superintendent’s monthly report - wood · pdf fileletters” in watercolor, rainbow...

Doyle School

Pre K Self-Contained- Ms. Albonico

This month we learned the letters D and G. We made different crafts and played different activities according to the letter we were on. We are making a sensory book this year and the students are enjoying making each letter. For letter D, we put Do-A-Dots on the D. For letter G, we put Glitter on the G.

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The students are very excited for Thanksgiving. We read, “There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey.” The students retold the story each morning. It was such a fun activity! Also, all month long we have been preparing for our Pre-K Thanksgiving feast. We had a Thanksgiving sharing feast with all of the Pre-K classes. It was wonderful having all the Pre-K families together enjoying a meal before Thanksgiving break!

Superintendent’s Monthly Report November, 2017

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SUPERINTENDENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Pre K Self-Contained- Ms. Varettoni

It’s hard to believe that we are already at the end of November! This month we celebrated our 50th Day with a rocking ‘50s theme. Teachers dressed up as the Pink Ladies and students dressed in 50s themed clothing too. We celebrated by having an ice cream party and the end of the day and shared some of the things we have learned in our first 50 days. Student responses included learning their ABCs, numbers, shapes, and how to write their name! It’s incredible how much progress everyone has already made!

We are very fortunate that the weather continued to be beautiful throughout the month of November. Pre-K/V has been taking full advantage of playing outside on these days! Students who receive physical therapy have had the additional advantage of doing their sessions on the playground. This helps students learn how to use all of our fun equipment appropriately and safely while meeting individual goals. Everyone has been meeting and


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making friends with students in the other Pre-K classes on the playground as well! This gives us a great opportunity to practice our social skills such as taking turns on the slides and monkey bars and asking others if they would like to play.

As for our inside play adventures, we have just wrapped up our Tools of the Mind Grocery Theme. We are currently enjoying playing with the base layer of our centers and have begun creating new props for our next theme, Restaurant. Some of the props we will be creating include items for a drive thru, a Chinese restaurant, a pizzeria, and a McDonald’s. We have started talking about restaurants during circle time and the different roles students may play (waiter, cook, host, etc.). Everyone seems to be looking forward to the new theme!


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We are also continuing our letter study. In November, we learned about three new letters: D, G, and M. To reinforce letter recognition and sounds, we continue to do multisensory activities such as finding “mystery letters” in watercolor, rainbow tracing, finding letters in Thera putty, making letters out of play doh, stamps, cut/paste activities, remembering songs/dances about each letter, and much more! Everyone is doing a great job recognizing new letters. We have been going on regular “letter hunts” in the hallways of school where we look for letters we recognize in the hallways. It is a fun, educational start to our day!

Pre K Age 4 Full Day Inclusion- Mrs. Hahn/Ms. Paskas

There were so many things to be thankful for in the month November. We launched our new Grocery Store theme. The children helped transform our classroom into different parts of the grocery store. We have the


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market, deli department, bakery department, produce department, floral deparment and even our very own big box store. They have taken on the roles of the people who work in these departments creating lovely floral arrangements, and delicous cookies. It’s been said our sandwiches from the deli deparatment are out of this world. Not to mention our cashiers have provided the ultimate customer support to all of our shoppers.

We also participated in our 5th Annual Pre-K Sharing Feast. It was a beautiful event in which all the pre-k children and their families sat down to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. The children recited some adorable Thanksgiving poems and made lovely decorations for the auditorium. We were so thankful for all that participated and helped to make this event spectacular.

Pre K Age 4 Full Day- Mrs. Rightmyer

We had so much fun this month in Pre-k! We launched our Grocery Store theme for Tools of the Mind. The classroom transformed into a grocery store with a checkout counter, deli, bakery, flower shop, Costco, and produce aisle. We learned all about the different parts of a grocery store and practiced acting out our play plans in each of them.


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We had a special visit by our third grade book buddies this month. The children listened to Mrs. Campagna read her students’ favorite story and then the children read stories and created pictures with their third grade friends. It was a blast, and we can’t wait to meet with our buddies again next month!

We were so excited to celebrate our 50th day of Pre-K and dress up in 50’s attire! The children looked great and we had so much fun celebrating being 50 days smarter! We ended our celebration with an ice cream party!

This month we had a very special Thanksgiving Sharing Feast with all of our Pre-K families. Everyone brought something in to share and spending time with our families. The children sang Thanksgiving songs they had been practicing and told their family members what they were thankful for. We had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and our Pre-K families.

Pre K Age 3 Half/Full Day- Mrs. Schwartz

We had so much to be thankful for in November! We have such wonderful families and friends and we learned many new things this month.

Our Tools of the Mind theme…Grocery Store was up and running. The students had lots of fun in their Centers. Our Dramatic Play center was the Checkout Area where the shelves were stocked and there was a cash register. The Table Top Center was the Sandwich Shop where students placed orders and made sandwiches. The Block’s


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Center was the Farmer’s Market stocked with lots of produce and bushels of fun. The Art Center was the Bakery. The students loved baking delicious treats such as cupcakes and cookies in the oven. The Literacy Center was transformed into a Flower Shop where the children made beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets. The class loved assuming the many different roles which help to make a grocery store run smoothly.

We are continuing to learn new letters. We have been concentrating on letter G and letter M. It is amazing how good the students are getting at identifying and tracing letters. They are especially enjoying our letter projects. This month they created Letter G, Grapes and a Letter M, Mickey Mouse.

Our class really loves to paint and at the beginning of November we painted brown turkeys adorned with colorful feathers which were hung outside of our classroom for Thanksgiving. One of the highlights of this month was our Pre-K Thanksgiving feast. The students thoroughly enjoyed all of the preparation that went into this. They disguised turkeys which were displayed at the feast. They also created placemats to decorate the tables. The children loved bringing in food to share with their families and classmates. It was so much fun to sing the Thanksgiving songs that we’ve been practicing and to take pictures in the photo booth. We are so thankful for our families and all of the friends that we have made in Pre-K.

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Kindergarten- Ms. Focarino

November was a great month! We have learned so many new word families to aid us in our reading! Some of us have even started reading beginner books! In our Magic Tree House series, Jack and Annie our taking us on an adventure with pirates in their Pirates Past Noon book. We have spent the last week of November learning all we could about pirates and their ships, so we can be prepared when we read Pirates Past Noon.

In math, we have learned how to count, identify and write numbers up to 20! It has been so much fun counting different objects!


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This month in social studies, we learned about to major events. Veteran’s Day and the first Thanksgiving. The students loved learning about all the different branches of the military!

We have spent our time in science learning about the weather, extreme weather and how weather happens! We are looking forward to a great December!!

Kindergarten- Ms. Goodlin

We have been focusing on many topics in class. In reading and writing class we have been reading, writing and acting out Magic Tree House stories. We have just finished Mummies in the Morning and are about to read book #4, Pirates Past Noon. We have learned a lot of background knowledge on these topics through Power Points provided from the Tools of the Mind program and will create cute crafts such as treasure chests full of booty and treasure maps.

Our math topics have been identifying, counting and writing numerals 11-20 and counting down and up to 20.

In science we have focused on how to be a scientist and tools scientist use, such as thermometers. We also visited the SBJC in Maywood and learned a lot about living things and plants. (pictures included)

In social studies we spent a few days discussing the meaning of Thanksgiving, the first Thanksgiving, the Mayflower, had a Thanksgiving feast in class and created crafts for the holiday. (picture included)

As far as Health class, we have used Brainpop Jr. to discuss what healthy eating means and what are the five main food groups that should be on our plate.

Lastly, this month we have started learning our colors in Spanish and have learned songs and colored fall/activity sheets to show how much we can learn!

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Kindergarten- Mrs. Pagliocca

In November, the students enjoyed their Thanksgiving sharing celebration. Each child brought some kind of delicious food to share with the class. It was a fabulous feast! We discussed how thankful we are for our school, family, friends, and living in such a wonderful town.

The children can’t wait to see where Jack and Annie will go next in the Magic Tree House Books. They are so excited to go on the adventure with them and learn about the period of time that Jack and Annie go to. We just finished background knowledge about pirates and we are now going to read about their adventure on a pirate ship!

In math, the students learned how to compare and order numbers from 0-10 through the use of digital technology and hands-on materials. They are learning to work cooperatively in groups during math activities.

We are looking forward to December and all the wonderful special days that we have at Doyle School this month. It is truly a time of celebration and thinking of others.


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Kindergarten(Inclusion)- Ms. Sanzari/Mrs. Nass November has been a month where we have seen so much growth in academics in our kindergarten class. We have come together as a school family and we learned many different concepts.

In the Magic Tree House Series, we learned about Ancient Egypt and read the book Mummies in the Morning. The students enjoyed learning about the different facts about ancient Egypt and acting out the book.

Also, we started word families! We learned the entire short A word families in the month of November. The students love to practice writing sentences with the word family that we are working on. In math, we completed topic 4. The students learned how to compare numbers 1-10. In addition, they learned the concept of 1 more, 2 more, 1 fewer and 2 fewer. This is a hard concept, but the students did very well!

We ended the month with our Thanksgiving Sharing Feast. The children learned about being thankful for our family, friends, and school community. We enjoyed a lot of delicious treats. It was a great day!

Speech Therapist- Ms. Allen

Therapy Session Activities:

We continue to work hard during speech class in our small group/ individual speech therapy sessions. Speech instruction for all students is working toward complete carryover of accurate sound productions and/or improvement of language goals. Therapy sessions are individualized to each child’s needs, and technology of the iPad is being incorporated into therapy sessions as appropriate

This month we began the preparation of the third grade speech student’s holiday project. They made presentations in each class which were evaluated by each classroom teacher. They presented on November 22nd and began collecting gifts and everyday items for poor and homeless on November 27th. This is the 24th year for this project.

Speech- Ms. Ticchio

Therapy Session Activities

Children have participated in speech therapy in small group and/or individual sessions. Students participated in a “thankful tree” activity; during this activity, students discussed what it meant to be thankful. The students were then tasked with choosing six things they were the most thankful for in their lives; these were then written on leaves, attached to their trees, and decorated. Each session was tailored to target the specific speech and/or language goals of the students. The iPad and hands-on activities were implemented during sessions as appropriate.


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Grade 1(Inclusion)- Mrs. Albanese/Ms. Humphrey

November brought on the start of so many fun things in second grade! We spent the month gearing up for our Thanksgiving Sharing celebration. The students learned about The First Thanksgiving, and about Pilgrims and Native Americans. The students enjoyed visualizing what it would be like to be traveling on the Mayflower. As a class, we got to create Rice Krispy Treat turkeys as part of our contribution.

In literacy, we have been working on various blends as part of our spelling dictation and center work. ING, ANG, ONG, and UNG were fun letter blends to work with. We also learned how to retell a story using Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then. The students read several Thanksgiving related stories and practiced this retelling strategy.

In math, we are learning doubles. The students love listening to the Doubles Rap song. The students created Doubles Turkeys for the holiday. Each feather was a different doubles fact.

