November Newsletter

November 26, 2025

Dear Parents/Guardians;

Good afternoon.

I would like to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you have an opportunity to relax and enjoy time with your family and friends. To allow the students to enjoy their time as well, there will be no assignments given over the holiday break.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Be well,

Michael J. Meyers 

Principal 

Math

Students in Mrs. Varcadipane and Ms. Vesper’s sixth-grade Math classes are coming to the end of their Fractions and Decimals Unit. Students reviewed adding, subtracting, and multiplying fractions and mixed numbers, and further developed their skills in dividing fractions and mixed numbers. The class practiced modeling these types of problems, which led to solving them mathematically. Students learned how multiplying and dividing fractions can solve real-world problems, such as finding the area of a room or splitting materials for a project. Students are ending their unit solving problems with decimals in all operations.

In Mrs. Varcadipane's sixth-grade Math Honors class, students are currently working in the Integers and Coordinate Plane Unit. Students learned what negative integers are and where they appear on the number line. They also learned about negative rational numbers and when they are used in real-life situations. The students are ending their unit by learning about absolute value and the coordinate plane. The students are expanding their knowledge of graphing with one quadrant to graphing with four quadrants and using negative numbers.

In Ms. Vesper’s and Mrs. Fitzgerald’s first-period Math class, we are currently reviewing all the previous knowledge of what a fraction is, how they work, and how we add and subtract them with unlike denominators. We practiced adding and subtracting mixed numbers and what that process looks like, especially when we have to borrow to subtract the mixed numbers. We worked on comparing fractions using fraction strips so we can see the size of the fraction and what it means to have more than one different size.

Earth Science

Students in Mrs. Maul’s Science class started their weather unit by learning about hail. We discussed the brief hail storm we had in NJ a few weeks ago, as well as the larger hail event in Phoenix, Arizona last week. Students have been excited to learn about hail and are curious as to how it happens and when we will have our next hail event.

Reading

Mrs. Del Piano’s classes just finished a nonfiction skills unit. Students made some impressive projects, such as cooking videos, dioramas, and board games about their independent nonfiction books. They are now beginning a short story unit that analyzes point of view, characterization, theme, and tone/mood.

In Mrs. Spiridakis’s Reading class, we worked on establishing an understanding of nonfiction skills through identifying text features, text structures, and finding the difference between autobiographies and biographies. We are coming up on the Unit 2: Nonfiction Assessment in December, and we will be completing the Nonfiction Book Project before the end of the unit.

Language Arts

In Ms. Allison’s Language Arts classes, students have been hard at work throughout November on their personal essays. After drafting thoughtful introductions and well-developed body paragraphs, they have now begun crafting their conclusions to bring their writing full circle. Alongside our essay unit, we also launched our new vocabulary practice this month, focusing on building stronger word choice and a deeper understanding of academic terms.

In Mrs. Fitzgerald’s Language Arts class, students completed their unit on personal essays. During this unit, there was a strong emphasis on understanding and applying the structure of a well-organized essay. By learning a helpful formula (the thesis song, intro/conclusion dance, and hamburger structure), they now have a reliable framework for future writing assignments. Additionally, students started their first unit on vocabulary. A wider vocabulary allows you to express ideas more precisely, understand complex texts and conversations, and build stronger personal and professional relationships.

In Mrs. Spiridakis’s Language Arts class, students have worked on gathering information to begin their personal essay project: an All About Me Canva Presentation. Students have also worked on becoming accustomed to Canva. Additionally, through IXL, students have practiced various skills in the Language Arts categories. We are looking forward to finishing our project on Canva and writing our personal essays in the month of 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. Also, they chose their favorite “CNN Hero” and created a Canva presentation showing how their person gives back to the community to make lives better for all.  As a culminating activity, 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.

