun Chapter 3 on Numbers 0-5. We have been counting sets of 0-5 and identifying and writing numbers 0-5. We have been learning the meanings of more, equal, and fewer.
Our first graders are continuing to review addition and subtraction facts. The second grade reviewed the skills of tally marks, bar graphs, concrete graphs, and pictographs. They are currently working on using addition strategies to solve simple problems.
The third graders are multiplying with facts 0-12. This month we have mastered: rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000 and using a bar graph to interpret information and solve problems. We are currently estimating sums, adding three and four digit numbers with and without regrouping and using the strategy predict and test to solve problems. Next, we will be estimating differences, and subtracting three and four digit numbers. Fourth graders- On Monday, October 30, 2006, the learners began Chapter 10 -Multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers. The learners are learning how to multiply one digit numbers by two, three, and four numbers. In addition, they are learning how to multiply across zeros. This chapter will prepare students to be able to successfully accomplish the concept of Long Division. When the students begin to divide I will teach the concept through the words "Does McDonald's Serve Cheeseburgers?" (Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Check).
In addition, the learners are continuing to work on problem solving through their math folders and from the Harcourt Math series. Along with working on problem solving strategies, I also began incorporating the "Measuring Up" Book into the lessons. At this point, "Measuring Up" will only be done in school and not sent for homework, as the concepts in the book are very crucial for the NJASK testing in March. The fifth graders recently completed the unit on multiplying larger numbers and have recently been introduced to multiplying decimals. They are also creating line and bar graphs which have been incorporated into the open ended problem solving format.

Science:
Our first graders are continuing our Animal/Habitat unit. The second graders recently completed their unit on plants and the properties of living things and are now reviewing the concept of animals and how they adapt to their environments.
The third graders have been identifying how environments change. Also, they have been identifying a healthy environment for people and ways that people can stay healthy. Next, they will be discovering how rocks are formed and what soil is made of.
The fourth grade is investigating a unit on weather. They learned about fronts, clouds, and how weather is formed. Our fifth graders are busy working on their Biome presentations as a culmination to the Biome and Ecosystem Unit. Working in cooperative groups the students dissected owl pellets to learn first hand the definitions of carnivore, food chains, and consumers. Using funding from the NJ Governor's award, the fifth grade had a visit from the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium traveling program. Using microscopes and hand lenses, the students investigated sand samples from around NJ as well as the world to find out what different types of sands are composed of.

Social Studies:
Our kindergarten students took our first Social Studies test on Unit 1. We also learned all about fire prevention and listened to some fire safety tips from the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department. We also visited the Hasbrouck Heights Public Library and borrowed our very own books. We learned about bullies, strangers, and how to solve conflicts during Violence Prevention Week. We also prepared for Halloween by learning many safety tips. The first graders are continuing our unit on Communities.
The second grade learned about fire safety through a presentation by the HHFD. They also learned about the contributions of Christopher Columbus and the significance of United Nations Day, and completed the month with a festive celebration of Halloween. The third graders have finished Chapter 2 which focuses on different types of communities (rural, suburban, and urban). We have also been identifying ways that cultural groups are alike and different and ways that they work together and cooperate. The fourth graders participated in their annual United Nation's Day celebration. The fifth graders will begin Chapter 4, Spain Builds an Empire including the voyages of Columbus, Spanish Conquests, and Life in New Spain.

Language Arts:
The kindergarteners spent time investigating the letters. Our first graders are currently reading our second book "Catch A Dream." We completed the first three stories, Dan’s Pet, Boots for Beth, and Space Pup. Our classes are reading and completing skills in their workbooks. In phonics, we completed our short vowel sounds. We will begin consonant blends. We are beginning to identify nouns and verbs.
The second graders have begun their second theme beginning with the photo essay, "Helping Out". The focus skill for this story was vocabulary development and reading comprehension. In spelling, the second grade classes have begun their first spelling unit of the second theme. Emphasis was on the sound of ear. In English, the second grade classes completed their first book report of the year. The concepts of proper nouns, regular and irregular plurals, and capitalization skills were reviewed
The third graders are continuing on reading and understanding realistic fiction selections. They are identifying an author's purpose in a story (to persuade, to entertain, to inform or to give directions).They are also making predictions as to what might happen next in a story using story clues, a character's traits, or prior knowledge or information that they already know. This month, students have been writing paragraphs of information and paragraphs of persuasion. They are continuously working on their responses to their picture and poetry prompts. They have been revising sentences in their writing by using colorful words and sensory details that express their feelings. Students will be writing summaries of a story that they have heard.
The fourth graders are preparing to take their first Unit test in English. It will cover the following topics: sentences, types of sentences, subjects and predicates, compound subjects and predicates, and compound sentences. Students have learned to write an expository essay and are continuing to review personal narratives. The fifth graders have just completed the unit on Nouns. They are starting a new project: Informative Speeches. The students have just completed Theme 1 (Look Inside) from their Reading Text. They will begin Theme 2 (Team Work) along with the book From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (A Newberry Award Winning Book).

Physica