In grammar with Mrs. Albanese, the students have learned about action verbs. The students thought about different verbs they could use to save their turkey from the oven. Examples were Run, Turkey, Run! Or Kick, Turkey, Kick!

In writing class, we finished creating a recipe of our favorite foods. The students created an ingredient list, and listed the steps in order using temporal words to make their food item.

Grade 1- Ms. Cortina

November was a busy month in 1-CO! We celebrated Thanksgiving by having a Thanksgiving sharing time with the rest of the first-grade classes. We made holiday cookies and designed them by adding sprinkles and icing. We read the book The Great Turkey Race by Steve Metzger. The kids enjoyed this book and were happy that the characters made a good choice! They told their turkey friend that the first-place winner gets eaten!

In word study, we learned initial s blends, double consonant rule ss-ll-ff-zz, compound words, and ending blend -ng.

In reader’s workshop, we have been working on story elements. We learned that characters in a story can be people, animals, or things. Throughout, the month we focused on identifying the setting of a story. We have been breaking up into different centers during the week. In daily five centers we rotate every day. Students listen to a story, read to someone, work on word work, or meet with the teacher in a small group.

In math, we finished Topic Four. We learned how to identify double facts and how basic addition facts that are near doubles can be found using a related doubles fact. We also learned how an answer to one problem can be used to solve another problem. We’ve been practicing our addition and subtraction facts every day to improve our fluency.

In writer’s workshop, we have been working on explanatory/informative writing. We learned how to use transition words in our writing to keep it organized. Students explained how to make a snowman, and designed


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their snowman in a snow globe. Currently, they are working on recipe writing. We are still working on applying COPS and everyone is using their editing checklist.

In social studies, we learned about Veterans Day. We talked about the five different branches of the military and those on Veterans Day we thank veterans who are still serving, have served, or have passed away. We discussed different symbols that represent the United States like the Bald Eagle, The Liberty Bell, The Statue of Liberty, The Washington Monument, and The Lincoln Memorial. We learned all about Election Day and we had our own election in the classroom. We read Duck for President by Doreen Cronin. They had to decide if they wanted to vote for Duck or Farmer Brown. Students created campaign posters and made voter registration cards.

Grade 1- Ms. Cucuzza

In reader’s workshop, we launched our third unit of study. Students have learned various strategies to use during independent reading time. Students are now able to compare and contrast stories and characters, as well as make text-to-self and text-to-text connections. Our class continues to build reading stamina during independent reading time.

In word study, students have learned a variety of new spelling patterns using the Orton-Gillingham method. This includes the doubling rule (11-ss-ff-zz), end blends, and compound words. Students continue to work in their literacy centers daily. They have so much fun rotating between their centers throughout the week, practicing and reinforcing various literacy skills. Students have also learned 20 new red words to apply to their reading and writing.

In math, students have completed Topic 4 in the EnVision Math Series. In this topic, students learned how to add doubles and how to make 10 on a ten-frame. We have also started Topic 5, Addition Facts to 20. Students learned how to solve two-question problems and word problems with three addends.


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In writing, students learned the writing traits of informative/explanatory texts. They were able to write a recipe to teach their classroom peers how to make a food item. Students have enjoyed peer editing and revising their work, as well as sharing their writing to the class. Students celebrated Veterans Day by writing letters to our veterans and thanking them for all they have done for our country.

We had so much fun celebrating Thanksgiving at our annual sharing feast. All of the first grade classes came together and made a food item to share. 1CU contributed by making the applesauce. We discussed the true meaning of Thanksgiving and all there is to be thankful for.

Grade 1- Mrs. Jupinka

Literacy Block: Wow! The kids are doing great! The children continue to build their stamina during independent reading time. We have been working on retelling the story through the use of characters, beginning, middle and end. We have completed all of the short vowels, “the h friends” and we are currently working on compound words. We have learned 45 “red words”! Centers are a really fun part of our literacy block.

Writers Workshop: We have completed our Small Moments unit and continue to work on our grammar skills. The kids love writing in their journals. This is a journal of their writing and drawings. Many of them have been writing “chapter books”.

Math: We continue to grow stronger in our addition and subtraction facts. Their Mad Minutes are getting better and better! We will be completing our first benchmark assessment. We will be making our way into place value. The kids continue to look forward to Math Club each Friday. We have had 3 children earn their first prize (after every 12 assignments)! Keep up the good work!

Health: We have just completed our unit on the Food Pyramid. During the month of December, we will be working on germs!

First Grade News: On November 21st, we had our annual Thanksgiving Sharing Time. Each class contributed a food item that they made. Our class made pumpkin muffins and everyone tried things they may not have ever had!

POR/RTI Grade 1- Mrs. Caicedo

Superintendent’s Monthly Report

November, 2017 !14

November was an exciting month in the resource center! We continue to work daily on our phonics and decoding skills using the Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading program, and Reading Workshop where we focus on decoding and comprehension skills, such as different types of text, learning about our schema, making connections, using our schema to make predictions using fiction texts and different story elements. We explored books that are on our reading level and of interest to us and practiced decoding skills learned in Orton-Gillingham. Additionally, we began to apply skills and strategies learned in reading workshop and Orton-Gillingham, while reading independently and conferencing with the teacher. Some very important skills being taught and reviewed are initial consonant sounds for grade one and vowel teams in grade two. Finally, we have been using guided reading books from Reading A-Z and articles from Readworks to help with fluency and comprehension skills.

Finally, first and second grade RTI classes are meeting on a weekly basis where students are working on decoding, encoding and phonemic awareness through Orton-Gillingham and reading comprehension skills using resources from Reading A-Z.

POR/RTI Grades 1,2 & 3- Mrs. Micowski

November was quick month but we have been busy. First Grade has been working on their double facts and learning how to make 10 to find the sum. We just started working on addition facts to 20.

Second Grade, has been working on reading and writing numbers to 1,000 which includes learning the different forms that these numbers can be. We just started to learn how to add and subtract 10 and 100 from a three-digit number.

Third Grade has just finished up learning about arrays and has entered the world of multiplication. We are just embarking on the long journey of learning our multiplication facts.


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POR/RTI Grade2 & 3- Mrs. Gibney

In pull-out resource language arts, we have continued in our multisensory Orton-Gillingham sequence. We have reviewed the mainstream’s red words and practiced our blends. But especially we enjoyed learning about silent magic “e”. We have learned songs, rules, and practiced our handwriting skills with many silent magic “e” words. For comprehension, we read many Thanksgiving books. We learned about the first Thanksgiving and read about why we have the traditions we have today.

In pull-out resource grade 3, we began our unit on sentence mechanics. We have learned about what specifically gets a capital letter, and reviewed end punctuation. We have applied our new knowledge to writing sentences. For comprehension, we read the non-fictional book The First Thanksgiving.

Grade 2- Ms. Delatorre

In math, students have counted by hundreds to 1,000, and used place value models to show numbers up to 1,000. They have identified and recorded three digit numbers in expanded form, standard form and number word form. They have ordered, compared and added numbers without regrouping. They are moving on to subtracting with and without regrouping.

In grammar, students identified and used adverbs to enrich their writing. They even created their own “Adverb Avenues” with a partner. Students are currently learning how to use a dictionary. Students continue to learn different spelling patterns weekly.

In reading, students found a tricky word and checked the text features to help them figure out what it means. They also learned about topic sentences and after reading passages, created a topic sentence that would fit appropriately. After students wrapped up the Non-fiction Unit, we launched the Investigating Characters Unit. They learned how character traits can change throughout a story. To prepare for our trip to see A Christmas Carol, we read the book and analyzed the character Scrooge, using character traits that described him in the beginning and end of the book. Students were each given roles and practiced the script, remembering to speak with expression and movement.

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In writing, students are putting finishing touches on their “All About” books. They selected a topic of their choice in which they are “experts” in, and wrote detailed facts with appropriate headings. They also included a Table of Contents, Introduction, and Author Page. This is a good segue into our non-fiction animal research which is coming up! Students continue to practice formation of letters and numbers in their handwriting book.

In social studies, they learned about the significance of Veteran’s Day. For Thanksgiving, they compared and contrasted children from then to now, and learned about the Wampanoag Indians. They started to learn about government leaders and the state capitals.

Grade 2- Mrs. Engel

For the month of November the students created “Place Value Turkeys” for our bulletin board outside of our classroom. Each student helped decorate our classroom turkey by decorating a feather for our turkey in their own special way.

In reader’s workshop, we have been “Navigating Through Non-fiction” In this unit the students have been learning how to navigate through all the different elements of nonfiction text. This unit introduces readers to the different ways to approach nonfiction texts compared to fiction books, demonstrating how readers can learn from text features.

In writer’s workshop, the students had their publishing party to celebrate their personal narratives. We are currently creating an “All About” writing piece. Each student chose a topic that they feel they are an expert on. The students used a web graphic organizer to create chapters for their books. After organizing the information they collected, they used an upside down traffic light graphic organizer to create written paragraphs for each chapter of their book. In math, we have completed Topic Ten. The students have been building numbers to 1,000. They have been counting hundred, tens, and ones. Students also have been reading and writing number to 1,000. The children have been identifying patterns with numbers on the hundred chart. They have been skip counting by 5, 10, 100, to 1,000. They have been comparing numbers and putting them in order from least to greatest or greatest to least.


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We are using multi-sensory techniques from Orton-Gillingham program to learn how to spell and read words during word study. This month the students have reviewed r blends, s blends and triple clusters.

In Science, students finished the unit on plants. Students took notes while they watched a video on seed dispersal. We conducted a game that demonstrated how animals help with dispersing seeds. In our next unit we will be exploring various habitats.

Grade 2- Ms. Vega

For the month of November, students participated in numerous fall/Thanksgiving activities. We read The Great Turkey Race where students made wanted posters for the missing characters in the story, then built and completed a life-size story map for recall. Second Grade also completed Topic 5: Place Value to 100 and made turkeys Gobbling up the greater number. Lastly, our classroom began flexible seating with blow up cushions, buddy rugs, and bohemian blankets.

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Grade 3- Mrs. Campagna

Welcome to 2nd marking period! Grade 3 students continue to work together as a team. Their independent skills as well as their Chromebook skills continue to impress me each and every single day. This is a very busy time of year so please check your child’s planner each night as well as my web site for important dates and reminders.


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In reader’s and writer’s workshop students have mastered several skills. They are experts in finding the main idea, supporting details, and character traits. They enjoyed making predictions and inferences during daily Book Talks, Book Clubs, and Literature Circles. Students can successfully apply RACE to each question! What is RACE? Ask your third grade student! Google Classroom has successfully been implemented several times a week. Students enjoy completing their Google Classroom assignments and viewing other responses submitted by their classmates. Google Classroom has allowed students to access videos, files, and questions online. It is also an excellent tool to sharpen keyboarding skills and strategies.

In reader’s workshop, period 3/4 took a journey Ruth Rose, Dink, and Josh on the Mayflower to help find the jewels that went missing hundreds of years ago! The case was a tough one for us but we finally cracked it by using all of the clues we found along the way. The class completed a story board and was introduced to new vocabulary words along the way. As the class moves into the month of December, students will be doing research about the real Mayflower!