Global Studies

In Global Studies, sixth-grade students have started to study the wonders of archaeology. Classes have completed a wide variety of assignments to better understand how archaeological discoveries have enhanced our understanding of history and prehistory. Students conducted minor research on famous discoveries and watched documentaries on topics of interest from the world of archaeology. Other activities included analyzing artifacts, coins, and prehistoric tools, and even observing real archaeological sites. Finally, to better connect archaeological discoveries to our last unit on geography, students are currently viewing where in the world certain discoveries and sites have been discovered on the world map. Yes sir, things are really starting to heat up in Global Studies!

Spanish

The second marking period started very well. Students are very happy to take the class, and their enthusiasm really shows. We have already learned the alphabet. Students were very excited singing the Spanish alphabet song. They already took their quiz. Currently, we are working on learning different expressions for greetings, good-byes, and related vocabulary. We will move next to counting numbers up to a million. After this, students will be learning how to tell time.

French

Madame’s class has learned so much in just two weeks! We can now count to twenty, recite the alphabet, identify cognates and give examples, list the days of the week and the months of the year, and we are beginning a new unit on classroom objects and colors.

Full STEAM Ahead

In Full STEAM Ahead, Students learned about what STEAM is and what the big goal of our class is: to understand that STEAM can apply to their everyday lives! We finished up the first unit with rescuing Mr. Potato (he got stuck up in the mountains while on a ski trip). The challenge? They were given constraints, such as a time and size limit and a budget for purchasing materials. Through teamwork and trial and error, each team was able to successfully plan and build a mountain rescue litter (stretcher) that got Mr. Potato to safety!

Art Appreciation

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

The seventh grade class had an awesome day on their field trip to Medieval Times!

Pre-Algebra Apps

This month, Mrs. Brennecke’s and Mrs. O’Brien’s Pre-Algebra classes explored several foundational algebra skills. Students learned how to add and subtract algebraic expressions, use the distributive property, and factor out the greatest common factor. We also practiced solving one- and two-step equations. To build strong conceptual understanding, students modeled these ideas using cups and red/yellow chips before transitioning to traditional algebraic methods. This hands-on approach helped students see why the rules work, not just how to use them!

Life Science

Ms. Runz’s and Ms. D’Amato’s Life Science classes continued our unit on Ecology and the Interdependence of Life by learning about biodiversity, human impact on the environment, and the effects of invasive species. At the beginning of the month, students completed a biodiversity lab, in which students went outside and collected data on the number of plant and animal species in our WMS woods ecosystem. Students were tasked with analyzing whether the WMS woods ecosystem is biodiverse, based on the data they collected, and then calculating the biodiversity index. We ended our Ecology Unit by talking about the carbon cycle as well as analyzing human impact on the environment, which included discussions on invasive species. To further discuss invasive species, students completed a hands-on lab in which students worked in groups to investigate the effects of the Lionfish as an invasive species on a specific ecosystem. We look forward to beginning to learn about cells after Thanksgiving Break.

Reading

In Ms. Magner's class, students have begun their second class novel of the year, A Long Walk to Water. Students will analyze character development, the impact of the setting on the characters, point of view, and more. As we continue in this unit, we will be diving into the true story of Salva Dut, a Lost Boy of Sudan, while focusing on historical fiction and nonfiction reading skills.

In Ms. Gallagher’s Reading class, students have been closely examining character—looking at internal and external traits, descriptions, thoughts, feelings, actions, and how characters develop throughout a story. We wrapped up Freak the Mighty and are now transitioning into our unit on historical fiction/nonfiction with A Long Walk to Water. Our trip to Medieval Times helped students make connections to historical settings and characters as we move into the new unit.

In Miss Hartmann’s Reading class, students have been examining character closely, including internal and external character traits, character descriptions, thoughts, feelings, actions, and character development throughout a story. In preparation for their trip to Medieval Times, we analyzed the character of King Arthur. We also used a number of short stories and picture books to look at a variety of different characters up close.

