November Newsletter

Math

In sixth-grade Math, we are working on Unit 2: Fractions and Decimals. This involves learning about how to multiply and divide a fraction, and how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals. We will be taking our test on that unit shortly and moving into Unit 3: Algebraic Expressions and Properties.

Mrs. Fitzgerald’s Math class has been working on Unit 2: Fractions and Decimals. To aid in their understanding, students have learned fun songs for each of the operations to help familiarize them with the steps. Our class’ favorite song was for dividing by fractions! Upon the conclusion of Unit 2, students will move onto Unit 3: Algebraic Expressions and Properties.

Earth Science

Students in Mrs. Maul’s class are finishing up their graphing unit. Students have learned about interpreting different types of graphs as well as learning about how to solve for mean, median, mode and range for a set of data. Students gathered real-world data by participating in a class boot-camp. Students gathered, graphed, and analyzed data on the number of jumping jacks completed in 90 seconds.

Students in Mrs. Presinzano’s Science classes have been studying how weather and climate are influenced by interactions of sunlight, oceans (hydrosphere,) air (atmosphere,) ice, landforms (geosphere,) and living things (biosphere). We’ve also been studying components of weather, including how air masses go from regions of high pressure to low pressure, what happens when air masses collide, and how weather patterns are determined by the movement of water in the atmosphere, winds, landforms, ocean temperatures and currents.

Reading

Mrs. Del Piano’s classes have been working on a character analysis unit. They are studying various ways an author develops characterization through different lessons and short stories read together in class. To demonstrate knowledge of symbolism, everyone brought in a show and tell that represented an aspect about themselves.

Language Arts

Mrs. Prager’s Language Arts students practiced narrative techniques while writing realistic fiction short stories. They drew from their experiences to develop original ideas to write their stories about. They incorporated figurative language, sensory details, and inner thoughts to make their stories come alive. In collaboration with our Character Education, students wrote thank you cards to veterans and first responders for their service.

Students in Miss Hartmann’s Language Arts class have been working on their Realistic Fiction writing skills. Students have worked hard to develop strong, dynamic characters to drive their stories, as well as other story elements needed to craft a powerful piece. The class has also been learning about figurative language in order to be able to use different types in their own writing.

Ms. Sisco’s Language Arts class has been focusing writing realistic fiction stories. We will be finishing these up by the end of November/beginning of December. Students also refocused their writing skills by working with figurative language. We are looking forward to starting a new unit of study in December!

Enrichment

Students have been studying the importance of being a good citizen and productive member of society. Specifically, we have been discussing the importance of voting and how voter turnout can impact elections (ways to increase voter turnout was also discussed). Students completed an in-class persuasive writing assignment on whether voting should be mandatory in the United States. Students chose a position and had to defend it with specific reasons from various documents read in class. As a culminating activity for our Citizenship unit students chose a person from their own lives who has contributed to their community. They interviewed the person, wrote a speech, and created an award to honor that individual. Students gave their speeches in front of the class at the end of the month.

Students have been developing an understanding of how archaeology helps us to learn about prehistory. Classes practiced archaeology skills through a wide range of activities aimed at developing an appreciation towards how the field of archaeology works. Activities included analyzing artifacts, coins and prehistoric tools, observing real archaeological sites, watching documentaries and researching famous sites and discoveries from around the world.  Moving forward classes will start to study hunter-gatherer societies and early humans.

Spanish

In this new Spanish cycle, students are eager to learn phrases and vocabulary. The class is responding with enthusiasm and we already had our first quiz on the alphabet. There are many more topics for students to learn and I’m sure they will continue to give all they have to make the cycle a fruitful one.

French

Madame Ralston’s new sixth-grade class is full of energy and enthusiasm! Right from the start they were eager and passionate about learning French! They memorized the alphabet and numbers in record time and now they are on to classroom objects and colors! They love their French names and are embracing everything français!

Stage & Sound

We’re starting off the new marking period with new students and new music! Students will become composers and create their own songs through a music notation program called Noteflight, and will also begin to learn about melody, rhythm, and harmony by playing a virtual piano!

Full STEAM Ahead

STEAM students have been investigating different STEAM careers through a webquest to determine what interests them. They have been introduced to the engineering design process and will be participating in their first challenge this week. They are to build a rescue litter to save a fallen hiker in the mountains.

Art Appreciation

In sixth-grade Art Appreciation, we started out the marking period with Zentangle Name Tags. First, the students worked on making their letters the perfect size and distance apart so that they could fit their entire name on the paper. Next, they created interesting patterns in each letter. We focused on the LINE element of art while we created our patterns. Once the drawings were complete, the students added color.