In reader’s workshop, period 6/7 journeyed with Jack and Annie into the dark and mysterious land known as the Otherworld to help bring the joy and imagination back to Camelot! Students took part in many high level and creative centers in Google Classroom. Students are currently researching facts about the legendary land of Camelot and the Knights of the Roundtable.

December will see the start of our informational text unit. Students will be identifying what makes informational text passages unique and what makes passage similar. Students are also looking forward to working with paired passages. When reading paired passages, students will be introduced to several different genres. Writing essays to compare and contrast different genres of text will prove to be a powerful tool for these young minds!

I am proud of their hard work completed by all students! Check out student work submitted via Google Docs. This is an incredible online tool that helps not only strengthen keyboarding skills but writing skills and strategies as well.

In writer’s workshop, period ¾ and 6/7 completed writing friendly letters. Next up…creating How To writing pieces and informational brochures.

Our amazing year is simply getting better! Thank you for your continued support in all we do. Remember…I am an email away at [email protected]. Don’t forget to check out my web site on the Wood-Ridge Schools web page!! All important information can be found there.

Best wishes for a happy holiday and a wonderful 2018!

Grade 3- Mrs. Hynes

Math: Our math class was extremely excited to begin multiplication this month. Students discovered various methods to solve word problems and are able to identify when multiplication can be used to solve such problems. These foundations of multiplication have students very excited to embark on our next challenge: Multiplication Belt Testing. Students will be given an opportunity several times a week to take a timed


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mailto:[email protected]

multiplication quiz to earn a belt. The students are extremely eager to earn their way from white to black belts by memorizing their multiplication facts! In addition, both sections of math classes have been hard at work using Imagine Math this month. Both classes have even completed enough lessons collectively to choose a goal for the class (thankfully I nearly escaped the Pie your Teacher” reward!) Students are logging hours both at home as well as on our Chromebooks in class to attain their goal!

Social Studies: This month students learned about the importance of being a good citizen. Students learned the benefits of volunteering and taking action for important causes. Students exchanged ideas of how they can participate from a young age in being productive citizens. This unit tied in well with the grade 3 Kids Care Club “candy for the troops” drive which Doyle participated in this month. Students also studied the different branches of government at the local, state, and national levels. In addition, they produced their very own Thanksgiving Times newspaper. After collaborating with one another, students worked together to research and produce front page worthy articles!

Special Events: This month the class embarked on our first of three trips to the Bergen County Special Services STEAM lab in Maywood. The class had an amazing experience, learning about bioluminescence in underwater creatures. Students were able to research a sea creature and complete giant posters about them. The posters included light up drawings of the creatures which were possible through making their own circuits. It was truly a great learning experience and we can’t wait to go back!

Grade 3- Ms. Moccia

In math this month, we dove into learning multiplication. In Topic 4, students were introduced and familiarized with the meaning of multiplication. Using their new understanding of multiplication, students learned and used different strategies to help solve multiplication problems. These strategies are repeated addition, drawing groups, and making arrays. Students also used their understanding of multiplication to create their own multiplication stories! This month in social studies, we learned more about citizenship and how the nation has grown overtime. In Topic 5, we concentrated on what it means to be a good citizen. We discussed some important figures in history and how they proved themselves to be good citizens. Some of these historic figures were Susan B. Anthony, Thurgood Marshall, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mary McLeod Bethune, Cesar Chavez, and Clara Barton. In Topic 6, we learned how travel, communication, medicine, and new ideas have helped the Nation change and prosper since the 1800’s. Grade 3- Ms. Zielinski

In literacy, we have just started our non-fiction unit of study. The students are learning about text features and the different forms of non-fiction writing. We just started reading Who Was John F. Kennedy? The students have been fascinated with all of the information they are learning about John F. Kennedy. The students are continuing to practice finding facts and opinions in non-fiction literature, as well as learning the importance of sequencing events properly when writing to enhance understanding. The students have been creating timelines to track the important events in John F. Kennedy’s life, as well. In addition, the students have been tracking their comprehension progress by graphing their success on their do nows and at the end of each month we title a “Reading Rock Star” to the student or students from each reading class that get the most comprehension


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questions correct on their do nows. This month’s “Reading Rock Stars” were Domenic Bellini, Reagan Cassiere and Saanvi Zota! Way to go! In writing class, the students have been working really hard to develop how-to essays. They have been learning how to organize their thought and steps into paragraphs, using a thesaurus to find “fancy” words and incorporating their own voice into our writing. On our next writing piece, we will be using the Chromebooks to research information and create a research report using Google Docs! In social studies, we just wrapped up a chapter on how the nation has changed throughout history. Students read about different role models who worked to get all citizens equal rights and the struggles they faced in doing so.

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Art- Mrs. Amerman

Artists in Pre-K finished their paintings of letters and numbers inspired by Jasper Johns by painting the large letters and numbers they had traced with the primary colors and white, then tracing some smaller letters and numbers with construction paper crayons and gluing foam letters and numbers in the empty spaces. They also began painting imaginary trees inspired by Gustav Klimt’s painting Tree of Life, which is a painting of a swirly gold tree full of patterns.

The Kindergarteners completed two works of art in November. First, they created sculptures of monsters and aliens out of clay. Students were given two pieces of clay in two of the three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. They mixed their pieces of clay until they got brand new colors: orange, green, and purple, which are the secondary colors. Each student got a piece of orange, green, and purple clay and constructed sculptures that could stand on their own. They were able to use cotton swabs for inner supports as well as googly eyes and pipe cleaners to help bring their monsters and aliens to life. Kindergarteners also learned about lines and created line paintings inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, who loved to paint while he listened to music. His paintings usually involved many lines and colors. Students created their line paintings while listening to music also, trying their best to paint lines that matched the music.

The first graders finished making different values of one color of paint. They also mixed their paint color with the opposite color on the color wheel to create a grayish or brownish color. They then created a cone out of the gray/brown color and scoops out of the five values, which they cut and glued on a piece of paper, making sure


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the scoops were in value order from lightest to darkest. Next they created toppings from their classmates’ scraps and named each of their ice cream flavors.

Artists in second grade finished their underwater self- portraits by adding details that show movement in their art, such as splashes, bubbles, and waves. They also colored and outlined everything in their drawings.

Third grade artists began an Expressive Self- Portrait lesson by drawing their faces showing different emotions as they looked in mirrors and paid attention to how their facial features changed. Next, they learned about three different art styles: Fauvism, Abstract, and Impressionism, by answering a variety of questions about a sample portrait in each style and discussing with the class. Then we read the book My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, which helps draw a connection between emotions and colors. Third graders then had to decide on an emotion they would like to express in their self- portraits and select a color of paper they felt would match that emotion the best. They also had to choose one of the three art styles they would like to paint their self -portraits in that they felt would help express that emotion best.

Physical Education- Mr. Aranda

Soccer has been the main theme for the month of November. Throughout the month Doyle students have been engaged into our soccer unit. They started off the unit by learning the basics of the sport and practicing fundamental soccer skills such as; ball handling/dribbling (with legs/feet), passing/trapping & scoring/shooting into a goal/net. Eventually putting those skills into practice through soccer lead-up games such as Soccer Pirates, Soccer Minefield, 2 Player Soccer Scramble and Sideline Soccer. Ultimately the students ended the unit by playing in mini soccer games with less amount of players playing per game (i.e. 3 vs 3) and using less time to play each game (about 2 minutes) in an effort to maintain a quick game rotation schedule, which in turn should lead to more games being played.

Furthermore, from a cognitive standpoint the students were also able to compare similarities & differences that soccer has with other team sports such as; basketball, football, field hockey and lacrosse just to name a few. For example, some similarities that can be found when comparing those sports can include but are not limited to the following; proper floor/field spacing, positional responsibilities, passing to teammates, communicating with teammates, effective teamwork & cooperation, the use of 1 ball at a time to play the game, team-oriented offensive & defensive strategies, and all players on the same team sharing common interests and having the same goal(s).

However, some differences to point out in-between those same team sports can include but also not limited to; the use of different body parts (i.e. hands, feet) allowed to handle/manipulate the ball, the required use of equipment needed to handle/manipulate the ball in certain sports (i.e. hockey & lax sticks), the use of different players safety equipment (i.e. helmets, shin guards), amount of players in a starting lineup, and different rules to play by. GOOOOAAAAAALL BLUE DEVILS!!!

Library/Media- Mrs. Diaz

The Catherine Doyle School students have been very busy learning fundamental computing science, more specifically, coding. Beginners started with Course 1 Lesson 1, while others began where they ended last year


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(Course 2 or 3). Each lesson includes Real-Life Algorithms and Computational Thinking which are needed in our technology driven world. By using code.org, the children are able to advance at their own pace and their lessons are saved so that they can go back and problem solve where needed. The students at Catherine Doyle School look forward to their One Hour of Code which will be held the week of December 4th - 10th.

Lines of Code written as of November 2017 • Grade 3 has written 12,488 lines of code • Grade 2 has written 9,040 lines of code • Grade 1 has written 1,318 lines of code

Music- Mr. LaBelle

Third graders worked on repertoire for the Holiday Concert. Songs include Winter Wonderland and I’ll be Home for Christmas. Students were handed music sheets, asked to read the lyrics verse by verse and then did so again as a class before adding the melody. Reading through the sheet music helped reinforce the form of the music and the lyrics individually before doing it as a class. Students also worked hard on playing and reading Jingle Bells on the xylophones.

Second graders worked on repertoire for the Holiday Concert. Songs include Rocking Around the Christmas Tree, Light the Candles and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. Students worked hard on memorizing lyrics, rhythms and pitches. Students worked on xylophone repertoire, Mary Had a Little Lamb.

First graders worked on songs for the Holiday Concert. Songs include We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Burn Little Candles, and The Little Drummer Boy. For xylophones, students worked on reading Old McDonald.

Kindergarten worked on Jingle Bells and Have a Holly Jolly Christmas for the Holiday Concert.

Pre-K worked on Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Students in both Pre-k and K worked on singing and keep the beat at the same time. Students are identifying, moving to and describing the beat (fast/slow). Pre-K and K are learning traditional folk songs and working on following directions with music games such as Freeze Dance.

ESL- Ms. Manicone

This month we finished a unit on different kinds of fruit and began a unit on different kinds of vegetables. The class learned the letters and sounds of letters V and F. They listened to stories about Vera Viper and Fifi Ferret’s Flute, practiced writing each letter and an object that starts with each letter. The students then identified various vegetables, described them, sorted them in veggies they like and don’t like. The class compared the different kinds of vegetables, and wrote about their favorite vegetables.


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Intermediate School

Grade 4 - May

Reading: We have kicked off our Nonfiction Unit this month! The students learned text features as we read through some nonfiction books in class. The classes participated in a short scavenger hunt to find some features shown in various nonfiction texts. We also created text feature posters in pairs too! They had a blast finding the different features in magazines and newspapers and organizing them into a collage. Students also enjoyed playing Kahoot to prepare for the text features assessment and writing their own songs to teach text features!