Language Arts

In Mrs. Edreos' classes, students are writing creative narrative endings. Throughout our creative writing units, they've focused on characterization, details, and conflict. Their narratives are filled with descriptive characters, each one created with detail and emotion. Students also collaborated with partners to brainstorm ideas, then worked individually to write their endings in line with the story's beginning. They are now excited to move forward and explore different perspectives by writing prequels to already created stories.

In Ms. Gallagher’s classes, students are crafting creative narrative endings. Throughout the creative writing unit, they have focused on characterization, vivid details, and developing conflict. Their narratives feature rich, descriptive characters brought to life with emotion and specificity. Students first collaborated with partners to brainstorm ideas, then worked independently to write endings that aligned with their story beginnings. They are now excited to move forward and explore new perspectives by writing prequels to the stories they’ve already created.

Mrs. Krysa's students are working on narrative writing techniques. Students read model realistic fiction texts and analyzed the settings, characters, problems, and themes of each story. They wrote summaries and identified key textual evidence to support their analysis. After reading these stories, students used them as examples to help them write their own realistic fiction stories. Additionally, students worked on writing narrative endings. Lessons throughout this month also included vocabulary, word study, and grammar lessons to help improve writing skills.

Beginning of the US & Civics

In Mr. Immitt’s class, the students are in the Revolutionary War unit. Along with that, they watched the movie 1776, which was also a Broadway play. They discussed the historical accuracy of some scenes against the actual Declaration of Independence. After that, we will be finishing up the Revolutionary War unit and getting ready for the holidays.

Spanish

In Señora’s Spanish class, we learned how to describe ourselves and friends in Spanish. One of the highlights of November was a crown mini project where students described all the positive adjectives about themselves and their physical characteristics. Students had to write a total of thirteen full sentences. Students were very enthusiastic about this activity. Our next goal for December is to write a full paragraph in Spanish using connectors. 

French

Madame Ralston’s class is improving daily! We have a word of the day, the students are conjugating all “er” words, and we are reading long paragraphs for pronunciation and comprehension. Students are learning how to talk about their classes and state their opinions on school and their different subjects.

Medical Detectives

In Medical Detectives, students began their investigation of the four vital signs: respiratory rate, pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature. Teams of students made original Vital Sign board games to play. We will learn how to measure and take each other’s vital signs during our Clinic Day! We plan on comparing our resting/normal vital signs to what our vital signs are after physical activity.

Financial Fitness

In Financial Fitness, with the new marking period, we started discussing what it means to be financially literate and how important that is for now and in the future. We got our classroom jobs so we can pay rent on our desk and learn how to balance a bank account. We discussed what it truly means to have the mint stop making the penny, and how that could happen to other money in the near future. We discussed the pros and cons of it all and how they really felt about it. At the end of class, I asked them if they thought it was a pro or a con that the penny would be no more, and both classes agreed that it was a con. At first, a majority thought it was a pro, but after we discussed it and looked at it from all sides, they didn’t think it was a good idea.

Art Appreciation

In seventh-grade Art Appreciation, we studied the art of the Pop Art Movement. Looking at artists such as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist, and Roy Lichtenstein, we learned how these artists created art based on POP culture and everyday items. The students created primary colored name tags in the style of Roy Lichtenstein, whose art was inspired by the pages of comic books.

Exploring Food & Nutrition

Chef Lafferty’s Exploring Food and Nutrition 7 students have started the new marking period off learning about safety and sanitation, which is the first of three units.  Lessons and activities include kitchen safety, equipment identification and proper usage of the equipment, and the importance of communication and teamwork. The students are practicing and putting to use how to wash their hands, clean, peel, and cut vegetables. They’ve also learned what “PASS” stands for regarding fire extinguisher operation.

A main focus of Unit One is safe food handling and storage, and how to navigate around and away from food-borne illness or “food poisoning”. Discussions have included cross-contamination, the proper way to “sneeze” (yes, there is a “right way” for added protection, please ask them).

Scheduled food labs include making French toast, pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, and cookies, to name a few items.

Future units include Nutrition & Healthy Cooking and Cooking & Baking Basics.