Pre-Algebra Apps

In Mrs. O'Brien's Pre-Algebra class, students have been enthusiastically diving into the world of equations. Students are tackling the challenges of balancing equations and finding solutions. Students will then use the skills learned in this chapter and apply them to solving inequalities.

In Pre-Algebra Honors, students are on the cusp of wrapping up their unit on solving inequalities. Students have learned how to solve one-step, two-step, and multi-step inequalities and have also expanded their knowledge to include compound and absolute value inequalities. Their next unit they will be jumping into is ratios and proportions.

Mr. Kelly’s Pre-Algebra class spent the month of November learning about rational numbers. They investigated how they were similar to, and different from, integers. They learned how to convert fractions to decimals and decimals to fractions. These skills helped when practicing how to compare and order sets of numbers in different forms. Once they understood those concepts, the students moved on to learning the rules for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing (Keep, Change, Flip!) rational numbers. The class practiced these skills and learned how to apply them to real-world situations, given that decimals and fractions are so prevalent in every day life. Next up is expressions and equations!

Life Science

Ms. Runz’s Life Science classes concluded our unit on ecology and have started learning about cells and life. We ended our ecology unit talking about the carbon cycle as well as analyzing human impact on the environment, which included discussions on invasive species and carbon dioxide emissions. Students also completed a project on an endangered species, where students researched a species of their choice using and worked together as a group to create a recovery plan for their endangered species. Next, we began our new unit on cells by examining what characteristics an organism must have in order to be considered a living thing, in addition to completing stations on homeostasis. This enabled students to investigate different phenomena regarding homeostasis, such as measuring their pulse after putting their hand in ice water, or observing how light affects pupil size.  Next, we will move into learning about the parts of a microscope, observing cell structures under a microscope, and exploring the differences between plant and animal cells.

Reading

Ms. Magner's Reading classes have been spending time analyzing a variety of short stories. We started off the month by reading the script of the classic Twilight Zone episode "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street." After analyzing the plot, characters, conflict, and theme, we compared the original script to the 1950s TV episode as well as the early 2000s TV episode. Students enjoyed seeing how the conflict was portrayed in such a different way in the 2000s version. Then, students chose a short story to read independently and then apply the skills we've been practicing together. The genres ranged from science fiction to mystery, and some were quite strange! Our culminating project is creating a "story cube" with visuals and color. Coming up in December is Charles Dickens' classic story, "A Christmas Carol"!

Mr. Kelly’s Reading class began the month of November learning about a new form of fiction: drama. The class examined what makes drama unique when compared to the other forms of fiction (novels, short stories, etc.). The class read the classic murder mystery play "Sorry, Wrong Number." They examined the impact the elements of drama had on the story and debated whether the story would be the same if it were just a short story. The students then explored how nonfiction can be presented across different genres by listening to the old time radio play version and watching clips from the Hollywood movie version. Using the three genres as the jumping off point, the students engaged in discussions of which version was most effective at conveying the plot, theme, and characterizations from the story.

Language Arts

In Mrs. Edreos' classes,students are writing creative narrative endings. Throughout our creative writing units, students have honed their skills in three crucial aspects: characterization, details, and conflict. Their narratives are filled with vibrant characters, each one developed to evoke empathy and connection. Students also worked with partners to brainstorm ideas, and then individually to write their endings to match the beginning of the story. Students are looking forward to showing a different perception of stories through the writing of prequels.

In Mrs. Krysa’s Language Arts class, students worked  on writing narrative endings. We continued to analyze model writing and narrative passages to guide our own writing. Lessons focused on narrative writing techniques such as formatting and using dialogue, developing characters, using sensory details to describe settings, identifying and crafting conflicts, and using a checklist and rubric to edit work. Students created digital slideshows and presented highlights of their narrative work to classmates. Additionally, students worked on mechanics and grammar, with focus on writing complete sentences and using transitions. Students proved that they have some good narrative writing skills!

Beginning of the US & Civics

In History, the students have made giant strides as we push forward and finish the Revolutionary War unit. Next we will be entering the early years of America and all of the difficulties the young country faced in getting off the ground. I’m very proud of this seventh-grade for their continued hard work this year.

Spanish

In Ms. Barrios's class, we started the month by celebrating the day of the dead. Students learned about the history of "Day of the Dead." Students also compared differences and similarities between Halloween and this celebration. Students watched scenes of the Disney movie Coco to reinforce the cultural component in this lesson. In the end, students created beautiful skulls for this event. All students were receptive to the meaning of this important holiday.

French

Madame Ralston’s seventh-grade class has been conjugating verbs for some time and is learning all about school in France and the differences between the French and American educational systems. They can talk about their favorite classes and read dialogues for understanding. Pronunciation has been a huge focus, so to that end, the students are currently completing a Flipgrid (a process of recording themselves speaking in French).