At the end of the month, we began learning about text structures, how nonfiction texts are organized. We started with Main Idea/Details. The students watched Brain Pop to learn how to find the main idea and we have practiced the skill using articles in class. The students also read nonfiction books in class to identify the main idea and supporting details. Our class has become text detectives to find the details (evidence) that proves the main idea of the text. The main idea and details are typically organized in a boxes and bullets graphic organizer. This is a challenging text structure, but it is very important for students to understand. Extra support at home to practice this skill would be beneficial for all students.

Next month, we will kick off our Nonfiction Holidays around the World project! This will surely prove to be an exciting and memorable time for the students!

Writing : We started the month off with finishing up our descriptive writing! Our classes went out for a fall walk to truly experience the fall using our senses. Then, the students used everything they learned about Show, Not Tell and wrote a descriptive paragraph about the fall season. See pictures of our fall walk below! We ended our fiction unit with writing our very own Fudge adventure stories and designing covers!

Soon, we will begin our unit on Informational Research Texts and students will write a magazine article about a topic.


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Fall Walk

Descriptive

Social Studies: We are studying Chapter 2 on the Early Peoples of New Jersey. We learned about the Lenape Native Americans settling in NJ in Lesson 1. The class really enjoyed having class discussions about this topic. The classes played a review game on KAHOOT and they absolutely loved it!

We also worked hard and completed cooperative group projects making model Lenape Villages. The students watched videos, took notes, and used our class chrome books and textbooks to think about an appropriate design for their model village. The village included some representations of Lenape life such as cooking (fire), housing, hunting & fishing, and farming (crops). Our 4th grade Lenape Village presentations took place on Wednesday, November 22. All of the students did a wonderful job creating the villages and working on their presentations for administration and families. The students had a blast with this educational experience! Thanks to all families who joined the 4th grade to show off our work!

Pictures can be seen below of our Lenape presentations…

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Grade 4 – Johnson

Math 1 – This month we worked with multiplying larger numbers with 2, 3, and 4-digit factors by 2-digit multipliers as we completed Topics 7 and 8. From there we have moved on to the beginning steps of long division. The children will practice their division skills by working on centers that included algebra challenges, computer practice, drill and practice and enrichment. We will be learning to work with the order of operations and other problem solving skills by completing various activities both independently and in small groups.

Math 2- This month, the children have worked on multiplying 2, 3, and 4-digit numbers by 1-digit multipliers. We then started to practice using larger numbers. The children have been multiplying using various methods such as the box method as well as the traditional method. The children practiced their multiplication skills by completing various centers and playing card games in which they had to construct a number to arrive at the largest product. These various activities allow the children the opportunity to practice their skills in fun, game-like situations. As always, keep reviewing those basic multiplication and division math facts.

Science – After studying about the slower processes that change the landforms of the earth, we have focused on some of the events that cause rapid changes. We have been studying earthquakes and volcanoes. Children have learned that the Earth’s surface is covered with plates and because they are always moving, they can cause an earthquake or volcano. We have learned about the waves that occur within the earth at the time of an earthquake and the damage they can do. We have demonstrated plate movement using classroom supplies, and wave movement using Slinkys. Perfect time to be studying this unit with the recent earthquake in Delaware!

As we begin the holiday season, I would like to congratulate the students from 4J who participated in the WRIS Turkey Trot. Way to go!!!

! Sabrina Buccino, Skylar Melis, Christopher Rios, Nicky Scalera


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We are wishing a wonderful holiday season to all filled with family and friends, and all the best for a very happy 2018.

Grade 4 – Ripp

Reading The class has started a unit on non-fiction. The students have been introduced to various text features including headings, labels, pictures, captions, maps, graphs, diagrams, and many more. Students are learning why text features are important and how they can help them to understand a non-fiction text. The students went on a scavenger hunt to find examples of text features in magazines, newspapers, and articles. They worked in pairs to make a text feature poster to demonstrate what they have learned.

In addition to text features, our classes started learning how to find the main idea of a non-fiction article. The students watched Brain Pop to learn how to find the main idea and we have practiced the skill using articles in class. The students also read nonfiction books in class to identify the main idea and supporting details. Our class has become text detectives to find the details (evidence) that proves the main idea of the text. The main idea and details are organized in a boxes and bullets graphic organizer. This is a challenging text structure, but it is very important for students to understand. Extra support at home to practice this skill would be beneficial for all students. We will continue the nonfiction text structures unit into December.

Writing In writing, the fourth grade students have finished up our unit on descriptive writing! Our classes went out for a fall walk to truly experience the fall using our senses. The students carefully observed elements in nature including what they saw, heard, and felt as we walked around the school. The students used their notes to create a paragraph that described what the fall season is like in New Jersey. The students applied their knowledge of using details and fiction writing to develop an Adventure story based on our class novel Tales of A Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Check out pictures from our Fall Walk below!

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Social Studies In Social Studies, the 4th grade class has been learning about New Jersey’s first people. They have been studying the Lenape Native American culture. The students have become experts on Lenape culture.

The students worked hard in cooperative groups to build a model of Lenape Villages. The students will watched videos, took notes, and used chrome books and textbooks to think about an appropriate design for their village. The village represented the Lenape way of life including cooking, housing, hunting, fishing, and farming. The students loved showing off all their knowledge in a creative hands on way! The entire 4th grade presented their work to administration and family on Wednesday, November 22.

Pictures from the Lenape Presentation

! Grade 4 – Romoff

Math continues to be a lot of fun in fourth grade. The students have become multiplication experts and are able to easily multiply multi-digit numbers by a one-digit number using a variety of strategies. Students have learned how to find products with break apart (distributive property), “box method,” and the traditional way of multiplying. We have also been focusing on word problems and strategies associated with these problems.

In Science, we have been focusing on Earth’s changes that occur rapidly, especially volcanoes and earthquakes. The students have become so knowledgeable about the various layers of the Earth and how mountains are formed and can identify how some United States Mountain ranges were formed. Students have also learned how earthquakes can occur and how rapidly the earthquakes can change the land. Students were very excited to learn about the earthquake that occurred in Delaware during this unit.


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Grade 5 – Ciliotta

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Grade 5 – Mrs. Ciliotta's Math Classes Our Math journey continued with the study of volume in the month of November. How can three-dimensional shapes be represented? was the guiding essential question for this unit of study. Students learned to identify different shapes and their properties. We used graph paper and unit cubes in order to analyze and calculate the volume of different prisms. In addition to creating models, students also used a formula and calculators to find the volume. We created prism models using marshmallows and toothpicks to calculate the number of faces, edges and vertices. We will be focusing on Algebraic Expressions during the month of December. center and interactive activities included writing volume riddles for our classmates to build Science-Elements, Mixtures, Compounds and Energy Oh My! During the month of November we explored Mixtures, Compound and Solutions as well as forms of energy. We learned how mixtures could be separated and also explored how to be an Alchemist. Students experimented with different solutions to see how they would affect a penny. We then moved on to learning about forms of energy by studying roller coasters. Students applied the concepts of potential and kinetic energy to bumper car situations. The culminating activity for this chapter was having students become their own virtual roller coaster engineers. The next unit will focus on understanding how ecosystems are related by their methods of obtaining energy.

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Think Through Math Students continue to move through their individualized pathways to accomplish individual goals. Please continue to encourage home participation.

Grade 5 – Hamerling

5th Grade Social Studies Students have been working on Chapter 2 which discusses early explorers. They have read about the Vikings, Portuguese Explorers, and Spanish Explorers. In addition, they have discussed how the Spanish explorers affected the lives of new settlers who came to the area, as well as Native Americans. To connect to these lessons, students have also watched BrainPop videos and completed the review quizzes as a class. In addition to the textbook, students were also exposed to information about the Mayflower Compact. Students had the chance to think about what it would be like to create their own communities just as the Pilgrims had done in the 1600s. They watched a video explaining the voyage on the Mayflower from England, and discussed the importance of the Mayflower Compact. Each week, students use Rosetta Stone to enhance language development. They also participate in the DARE program and are visited each week by Officer Marchitelli and Officer Vitkovsky.

5th Grade Language Arts

Students have continued to read Maniac Magee. While reading, students are responding to comprehension questions to demonstrate their understanding of what is being read. Students are also learning and using new vocabulary, as well as identifying context clues within the text. While reading, students continue to use a variety of reading strategies and skills. One skill that was focused on was determining character traits and identifying text evidence to support the character traits chosen for characters in the book.

Furthermore, students participated in another writing activity focusing on explanatory essays. Students were asked to choose three people, living or dead, who they would like to invite to their Thanksgiving dinners. After brainstorming, students were given a five paragraph essay graphic organizer in order to stay focused and get their thoughts on paper. Finally, students used Google Docs to draft their essays. A rubric was used to grade their explanatory essays.

RTI – Hamerling

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a program designed to provide eligible students with extra support and intervention in English and/or Math. PARCC testing scores, STAR scores, teacher recommendations, and other criteria were used to determine which students in grades 4-6 would benefit from being included in this program. RTI classes meet once a week during a student’s Extensions period, so they do not miss regular content area classes. The goal of this program is to allow students to review skills/strategies in English and/or Math and help them improve these skills throughout the year. While this is an ungraded course (RTI will not show on a student’s report card), scores for assessments and activities completed in class will be added to RealTime when available for parents to review their child’s progress.


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4th grade Our new unit of study was Character Development. We discussed a variety of ways to analyze characters in a text to obtain more information while reading. Character traits were discussed, as well as a number of categories these traits can fall under. Students read the story Abe Lincoln’s Hat to practice this skill. They also read a nonfiction text titled “A Rally Against Poverty” and identified character traits for the main individual being discussed in the article. Students then wrote a paragraph to summarize the article and discuss the character trait chosen using text evidence for support.

5th grade Students began working on place value using decimals. They also practiced other skills with decimals, such as comparing decimals from least to greatest and vice versa, as well as rounding to the nearest place value.

Grade 5 – Muscle

5th Grade ELA Students in Periods 6 and 8 are working on completing the class novel of Maniac Magee. Students have

completed a writing assignment about the novel using the format of a Letter to the Editor. Students were asked to develop an opinion about the main character. They, then, analyzed his traits to support their opinions.

Students in HP Reading have started Book Clubs based on fictional titles. All titles had a theme of “Believing in Yourself” Students are enjoying the opportunity to meet with classmates and discuss a book they are reading. Students are able to apply skills and strategies when working on short responses and Thinkmarks within the group meetings.

All students, also, completed a Thanksgiving themed explanatory essay. Students wrote essays that asked them to explain who and why, dead or alive, they would invite to their Thanksgiving dinner. Students are


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now working on winter themed writings. The HP class is recreating their favorite activities for Santa’s reindeer and the 6/8 class is writing about being trapped in a snow globe. The students are exicted to complete these pieces.