Happy Thanksgiving & Happy Cooking.

Algebra

Mrs. DeLorenzo’s Algebra Apps classes have been doing hands-on investigations to explore relationships between angles. The main focus has been angles created by parallel lines and transversals, as well as angles of triangles. Students worked in groups and used protractors to measure the given angles of figures, and made observations about the measurements they found. The photos below show some of the groups working together. We will continue this method of learning as we continue to move into our angles unit.

In Ms. Vesper and Ms. Hartmann’s Algebra Concepts class, we are working on Rigid Transformations. We learned about transformations, including translations, reflections, and rotations, but now we are also applying multiple transformations to a single figure. We practiced following the rotation rules on the coordinate plane. We also practiced using a formula sheet to help us remember the rules for rotation, reflection, and translation. 

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s class has been working on Unit 2: Transformations. Students started out with a review of plotting points on a coordinate plane to create images, and then moved forward to work on applying their old skills to new transformations on the coordinate plane. We have completed work with translations, reflections, and rotations. We are now using those skills to apply multiple transformations across the coordinate plane.

Mrs. DeLorenzo’s Algebra 1 Honors class has spent a lot of time working with linear models. One unit of study emphasized graphing relations, and the following unit focuses on writing linear models. During this unit, students will take what they know about slope-intercept form and expand their equations to standard form and point-slope form. They did an investigation activity where they answered a series of questions and derived the point-slope formula based on their prior knowledge. We will continue linear models and focus on representing relations in different ways, using words, graphs, equations, and tables. 

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 in order 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 and Potential Energy and Newton’s 3 Laws. 

Students in Mrs. Presinzano’s classes completed our unit on Motion and Forces by analyzing Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion. Students examined how both contact and non-contact forces impact the motion of an object, as well as the forces necessary to change the momentum and velocity of an object. Students then correlated each of Newton’s Laws with real-world applications and examples.

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 author’s technique and craft in how they build and enhance suspense in the story.

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s Reading class has moved on to their dystopian/horror unit. We will be reading a variety of dystopian short stories as a class and in book clubs. Students will be 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.

Language Arts

Mrs. Del Vecchio’s class has begun our next unit, focusing on dystopian/horror/science fiction readings. We will be reading several pieces by Edgar Allan Poe and focusing on a literary analysis of these texts. We recently wrapped up an analysis of" The Raven," and the students enjoyed watching The Simpsons' adaptation of "The Raven" to conclude that piece.

Mr. Smith’s classes began their Literary Analysis unit this month. Students read the short story “The Pedestrian” and are wrapping up a genre analysis of that story. Students examined the importance of a solid thesis statement and how it directs the rest of the essay, and how the other parts of the essay interact and build off each other. 

In Ms. Gallagher’s classes, students began their Literary Analysis unit this month. They read the short story “The Pedestrian” and are now wrapping up a genre analysis of the text. Students explored the importance of crafting a strong thesis statement that guides the rest of the essay, as well as how each section of the essay interacts and builds upon the others.

Early World History

In Social Studies, students have been exploring Ancient Egypt and learning how the Egyptians recorded their history and culture. This week, students completed a hands-on activity where they wrote their own names using authentic hieroglyphic symbols. This project helped them better understand how writing worked in the ancient world and gave them a chance to connect creatively with the past.

Spanish

Students in Mrs. Wohlberg’s class are currently describing ongoing present actions using the present progressive tense. They learned about the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera and researched information on a Hispanic artist. They used the target language to present information about the artist and his/her work. Next, they will learn how to use direct object pronouns and begin working on their end-of-unit travel brochure project.

French

Madame Ralston’s class is currently learning the steps and stages of life, in addition to the passe compose. They can state facts and describe events in the past! We are working on skits that involve a surprise birthday party. Students have to describe the detailed preparations they made in order to organize the party. They use the past tense as well as our new vocabulary words from the unit.