STEAM

Students are completing their first engineering project. Students are to survive an asteroid impact by creating a bunker underground. Math skills such as determining area and volume will be demonstrated throughout the project. Additionally, students will design suits to wear to survive an unfamiliar Earth.

Financial Fitness

In seventh-grade Financial Fitness, we started the marking period by learning about the difference between a job vs. a career.  They also applied for their classroom jobs and received them via Classroom Economy. As the career portion of the class is underway, we are discussing our dream careers and researching them to see if they exceed our expectations. Then they made a presentation based on that research and will be presenting them in class soon. 

Art Appreciation

In seventh-grade Art Appreciation, we started off the marking period learning about Pop Art. We discussed the artists Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenburg, and Roy Lichtenstein. We then narrowed our focus to the comic book art paintings of Roy Lichtenstein to inspire our name tag project. Using the primary colors, the students created explosive designs. The Principle of Design we discussed as we worked on this project was emphasis.

Exploring Food and Nutrition

Chef Lafferty’s Exploring Food and Nutrition 7 students have started the new marking period off learning about safety and sanitation. Lessons included kitchen safety, safe food handling and storage, equipment identification, proper usage of the equipment, and the importance of communication and teamwork. The students all practiced proper knife handling and cutting skills and did a great job. Scheduled food labs will include making pasta, waffles, quesadillas, and biscuits, to name a few items. They will also be assigned a US State to research the indigenous crops, food traditions, and unique food history of that state. Other units will include nutrition and healthy eating, as well as cooking basics.

Algebra

Mrs. DeLorenzo’s classes completed their unit on Chapter 2: Transformations, in which they applied translations, reflections, rotations, and dilations on the coordinate plane. They used IXL, DeltaMath, and magnetic whiteboards to work in groups to practice the skills learned throughout the unit. The students began Chapter 3: Angles and Triangles, in which they studied angle relationships and wrote/solved equations to find missing measurements. They completed a group activity in which they worked together to complete each step in solving equations by writing one line of work, checking their partner’s work, and completing the next step in the process. They also completed a scavenger hunt to review angle relationships and vocabulary practice.

Physical Science

Ms. Vacchiano’s students finished the mechanical energy unit this month. Students completed the Rubber Band Lab and the Roller Coaster Design Project. These were opportunities for students to show what they have learned so far. In the Rubber Band Lab, students were investigating to see if there is a relationship between “angle of launch” and Kinetic Energy. Students made a hypothesis and launched rubber bands at different angles. They collected information about distance and time and were able to calculate speed to determine which had the most Kinetic Energy. Students also created a 3D model of their dream roller coaster ride using cardboard toilet paper tubes. They used their knowledge of Kinetic Energy, Potential Energy, and Newton’s 3 Laws.

Reading

In Ms. McCann’s Reading class students are reading Dystopian novels and discussing the interesting characteristics of the Dystopian genre such as setting and conflict. The students are practicing their inferencing skills by identifying clues of information to analyze and evaluate the setting, characters and conflict and how the society is different from what we expect. We are also highlighting an authors’ technique and craft in how they build and enhance suspense in the story.

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Reading class is reading a variety of  Dystopian short stories in their book clubs.  They are reading and annotating them together in order to interact with the text.  Students are analyzing and identifying different elements of Dystopian literature and comparing and contrasting how the Dystopian societies are different from ours. We are continuing our work on identifying and analyzing the characters, setting, and conflict in our stories as we read.  We are also working with Horror literature and looking into different ways the authors use to build suspense.

In Miss Hartmann’s Reading class, students have begun their Dystopian unit by looking at popular examples of Dystopian literature, as well as how dystopias differ from utopias. Students analyzed different examples of both utopian and dystopian societies to determine what classifies a society as either. Students have also begun working on the short story, “The Lottery” as an introduction to the genre.

Language Arts

In Mr. Smith’s Language Arts class, students have been focusing on literary analysis and how to transfer our analysis into writing. Students reviewed and improved upon writing the different parts of an analysis essay, including: thesis statements, incorporating evidence, explaining evidence, and how to properly cite information. Students completed a guided analysis essay of the short story "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury. Then, students chose their own literary analysis question to explore with the short story “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. 

Students in Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Language Arts class studied the biography of Edgar Allan Poe. They were also "medical detectives" and learnedhow tuberculosis was the most deadly disease of Poe’s time which greatly influenced his writing.  We have now started analyzing some of Poe’s short stories and poems for evidence of horror, suspense, and gothic influences.