5th Grade Social Studies During Social Studies, the students have finished Chapter 2, which is all about the exploration of the Europeans and the early American settlements. Students have studied new technologies in navigation and the deadly effects of Europeans on Native Americans. They also studied the slave trade and its effects on the people. Students are culminating the chapter with group projects focused on one explorer. Students are working in small groups to create life size explorers that display their looks, goals, and accomplishments. Students are also using Rosetta Stone once a week to enhance their language development and participating in the weekly DARE program with Officers Marichitelli and Vitkovksy.

Grade 5 – Oppido

HP Math: With this month being shortened by the few breaks we’ve had, the class worked really hard on completing Topic 8: Numerical Expressions, Patterns, and Relationships. The students really seemed to grasp the concept of following the acronym PEMDAS. We also spent a few days working on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals too (which will be more in depth in topics to come). I have just introduced Topic 9 which entails fractions. So far we simplified fractions, found equivalent fractions as well as the least common multiples (LCM) and least common denominators (LCD). In the weeks to come we will start to add and subtract fractions with like and unlike denominators.


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Math: This class has really gotten into a groove and gets so excited with every new thing I teach them! We finished Topic 12 and have since then moved onto Topic 8. This topic focuses on writing expressions and using variables for missing numbers. We use the acronym PEMDAS to help remember the order of operations we use when evaluating different expressions. As long as the students remember PEMDAS and take their time, they do a great job with this skill. We took some time working on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals too. I am eager to see how the students finish this topic in the next week or so.

Science Classes: In Science we have finished the unit on Matter and went quickly into discussing Energy. The classes learned about different types of energy such as potential and kinetic as well as thermal, electrical and chemical energy just to name a few. They enjoyed making their own virtual roller coasters trying to use the correct amount of kinetic and potential energy; they had a blast! They learned about how the Sun plays a major role in how organisms as well as plants get their energy. As a lab, we used three plants, a control plant which was given the proper amount of water and sunlight each day, variable 1 (period 1 class) decided to remove the air from their plant, and variable 2 (period 2 class) decided to over feed their plant with too much water. Below are the pictures of what each plant looked like at the start and the end of the two week journey.

! ! Each day, the class had to record the height as well as the appearance of their plant. At the end of the two weeks, the students had to begin to create a bar graph showing the growth of their plant as well as complete a lab report.

When the unit of Energy was complete, we moved onto how energy is transferred through ecosystems; starting with talking about food webs. The class is currently working on making their own food webs! Check out the pictures below of some of the students working on their food webs and plant growth charts.


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Grade 5 – Palmieri

ELA-Resource: The class continues to read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. While reading, students are responding to

comprehension questions to demonstrate their understanding of the novel. Students are also learning new vocabulary words and using context clues within the text to understand the meaning of the new words. Students are also learning new reading strategies and skills as they relate to the novel. We have been focusing on character traits and using textual evidence to support each trait. We are also focused on using textual evidence to respond to comprehension questions.

As part of our writing goals this year, students have been working on various writing prompts related to the novel. Students worked on using vivid details and language to describe specific events that occurred in the story. One prompt was to describe the Thanksgiving spent between the characters and the other was to describe the Christmas spent between the characters. Students wrote short essays describing these events then included illustrations to go with their descriptions. Students were encouraged to use graphic organizers to begin the


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writing process and help organize their ideas. Students were also taught how to use C.O.P.S. to proofread their own writing.

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Social Studies: Students have been working on Chapter 2 which discusses early explorers. We have read about and

discussed the Vikings, Portuguese Explorers, and Spanish Explorers. We have focused on how the Spanish explorers affected the lives of new settlers who came to the area, as well as Native Americans. To expand on these lessons, students also watched various BrainPop videos related to the topics discussed in the chapter and completed various extension activities which discussed specific explorers in detail. In addition to the textbook, students also discussed information about the Mayflower Compact. Students were asked to think about what it would be like to create their own communities as the Pilgrims had done in the 1600s. They also watched a video explaining the voyage on the Mayflower from England, and discussed the meaning and importance of the Mayflower Compact.

RTI: We have reviewed long division, multi-digit multiplication, and adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators. Students also worked on solving real-world word problems to demonstrate their knowledge of these skills. Students have also read various articles to practice identifying main idea and author’s purpose.

Grade 6 – Borrell

English- We have finished our first novel of the year, Holes. We loved it! We celebrated by watching the movie version and then comparing it to the novel. We are moving on to our poetry unit and learning about figurative language. This unit will culminate with our famous poet project. The students will get to choose a poem and a poet that means something to them. We will discuss how poetry can express a wide range of feelings.

In Writing, we will be learning how to write a literary essay. The class will create thesis statements and find evidence to support their ideas. We are excited to publish our work in Google Docs.


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Social Studies – We are continuing to work on Chapter 3 Ancient Egypt. We have learned a lot about the ancient civilization of Egypt so far. The students became the teachers and created Slides presentations on Section 3 of the chapter. They then presented their work so that we all could learn from it. Next, we will be creating our names in hieroglyphics. We will also be watching an interesting documentary that investigates the mystery of King Tut’s death. Was it accidental or murder?!

Grade 6 – Negro

November was a great month in sixth grade. In science, students wrapped up their study of the planets. Students also learned about the phases of the moon and used Oreos to model them. Students learned about meteors, comets and asteroids and completed projects with partner to demonstrate their understanding. We wrapped up November by learning about the Earth’s different layers. Students created comic books about a trip through Earth’s layers and created slideshows using Chromebooks to demonstrate their understanding of the layers.

In math, students completed their study of data displays. In class we attempted to answer the question “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” and then created box plots and histograms to display the data. Next we moved on to dividing fractions. Students watched math music videos, learned rhymes and created their own study guides to help them remember the strategies for dividing fractions. Students discussed real life situations in which they might need to divide fractions such as sharing pizza with friends or converting recipes.

In the HP math class, students began the month by dividing fractions and mixed numbers. After completing their study of fractions, they moved on to studying integers. Students learned how to represent positive and negative numbers on a number line and how to determine a number’s absolute value. Students completed a project which required them to create a scene from an ocean by following directions and drawing pictures at integers below and above sea level. At the end of the month, students began to explore the seventh grade skill of integer operations.

Grade 6 – Koernig

Language Arts- Students are reading on Myon.com and keeping track of completed reading minutes in weekly logs. As the second marking period commenced, we will increase our writing stamina by adding information to our weekly logs. Period two has started the novel Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen and started a new Learning Log. All students completed Holes, by Louis Sachar. Students are looking forward to watching Holes the movie. After the students view the movie they will be writing compare and contrast essays based on the differences and similarities between the book and the movie!


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Social Studies- Students are diligently studying Chapter 3, Ancient Egypt and Nubia. The class will enjoy learning how to write their names in hieroglyphics and performing a Reader's Theater titled, Death on the Nile, the Legend of Isis and Osiris. As a culminating activity, students will be creating their own mummies at: http://discoverykids.com/games/mummy-maker/.

Grade 6 – Molta

The month of November has flown by us here in sixth grade. We enjoyed a pizza party as a whole sixth grade, which was donated for the winner of the art contest. For Veterans Day, the students were able to write personal letters to troops thanking them for their service which they did with great sincerity.

Math – In Math, we are nearing the end of Topic 7 which consisted of greatest common factor (GCF), least common multiple (LCM), dividing fractions, estimating and dividing mixed numbers, and evaluating expressions with fractions. The students had a great time learning and cutting/pasting for our interactive notebook review of these lessons.

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Science – In Science, the students have been utilizing their skills in creativity, researching and presenting. The students wrote a creative story about traveling in space while incorporating the content of the last two units. They enjoyed the assignment and did a wonderful job. They also did an in-depth research of a famous scientist and presented their scientist to the class. We are concluding our topic on Earth’s Layers.


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Special Education – Carroll

5th Grade ELA Resource Room

The class continues to read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. While reading, students are responding to comprehension questions to demonstrate their understanding of the novel. Students are also learning new vocabulary words and using context clues within the text to understand the meaning of the new words. Students are also learning new reading strategies and skills as they relate to the novel. We have been focusing on character traits and using textual evidence to support each trait. We are also focused on using textual evidence to respond to comprehension questions.

As part of our writing goals this year, students have been working on various writing prompts related to the novel. Students worked on using vivid details and language to describe specific events that occurred in the story. One prompt was to describe the Thanksgiving spent between the characters and the other was to describe the Christmas spent between the characters. Students wrote short essays describing these events then included illustrations to go with their descriptions. Students were encouraged to use graphic organizers to begin the writing process and help organize their ideas. Students were also taught how to use C.O.P.S. to proofread their own writing.

Students have been using MyOn or the classroom library during independent reading time. Students have continued starting each class with a daily writing prompt for their do now. They are working on getting their thoughts down and increasing their writing stamina.

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Mrs. Carroll’s 6th Grade ELA resource room The class finished their first novel, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. While reading the novel students

focused on vocabulary, sequence of events, and character. Students are increasing their vocabulary. They have practicing writing sentences for the vocabulary words and filling in context clues sentences with these new words. Students learned how to compare and contrast a protagonist and antagonist of a text. Students wrote a literary analysis essay on character. They identified a character trait for the main character in the beginning and the end of the novel They had to locate text evidence to support each trait. The wrote a four paragraph essay: introduction, two body (traits), and conclusion paragraphs


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Students have been using MyOn or the classroom library during independent reading time. Students have continued starting each class with a daily writing prompt for their do now. They are working on getting their thoughts down and increasing their writing stamina.

The class ended the month by beginning Unit 2: Poetry. We started out learning different type of figurative languages.

RTI – Carroll

6th grade RTI-Math The class has been working on finding area, perimeter and volume for given measurements and within word problems.

Special Education – Lanfranchi

5th Grade Math Students began working on Topic 12: Volume of Solids during the month of November. Students named different types of three dimensional shapes and identified the number of faces, edges, and vertices of each figure. This gave way to the applying the formula for finding volume formula. Students practiced using this formula with three dimensional shapes created with cubic units, as well as with measurements such as inches and meters. Students created three dimensional shapes using toothpicks and marshmallows to continue identifying the faces, edges, and vertices.

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! Superintendent’s Monthly Report

November, 2017 !39

Students also continue to use Think Through Math weekly to reinforce math skills.

5th Social Studies ICS During the month of November, students continued Chapter 2:Age of Exploration and discussed how

Europeans developed technologies to assist in finding a sea route to Asia. Students are discussing why immigrants leave their homelands because of political and economic troubles, for economic opportunities, or to find freedom or religion.

5th Science ICS During the month of November, our classes started learning about Energy. We created a rollercoaster

using insulation tubes and classroom materials to show how height and energy are closing related. Students saw the difference between potential and kinetic energy through various tests throughout this experiment. This knowledge will provide background knowledge to as we move into Energy and Matter in Ecosystems.

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RTI – Lanfranchi

4th & 5th Grade RTI To further practice working on identifying main ideas of a text, students have been reading various

articles and completing center activities.