Creative Coding

In Ms. Giuliani’s Creative Coding, the second marking period of students have been learning the basics of using Code.org and block programming. So far, we have covered the rect, ellipse, and fill commands for creating shapes, and we are working on how variables and random numbers work. Also, we learned about the different careers that use programming and the basics of computer components. We’ve also had the opportunity to do some self-contained mini lessons, which have included “Hello World: Food,” teaching students to use the block system in Code.org, and debugging a sports game. In the upcoming weeks, we are moving into learning about sprites, or the characters and objects in Code.org, and how to make them move, change, and even make sounds. 

Technology/Manufacturing

In Mr. Blatt’s Design and Modeling classes, students 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 built an ankle foot orthosis and analyzed it with a design matrix. They are also learning engineering drawing concepts and will soon be learning computer software to help generate 3D drawings of objects.

Next month, students will work on engineering drawings and eventually design and build, applying the design process hands-on in a woodworking project.

Here are some examples of the ankle/foot/orthosis:

Video Technology

Our students in marking period 1 have successfully completed videos that are posted on our YouTube channel, where they mastered the planning, filming, and editing stages of TV Production.

Marking period 2 has arrived, and a fresh batch of eighth-graders will be tasked with learning how to produce stories. Take a look at our latest contributions on our YouTube channel here: WMS TV YouTube 

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, then add elements to the design that represented them. They did an awesome job!

Mrs. Gutierrez’s class took a trip to Shop Rite this month. First, students met with the nutritionist, discussing the importance of eating a properly balanced diet. Students completed a scavenger hunt in the store, finding various healthy food choices. Students then worked in the kitchen to make a healthy Thanksgiving-themed snack. Last, we shopped, following a list to locate items needed for our monthly cooking class. We practiced comparing prices of items in order to stay within our budget.

All of the ESP students received and began reading a popular science book this month: Where Are the Aliens? (6th); World Without Fish (7th); and Fashionopolis: The Secrets Behind the Clothes We Wear (8th). We will finish reading in December. When we come back from break in January, students will work on video essays or podcasts based on topics discussed in the books. During upcoming class periods, we will be discussing our readings and completing other STEM projects.

ESP 8 went to their first Bergen Brasin Busters meet. Each month, eight students (two teams of four) get to compete in academic trivia. We practice during some ESP periods.

Students are getting very excited for their upcoming Winter Concert. The concert will take place on December 11th at 7:00 PM. Be on the lookout for a fully detailed email from Mrs. Serwin regarding concert protocol and dress code. Looking forward to singing some wonderful winter and holiday music!

Warrior band students have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming Winter Concert on Thursday, December 11th 7:00 PM! Recently, all band students participated in “sectional” rehearsals as seen below. 

Mr. Laccitiello’s and Ms. Royston’s Physical Education classes have just completed their team handball units. After Thanksgiving break, all PE students will be participating in Pickleball, one of the most popular units of the year!

Team Handball:

Calligraphy Club

The Calligraphy Club has enjoyed learning about various styles of lettering and different types of pens. The sixth graders culminated their session with a free-choice project.

Cooking Up A Storm Cooking Club

The students of Chef’s Cooking Up a Storm Cooking Club have just about finished the Fall Cooking Club, where they’ve cooked a variety of foods, from popcorn, pasta, to a vegetable stir fry with rice.

A winter session of the Cooking Up a Storm Cooking Club will start in January, with sign-ups happening shortly before the club starts. Mr. Lafferty will try to accept students who haven’t had the chance to participate in any of the previous clubs. Please stop by Room 215 regarding admission to the winter session.

Drama Club

Congratulations to all members of the WMS Drama Club Production of Alice in Wonderland Jr. The show was a success due to all of the students' hard work and dedication, from on-stage performers to backstage crew, it was a wonderful experience for all!

Art Club

In the Art Club, we finished up our peace posters for the Waldwick Lions Club and moved on to a Monsters in a Jar project. The students created an imaginary monster they captured and placed in a jar for safekeeping. We are still working on them. Here are some works in progress.