Early World History

In the month of November, Mrs. Turnbull’s Early World History students have been learning about Ancient Egypt. We began the unit by creating a map of Egypt’s geographic features and discussing the importance of the Nile River. We covered the different time periods and students got to pick an Egyptian pharaoh to create a resume for in the afterlife. Then, we spent time on the polytheistic belief system as it relates to mummification and the pyramids. Finally, we wrapped up with a day on Egyptian achievements including hieroglyphics, temples, tombs, and art. The students took their unit test before Thanksgiving break and have since been working on our Ancient India unit!

Spanish

Mrs. Wohlberg’s students are currently working on their travel brochure project. They are researching information on specific travel destinations of a Spanish-speaking country. All the information will be presented using the target language. They also learned the combined uses of the verbs ser and estar, which both mean “to be”. They learned how to say where things are located through a preposition chant accompanied by hand motions. They are currently learning how to use direct object pronouns to avoid repetition of nouns when communicating. Next, they will learn cultural information about Machu Picchu.

French

Madame Ralston’s eighth-grade class is studying the important verb “faire”: to do or make. There are endless expressions used in conjunction with this verb, so students will be able to state their favorite hobby or pastime and the frequency at which they do these activities. They can also ask others about their preferences and the duration at which others perform their hobbies.

Creative Coding

The students from the first marking period wrapped up the course by working as software developers, designing and programming custom digital greeting cards for customers in their class. In this final project, the students demonstrated the breadth of skills they’d learned in the course, including how to use variables, boolean expressions, conditional statements, and functions. The new class of students for the second marking period have just completed two units, one on fundamental computer and networking concepts and a second on technology careers.  In the last week of November, they began their third unit, learning how to program with JavaScript. As the students learn more about programming and the JavaScript language, they will be able to make increasingly creative and complex programs throughout the course.

Technology and Manufacturing

The second marking period students In Mr. Blatt’s Technology and Manufacturing classes are being introduced to the engineering design process and the impact of technology. They are always looking at how technology and tools impact everyday lives. They are looking at real-life examples of the design process. Students designed and built a simple shelf support for books to keep them two inches off the table. They are currently researching seven resources of technology to successfully create a Google Slides presentation explaining a technological project. Soon projects like the one-card-tower will be designed, documented, and built. Next month, students will work on engineering drawings and eventually build a project based on their newly learned knowledge.

Art Appreciation

The eighth-grade Art Appreciation class started off the marking period working on graffiti art. Their goal was to create their name in a graffiti font style. They also needed to add elements that represent themselves in the design of their graffiti. Next, they added color to their designs. Lastly, they showed off their ruler and shading skills to make the brick background.

All of the chorus students are extremely excited to sing at the Winter Concert! The concert is Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 PM. The choirs have been working hard to learn their music and will be singing winter and holiday selections. Please keep an eye out for a reminder email with details for the night!

Band students have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 12th at 7:00 PM! Recently, band students participated in “sectional” rehearsals as seen below.

Marking Period 2 started with Team Handball. Students moved to Pickleball after Thanksgiving.

Earlier in November, ESP students in grades 6-8 enjoyed stretching their minds by learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion and putting their new knowledge to the test with a Marble Run Physics activity. Students enjoyed experimenting with their marble run designs to see how they could increase the speed of their marbles and create multiple pathways to randomize the marbles’ routes. In the last week of November, the ESP classes are beginning their latest problem-based project. Students will be selecting a problem that is influenced by population growth, researching it, designing a solution, and communicating what they have learned and designed in a 60-second video to submit to the 2023-2024 World of 8 Billion student video contest.  Additionally, eighth-grade ESP students participated in the November Brain Busters competition at Ho-Ho-Kus Middle School.  Students enjoyed meeting and competing with students from regional schools to answer knowledge questions on a breadth of topics. The students are looking forward to competing again soon at the December meet.

Ms. Manning’s ESL class is learning about suspense and short story elements in a unit called “Creepy Classics.” Students are currently reading "Dracula" and doing speaking, dramatizing, and writing activities related to the novel.

Mrs. Gutierrez's class has been busy learning about the grocery store and how to make a purchase. We have been using our mock grocery store in the classroom to work on these important life skills, focusing on locating items and prices and using money to pay for the items. Recently, we visited the Wyckoff ShopRite to work on these learned skills. The students did a great job locating items on their shopping lists and paying for them at the cash register.

Art Club

In the Art Club, we finished up and handed in our “Peace Posters” that we made for the Waldwick Lions Club contest. All the students did a great job! I can’t wait to see who wins!

Cooking Up A Storm

The students of Chef’s Cooking Up a Storm Cooking Club have been learning about important kitchen skills including safety and sanitation. Tasks such as washing their hands correctly, cleaning dishes properly, and putting items such as equipment and ingredients back in the correct place have been focused on. At the same time, the students have been cooking dishes such as chocolate chip cookies, fried rice, and caramelized bananas with whipped cream.