Special Education – Panayoti

Resource Room Math Grade 4

The fourth graders have been learning a variety of multiplication strategies. Mental math, estimation, box method and traditional methods of multiplying numbers have all been practiced throughout the month. The students have been using a website called xtramath.org to reinforce their fluency in addition, subtraction,


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multiplication and division facts. The students use the chromebooks to log onto the website, and then complete timed assessments. Their scores are tabulated daily, and the practice assessments are then geared to their individual needs. In addition, the students are continuing their PARCC practice modules by using Imagine Math daily.

Resource Room Math Grade 6

November has been the month of fraction practice for our 6th graders. The students have been introduced to the “ladder method,” which can be used to find both the LCM (least common multiple) and GCF (greatest common factor). The students watched several videos and tutorials to review the steps involved in the ladder method. In addition, the students have been reviewing the concepts of fractions via various center activities. Topics reinforced include using models to demonstrate the meaning of fractions, finding equivalent fractions, and ordering fractions from least to greatest.

Grade 6 Science with Ms. Molta

The sixth graders had an opportunity to get “creative” with their knowledge of the solar system by writing their own stories about space travel. The students used the chromebooks to brainstorm, organize and type their stories about traveling to another planet or galaxy. Although the stories were fiction of course, the students had to incorporate at least ten facts about the planets and solar system into their stories. The students did an amazing job both writing and editing their stories and sharing them with their classmates.

Grade 4 Science with Ms. Romoff

The fourth graders have been studying the impact of earthquakes on the planet. Topics included how earthquakes form, their relationship to mountain formations and landforms, and how our planet is affected. Map skills were reviewed and students enjoyed viewing the landforms via online images and on the large classroom map. Safety plans and what to include in a safety kit were discussed, as well as emergency preparedness.

Special Education – Simpson 4th Grade ELA Resource Room This month we have worked hard to finish Stage #2 Red-Sight Words and Finish Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. We started the month with a review of 3rd grade skills understanding how sight words help us read with fluency. Students used spelling lists of red words to continue progress. We have introduced Nonfiction with Author’s purpose. Why is the Author writing to us. The students were introduced to Author's Point of View and have a general understanding of the 4 different points of view. First, Second, Third Person Limited and Third Person Omniscient. All these skills were then used to find the Point of View for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Students are now using RACE when answering open-ended test questions. Rewriting the questions, Answer the questions, Cite the text, Explain your answer. They ended the month a new list of red/sight words.


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ESL – Manicone

This month we started with a brief unit on volcanoes. Students defined vocabulary, drew illustrations for each word and created sentences based on the vocabulary. We also, read about volcanoes and the process of a volcanic eruption.

We continued November discussing earthquakes. We are reading a series of articles about what is an earthquake, how they form, why they happen, and accounts from an earthquake survivor. Students will ask questions and learn what the experience was like for a relative during the San Francisco earthquake in 1987. After that, students will brainstorm ways to minimize earthquake damage to buildings and other structures.

Art – C. Sterba

Grade 4 Art- Students are starting up work on artwork based off of the style of Franz Marc. They are focusing on the arbitrary color animal paintings he created using them as inspiration for their own animal designs.

Grade 5 Art – Students are starting their heraldry inspired designs. They are studying the symbols used in a coat of arms and what meanings were associated with them. The students will then create their own coat of arms design.

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Grade 6 Art- the students have begun work on a project where they are creating Illuminated letter designs that are symbolic self portraits. Once the designs are finished they will then emboss them onto copper foil and color with ink.

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Music – Fernandez

4th grade: Week 1- We had our first lesson on the basics of recorder: setting up, breath control and posture. Week 2- The class learned the notes C and D on the recorder. Week 3- We did an activity that allowed the whole class to learn how to draw C and D on the staff and color in fingerings. Week 4- We added on the notes E and F. We can draw the notes C-F on the staff and understand the fingerings for each. Preparing for our first recorder quiz.

5th grade: Week 1- After completing Ch. 3, the class worked on music composition and started our next chapter. Week 2- We took lecture notes in music class on Ch 4: Treble Clefs and Pitches. Week 3- The class learned about musical notes and their rhythmic values and location of pitches on the staff. Week 4- On the completion of Ch. 4, we worked on a music reading worksheet and study guides were passed out all in preparation for our next test.

6th grade: Week 1- We reviewed note values and started our Unit 1 Lesson 4. Week 2-. We discussed what makes music popular in demand and continued to read Lesson 4. Week 3- As a whole, the class learned about Ragtime and performed complex rhythmic exercises from the book using their hands to pat each beat along with the song, “The Entertainer”. Week 4- We reviewed everything on Lesson 4 in preparation of our next test.


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Library/Media – Diaz

Library/Media Center – Diaz The Wood-Ridge Intermediate School students have been very busy learning fundamental computing science, more specifically, Coding. Beginners started with Course 1 Lesson 1, while others began where they ended last year (Course 2 or 3). Each lesson includes Real-Life Algorithms and Computational Thinking which are needed in our technology driven world. By using Code.org, the children are able to advance at their own pace and their lessons are saved so that they can go back and problem solve where needed. The students at The Wood-Ridge Intermediate School look forward to their One Hour of Code which will be held the week of December 4th - 10th.

Lines of Code written as of November 2017 ● Grade 6 has created 15,791 lines of code ● Grade 5 had created 15,537 lines of code ● Grade 4 has created 6,160 lines of code

Physical Education – Rella

Our students engaged in a new game called Pillo Polo, which is a game similar to hockey and has been around for over 40 years. This game is a safer alternative to hockey and the rules are very similar with a few differences in the equipment. Pillo polo is played with 31-inch pillo polo sticks made of foam. The balls used are round, 7 inches in circumference and also made of foam. Each team has six players including a goalie. The goalie is the only player allowed to touch the ball with his hands or feet, and goalies are allowed to throw or roll the ball down the field. Everyone else must only use their sticks to move the ball. Players can only swing at the ball on the ground; for safety reasons it is not allowed to swing at the ball if it is in the air. The object is to score more goals than your opponents in the specified game time; each goal is worth one point. Pillo polo is a great game to learn many skills, such as striking an object, teamwork, offensive and defensive strategies, and sportsmanship. Our students did a great job learning the game. There was a great deal of improvement in all of the skills.

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Speech – Avella

Therapy Session Activities:

Speech-Language therapy took place in the classroom and speech-therapy room. Children participated in group and/or individual sessions which were tailored to each child’s individual needs. November focused on exciting thanksgiving themed activities. Students practiced their articulation skills by thinking of nouns with their sounds that they are thankful for and making Thankful Trees. Students who are working on improving their syntax and increasing their vocabulary wrote paragraphs about what they are thankful for and reading and answering questions pertaining to turkeys, the first thanksgiving, and facts and fiction about thanksgiving. Many of the goals worked on included mastering a particular sound such as /s/ /z/ /th/ /r/ /l/ /sh/and /ch/, increasing vocabulary, comprehension, and inferencing skills.

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STEM Club – Oppido

The fourth grade STEM Club members met this month twice; November 16th and November 30th. We started their first project which was to make a bridge that can hold the most weight in comparison to the other teams in the club. The members were all very generous in bringing the suggested supplies I had asked for, such as toothpicks, craft sticks, marshmallows, a jelly gum drops.

The activity started with the club members watching a video on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge back from 1940. The members were a bit shocked when they saw the bridge itself beginning to bend and sway like it was made of rubber. I heard one member shout out, “Oh, I get it! This isn’t a real bridge. This one is made of strings.” Needless to say, they were all pretty amazed when our discussion started and they realized this indeed did occur and this wasn’t a toy or a model of the bridge. It was a REAL bridge that was made incorrectly. I then ended the discussion with the statement. This bridge collapse had lasting effects on science and engineering. I told them it is now their mission to make a bridge better than the one back in 1940. They all were eager to take on the challenge. Below are a few pictures of the groups working together.

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Muscle - Drama Club Monthly Report

The Drama Club held meetings in November. We met on November 15th, 16th, 21st, and 29th. During these meetings, students have auditioned for our school’s performances of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The coordinator has created an Audition Committee to aid in the difficult process of auditions and selections. The talent this school year is very impressive and there will be a need for callbacks.

Fernandez - Choir Club Monthly Report

Choir Rehearsals:

Wednesday, November 1st (34 attended)

• We did vocal warm-ups and exercises. We reviewed “Jingle Bells and practiced “I’ll be Home for Christmas”

Wednesday, November 8th (23 attended)

• We did vocal warm-ups and exercises. We practiced “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and we chose our 2 soloists for this song.

Wednesday, November 22nd (33 attended)

• We did vocal warm-ups and exercises. We reviewed the ending once more for “Jingle Bells”. We tightened up problem spots in “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”. We are on our way to memorizing both pieces.

Art Club/Stage Crew -Carroll

As per previous years, since we meet 5 times in the month of October, there are no art club meetings during the month of November.

During the month of November, I collaborated with Ms. Fernandez to plan the decorations for the winter concert. This is the focus of December Art Club meetings. I also made the templates for the decorations to use for the December meetings.

Some 4th grade art club members helped the 4th grade teachers by creating a welcome sign for the Lenape presentations.


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During this month I helped Mrs. Muscle with Drama Club auditions (as I will be working alongside her for the play with the stage crew). Auditions were held on the following dates: ● November 15 ● November 16 ● November 21 ● November 29

Student Council - Johnson

The WRIS Student Council completed their first community service event which involved collecting food that was donated to the Assumption Church food pantry to help those who are less fortunate celebrate Thanksgiving. The students started by making flyers that were sent home and posters that were placed around the school building. On November 20th the Student Council presented the Assumption Church Food Pantry with the food that had been collected. Mrs. Lepore was there to tell the children what an impact their donation would have on many local families at this holiday time. We are very proud of them, and look forward to more activities in the months ahead.

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Student Council getting ready to deliver the donations collected to the Assumption Food Bank.

Journalism - Diaz

The Journalism Club is happy to announce the first issue of The WRIS Gazette, a paper by the students for the students.


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WRJRSRHS

English Department

Pete Forman 11th Grade American Literature While working on research based assessments using the MLA method, students are focusing on the works of the Transcendentalist writers and their contribution to American Identity. Our focus will be on Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and their contributions to worldwide historical and social change. From there, we will take a long look at Emily Dickinson and her poetic offerings in our quest to answer our year long essential question: How doe American literature define the American dream? 11th Grade Honors American Literature Honors students are examining critical commentary focused on the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They are engaged in reading the complete essays of Emerson and Civil Disobedience by Thoreau. Their research will lead to an additional update of their yearlong collaborative web sites and Socratic meetings which are ongoing throughout the year.

Christine Green English 4 AP Students are completing Advanced Placement prep tests preparing for the May 2018 testing. They are continuously reading to build their literary foundation in preparation for the test. They are developing their text analysis skills both in writing and also at the podium in front of the class. They recently read "Angela's Ashes" and are completing "Ethan Frome". English 4 Honors Students have completed the Renaissance period in British Literature. They are reading novels, plays and poetry. They recently completed "Daisey Miller" and are currently reading "The Picture of Dorian Gray"...They also completed an interdisciplinary project using "Google Art" and are starting to read "Medea" in class. English 4 College Prep Students completed the Renaissance period in British literature. They also completed an interdisciplinary project on line based on the relationship between art and literature. They are reviewing literary terms and are prompt writing in class. They are starting to read the Greek tragedy "Oedipus" in class.

Valerie Hunter English I English I students wrote sequels to the short stories they read in class (“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, “The Interlopers” by Saki, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, and “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst). Students’ sequels included round protagonists, a conflict with a resolution, and dialogue. They have also started reading Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak, and are analyzing the main character, Melinda, and identifying the book’s use of similes and metaphors. English I Honors English I Honors students continued to read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and wrote analytical responses based on the book. They have also rewritten scenes from different characters’ perspectives, and created graphic organizers that mapped character relationships with key quotes. Students also worked on vocabulary and grammar skills. Creative Writing 7 Students in first marking period Creative Writing ended the class by writing scenes from a play and poems from the perspective of an inanimate object or an animal. They also discussed ways to share their writing in the future. Now the new class has begun, and students are writing descriptive essays and poems using many sensory details.

Colleen Kozibroda


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English II Resource Room In English II, students completed a unit on Edgar Allan Poe; they engaged in an Edgar Allan Poe webquest to learn about his life. Once completed, students discussed various terms in relation to the story “The Masque of the Red Death” by Poe such as elements of Gothic Literature, symbolism, plot analysis, theme, and character analysis. Students completed a Google Slides Presentation on this unit for their class on the elements listed above in relation to the story. Through daily Do Nows on Google Classroom as well as in weekly writing logs, students focus on writing skills in relation to the unit, enhancing their overall writing skills. English III Resource Room In English III, students are completing a unit on Edgar Allan Poe. After completing an “Edgar Allan Poe Scavenger Hunt,” learning the important background information on him, students read “The Fall of the House of Usher” and are beginning “The Raven.” As part of a culminating assessment, students are in the process of completing a google slides presentation on Google Classroom incorporating all parts of the unit learned paying close attention to literary analysis of Gothic Literature. In class, students are also continuing to read the novel “Unwind” by Neal Shusterman. Through this novel, students are focusing on the following: plot analysis, inferencing, and overall writing skills. Weekly Warm Ups at the beginning of each class period also helps to improve overall writing skills. English IV Resource Room In English IV, students read the epic poem Beowulf; they also did a compare and contrast with the poem and a mini animated video of Beowulf. Students were actively engaged in this unit focusing on Anglo-Saxon elements. Through daily Do Nows on Google Classroom, focusing on writing skills in relation to the unit, students enhanced their writing skills. After a culminating test, the students are working on “The Warrior Boast Challenge.” In this challenge, students are writing an original boast Anglo-Saxon style similar to what we have read in Beowulf. The boast had to include the following elements: Self- identification, immediate ancestry, boast of 3 past achievements, boast of an achievement to come, 3 identifiable kennings, 3 identifiable alliterative phrases, and a caesura in most lines. This unit will end with these boasts presented! Canterbury Tales will be next...

Matthew Bogert English 7 Students have continued working on their first research paper about a poet of their Choice and continue learning MLA formatting and how it is used throughout the research paper, especially with in text citations and works cited pages. The students are still working on their first novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. English 7 Honors Students have completed their first research paper about a poet of their choice, and are in the process of writing their Cause and Effect essays. Students continue to learn about MLA formatting and how it is used throughout the research paper, especially with in-text-citations and works cited pages. Honor students have begun working on their second Dialectical Journal and continue reading their first novel The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

Kim Millar English II The English II classes have just finished Book 2 of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son as they continue to read literature that addresses the progression of racism in America from the 1930’s to modern day. Students are currently completing a rhetorical analysis of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. They are identifying rhetorical techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos to assess how King effectively builds his argument. Students will be creating and presenting infomercials for which they will incorporate ethos, pathos, or logos, in an attempt to persuade the class to buy their product.

AP Language and Composition The AP Language and Composition students have just finished studying the literature of the Native American and Puritans. They continue to write rhetorical essays based on the literature from the American literature text and The Norton Reader. They have also completed synthesis essays based on the works of Nathaniel Philbrick, Benjamin Franklin, William Bradford, and a sculpture of Massasoit by Cyrus Dallin. Students are currently reading political documents of early America and continue to take practice exams in preparation for the AP exam.


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Lara Schmitt 8th Grade English Resource Support Center The eighth graders have continued to enjoy reading “The Outsiders,” as they approach the end of the novel. Throughout the stories, students have been analyzing characters, themes, vocabulary, and literary terms related to the novel, as well as connecting the different aspects of the text to the real world, all while practicing their fluency, reading comprehension, and listening skills. Students have also been able to express their comprehension of the novel in creative ways, recently generating their own chapter titles for each chapter. We are looking forward to comparing and contrasting the movie to its film version, as well as continuing to work on and defend our research papers over the next few weeks! English I Resource Support Center Now that we have the first marking period of Freshmen year under our belts, the students are comfortable and more confident in their learning. They have just started our first novel, Speak, and have been making thoughtful predictions, analyses, and conclusions about what they have read. They have also written sequel stories to the short stories that we read throughout the first marking period. Over the course of this marking period, students are going to continue to develop themselves as writers, working on a cross-curricular research paper in both their English I and World History Classes. We look forward to continuing on our journey of progress and improvement in learning over the course of this marking period!

Melissa Papp English Language Arts, Grade 8 After reading, they completed formal assessments to demonstrate comprehension and completed student-choice projects. Finally, students compared the effectiveness and accuracy of the novel to the 1954 film adaptation of Animal Farm. In November, the eighth graders studied World War II, themes of survival, civilization versus savagery, and good versus evil in preparation for Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Currently we are using textual evidence to discuss these themes and evaluating the novel as an allegory. Along with this, we are beginning to conduct preliminary research and form thesis statements, using the Zaner-Bloser online series, for our main research paper project on arguing Lord of the Flies as a social commentary on World War II. They have continued to practice and apply grammar and syntax work into their daily writing. Additionally, the eighth grade students contributed letters to our nation’s military, veterans, and first responders through Operation Gratitude, totaling over 100 letters! English Language Arts, Grade 8 Honors Along with continued practice in applying grammar and syntax work into their daily writing, this month, the honors students have been busy: beginning to study World War II and discussing themes of survival, civilization versus savagery, and good versus evil in preparation for Golding’s Lord of the Flies. We are quickly advancing through the novel using textual evidence to analyze and to evaluate the novel as an allegory. The students are also conducting differentiated research, forming thesis statements, and drafting their research paper arguing Lord of the Flies as a social commentary on World War II. Additionally, the honors students contributed letters to our nation’s military, veterans, and first responders through Operation Gratitude. Mass Media Mass Media students created review articles, showing their ability to summarize objectively and to critique events, restaurants, film, or other topics. Students then explored the increasingly popular infographic style of presenting information and used online resources to create their own. Each of these pieces have been workshopped and published on Google Site student portfolios. ELA Skills, Grade 8 Students gained factual knowledge about the “close read” and developed practical approaches to close reading paired passages including focusing on key ideas and details, craft and structure, and connecting themes. Then, using this reading model, students applied these skills to sets of paired short literary works through sharing, parsing, and applying new vocabulary as well as discussing “big ideas” about life, which paired texts discuss, especially with a focus on identity.

Kelly Manicone ESL November started with a unit on language found in math. Students practiced writing numerals and math problems in word form. We also discussed which words indicate addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, in various word


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problems. Students took turns reading word problems, figuring out what operation the problem was, and solving the problem. We also, reviewed the vocabulary involved with graphing coordinates, solving equations and lines and planes in Geometry. The next unit we started in November was on adjectives and parts of a story. Students took notes on several types of adjectives, and practiced using them correctly. Students worked in pairs to create lists of synonyms. They used those lists to describe several items placed around the classroom. Next we are starting with the parts of a story.

Debra Beck Accounting The students learned how to post journal entries to the ledger, correct entries and create a trial balance. The students completed problems using manually and using computer accounting software - Wave Accounting. Financial Literacy The class investigated different services, products and saving vehicles that banks offer. The students completed a checking account simulation. The students created bank brochure that incorporated their knowledge of banking services. The students continue to participate in the H&R Block Budget Challenge and complete Everfi modules. Marketing Essentials The students learned about different methods to manage a product throughout the different phases of a product’s life cycle. They learned about the different techniques involved in creating a brand and new product development. The students completed a project where they created a brand that would appeal to a specific target market. Intro to Business The students investigated and role play different business ethic situations. . The students learned about entrepreneurship and researched the history of a successful business. The class created the first part of a business plan for their own business. The class learned about the different functions of management and applied this to their business. The students researched how technology is changing the business world. Business Law The students learned about the different elements of a contract. They analyzed case studies and applied their knowledge to determine the legality in the cases. The students wrote and analyzed contracts.

History Department

Gianna Catalano US History I (Inclusion included) After completing our unit on the Bill of Rights, the class continued with the reading and understanding as well as analyzing the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment. Students then learned about the era of Reconstruction, looking specifically at the presidency of Andrew Johnson and the issue of impeachment. The students also had to look at what American life was like for newly freed African Americans by analyzing and understanding primary source documents. US History II The class has continued with the discussion of the start of World War II and were assessed by completing a quiz on the war in Europe. Students continued to learn about World War II, but were looking specifically at the United States role. The class analyzed documents, videos, and even pictures to understand the attack on Pearl Harbor and how the United States mobilized for the war on the home front. Students also discussed how certain minority groups were treated during war time. The class now has started to look closely at specific battles in both the European and Pacific theatres. Students will be creating their own propaganda posters as well as writing letters home as if they were American soldiers. Unsolved Mysteries in History The class has continued to research and discover different mysteries in history. The students started a new unit on the lost city of Atlantis. The class had to explore different theories surrounding the mystery, trying to figure out where it is located and what actually happened to it. Students were assessed by writing a research paper surrounding the topic of Atlantis. Next, the class explored the mystery of El Dorado. They had to try and find where El Dorado is located and what exactly happened in order to make it disappear. Students are in the process of writing their research papers on this topic. The following unit will discuss Anastasia Romanov and her disappearance.

Victor Minnocci U.S. History II They have been analyzing the rise of dictators in the 1930s. How did they achieve power? What was their political agenda. The class explored each dictators aggressive policies and how they were viewed by the other powers. The reasons for the U.S. wanted to remain neutral the how the U.S. aided Britain and France during this time. The Holocaust


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was explained. Why the Jews especially targeted by the Nazis? What was the “Final Solution”? This led to the how did the U.S. react to the early Nazi victories in Europe. Japanese aggression in Asia was reviewed. Why did Japan launch an attack on U.S. naval forces at Pearl harbor? Mr. Forman and I brought our honors classes on a field trip to Philadelphia. The students were directed to relate government documents, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, in a political and literacy perspective. Next month the classes will be analyzing the U.S. in WWII. Current Issues The classes explored current news events internationally and nationally. Major topics included gun violence and mass shootings, the proposed tax reform bill and other federal government issues. President Trumps trip to Asia and the continuing war on terror. The North Korea nuclear threat and how it is being addresses by the U.S. and other nations. The November election results and the new governor of N.J. agenda was discussed. Law The class began the month analyzing criminal law. State and federal crimes, classes of crimes and the differences between a felony and a misdemeanor. Parties to a crime, principal and accomplices and the meaning of an accessory before and after the fact. Currently, the class began analyzing criminal law. Homicides, assaults and battery, felony murder, involuntary murder, and sexual assaults to name a few.

Kimberly Forsyth Social Studies 7th Grade This month we finished our unit on early cultures in North and Central America as well as West African trade. As we studied the spread of Islam throughout Asia and Europe, the 7th graders truly appreciated the chance to learn more about a culture that they may not have been familiar with and recognize the similarities that may be present with their own cultures and family values. We will soon begin learning about the concept and history of exploration around the world. We have also started learning about the ways in which Portugal and Spain were inspired to find direct trade routes that would connect them with Asian markets. Students analyzed the reasons behind European exploration, from sources for exotic spices to the spread of Christianity. We look forward to learning more about the explorers themselves and what motivated them to take on such a daring adventure. U.S. History II During the month of November, we fully immersed ourselves into the events and decisions that led to World War II. We spent a significant amount of time analyzing the motives behind each country’s leaders to propel themselves into a favorable position in the war. We are just starting our analysis of the Battles of the Atlantic, Midway, and the Invasion of Normandy (to name a few!) and will identify the impact that each had on political relationships, geographic landscapes, and individual troops and their families.

Steve Schneidman 7th Grade Honors We have finished with the chapter on new empires in the Americas. Topics covered were explorers such as Lief Eriksson, Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and others. Other topics were the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and the Incas, the Protestant Reformation, and the beginning of the slave trade. The class is currently working a DBQ project on Magellan. 8th Grade Honors They are finished working on a DBQ, a mini research paper on “How Democratic was Andrew Jackson”. The assignment helps students to analyze documents so they can answer the question using the documents as their evidence to prove their point. We have started the chapter on westward expansion. The chapter covers the Texas Revolution, Manifest Destiny,the Mexican American War and the California Gold Rush.

8th Grade Finished the chapter on a new national identity, which covered the period after the War of 1812. They have, also, finished the chapter on the Age of Jackson. They watched a biographical video on Jackson’s life and we are about to begin a DBQ project on Jackson. Writing Workshop Students are working on the writing process and they are writing a historical episode, which is writing a story using actual historical events and placing a fictional character in the event to tell the story. This assignment includes researching the historical event


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Robert Berger United States History II Students have completed their study of FDR and the New Deal which brought closure to our section on the Great Depression. We worked on a document based question essay which utilized concepts of relief recovery and reform as set forth by the New Deal. The students then finished the chapter with an assessment. Subsequently, they began the next chapter in our course with World War II Looming. They have worked on exploring the emergence of European totalitarian regimes, which caused struggles for land and power , and reporting on it via newspaper articles. They have looked at the expansion of Nazi Germany and the first steps their government took to assume control in Europe. They have begun to delve into the Holocaust and the magnitude of its devastation. They will finish with the entrance of the United States into the conflict.

Stephanie Gaven US History I Honors November has certainly flown by in USI Honors, as we began our unit on Reconstruction and Westernization. We debated if “African Americans were free during Reconstruction?” and identified the reasons why President Garfield was impeached in a web quest. Next we will analyze the government policies on Native Americans and compare the Wizard of Oz to the Populist Movement. US I History We also had an action packed month as we analyzed how Reconstruction transformed the lives of newly freed slaves after the Civil War and identified the reasons why President Garfield was impeached in a web quest identified the reasons why President Garfield was impeached in a web quest. Next we will also analyze the government policies on Native Americans and see how westward migration after the Civil War will impact our nation. Sociology In November we continued our study of social stratification! We finished by creating budgets for a family of upper, middle and lower classes. We then began our study of crime, deviance and prejudice! First we evaluated key terms that go along with obedience, conformity, and social control as well as analyzed what role these ideas play in our society. Public Speaking and Debate In November we outlined, prepared and presented persuasive speeches in front of our peers. We began by viewing and critiquing the closings of effective persuasive speeches. Then we analyzed their “call to action” and persuasive techniques as a model to follow. Next month students will improve upon their interpersonal communication skills as they prepare for the college or job interviews by generating a resume, doing research and preparing follow-up answers to commonly asked questions.

Mallory Garvin World History and World History Honors Think of our day to day lives without modern technology? What would our lives be like without cell phones, computers, TVs or the internet? World History and World History Honors classes have just started to study Unit 3 on Technology. This unit highlights three time periods in history that had irrefutable technological impacts on our world: the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and Industrial Revolution. Students completed a web quest where they took on a role of a physician trying to combat a certain disease. They had to study the treatment of this disease over time and create a Prezi presentation highlighting how medicine has changed throughout history in regards to their disease.

World History Honors students also completed a DBQ essay answering the question What was the Most Important Consequence of the Printing Press? With much more to cover on the impact of technology on our world December is

going to be a busy month!

National Honor Society National Honor Society had the wonderful trip to Eva’s Village in Paterson. Eva’s Village is a rehabilitation complex and soup kitchen that provides a myriad of resources for those that are in need of assistance battling addiction, fleeing domestic violence, or those that are homeless and without food. It was a privilege to go and help serve the clients of Eva’s on afternoon. We set up, served lunch, and assisted in cleaning. We look forward to our next trip!


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We also were able to meet the new inductees and look forward to the Indication Ceremony in December!

Class of 2019 Update The Class of 2019 continues to be busy and work hard to raise money with our Poinsettia Sale and are preparing for many other fundraisers to come!

Math Department

Marc Fazio Math 7th Grade Students completed Chapter 1 and worked on Chapter 2 Equation/Expression topics. Students began their Project for the 2nd marking period. PARCC remediation: Students are actively working to prepare for the Accuplacer test, reviewing topics in Algebra 1 and Algebra II using Khan academy and also Math 7 Skills Students are reviewing topics to review their skills for the PARCC. Students are reviewing a variety of skills using online programs such as Khan Academy tailored to their individual needs.

Steve Olsen Calculus Students completed unit 2 covering limits and continuity evaluating limits of continuous and non- continuous functions as well as indeterminate limits and infinite limits. Students began unit 3 by revisiting the difference quotient and using Fermats definition of a derivative to evaluate average and instantaneous rates of change. Students completed independent online assignments using Khan Academy. Students were formally assessed with two (2) quizzes and a Chapter Test. Pre-Calculus Honors Students completed the unit on graphing trigonometric functions. Students graphed sinusoidal functions incorporating phase shifts, frequency and amplitude modulation. Students began a new unit covering inverse functions and fundamental trigonometric identities, and began to simplify and verify trigonometric identities. Students completed independent online assignments using Khan Academy. Students were formally assessed with two (2) quizzes a Unit Test. AP Computer Science Principles Students Completed Unit 2 Labs related to abstraction and conditional statements including the use of predicates and multiple if statements. Students also were introduced to programming tools including the use of variables to concatenate strings of characters. Students worked on creating their first practice Explore task in preparation for the AP performance task submission requirement. AP Computer Science A (Java) Students completed Unit 3 covering the creation of Java Methods including the coding of various return types such as integer, boolean, character and strings. Students completed and were assessed with a project to create a simple calculator using Java on codehs.com. Students began a unit on Object Oriented Programming where they are being introduced to the system of classes and objects in Java. Exercises and assessments conducted on codehs.com. Engineering the Future Students completed unit including engineering drawings and CAD representation of parts using Cloud CAD OnShape. Students began unit project to “Save the ACME Company” where they will use all aspects of the engineering design process in order to create a product solution. Design project will include 3D modeling of prototypes and creation of required parts and materials using the 3D printer.

Gabe Ben-Nun Algebra 2 This unit covers the properties and solutions of linear and absolute value functions. Part 1 of the unit focuses on linear equations and inequalities. It reviews rate of change and further develops solving and graphing the equations and inequalities that can be applied to real-world problems. It then expands to solving and interpreting systems of linear equations and inequalities. Part 2 then moves on to absolute value functions and their different key aspects such as domain, range, intercepts, end behavior,


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etc. The unit also compares functions using different transformations. Algebra 2 Honors Students reviewed solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities. As well as systems of linear equations and inequalities. The class then continued to graphing absolute value functions. Students utilized transformations to graph different functions. The problems extended the student's understanding of linear and absolute value functions to solve real-world problems. Students finished the month with a transition to quadratic functions.

Alexis De Coma Resource Grade 7 We have just finished up working on Chapter 3, Inequalities. In this chapter, we discussed greater than, less than, greater than or equal to, and less than or equal to inequalities and practiced graphing them on various types of number lines. We are currently working on a cumulative review of chapters 1, 2, and 3, while reviewing some basic skills in preparation for Chapter 4. Resource Grade 8 We have begun our Introduction to Functions. We are working on solving input/output charts and using their data to graph linear and nonlinear functions. Our math class is currently using Khan Academy to practice solving functions as well as reviewing past lessons in fractions, decimals, and coordinate plane graphing. We are looking forward to beginning our chapter 4, where we will be working with slope and slope intercept form.

Lisa Ames Geometry Students completed chapter 3 and focused on parallel and perpendicular lines. They determined how to prove lines are parallel using angle pairs formed by parallel lines and a transversal. We applied parallel and perpendicular lines to real life applications such as maps and structures and proved theorems about these lines. Students discovered the triangle angle sum theorem and applied it to interior and exterior angles. Lastly, students discovered the slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines and used them to write linear equations of each pair of lines. In addition, students completed weekly Khan Academy lessons on topics we discussed in class as well as algebra review. Geometry Honors Students applied parallel and perpendicular lines to real life applications such as maps and structures and proved theorems about these lines. We completed proofs related to parallel lines and angles both online and by hands in preparation for proofs on the PARCC exam. Students discovered the triangle angle sum theorem and applied it to interior and exterior angles. Lastly in chapter 3, students discovered the slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines and used them to write linear equations of each pair of lines. To begin chapter 4, we used the Explore Learning Gizmos to determine which congruence postulates can be used to prove triangles are congruent. Students completed weekly Khan Academy lessons aligned to what we were learning in class. AP Statistics We spent November analyzing linear regression and correlation. Students learned how to determine and analyze the correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination. We also used lines of best fit to make predictions for a data set. Students also explored extrapolation and how to re-express data to be able to use a linear model. Students complete a variety of free response questions related to linear regression as well as MyMath Lab problems and Khan Academy lessons. Statistics We completed a M&M activity where students collected data on the color distribution of the M&M bags and calculated the mean, standard deviation, and percentages of their group’s data. Then, students completed a hurricane investigation which applied their knowledge of box and whisker plots. We began chapter 5 by applying the normal distributions to look at z-scores. Students used a standard normal distribution table to determine areas and probabilities under a normal curve. Then, they applied these concepts to real life applications to be able to compare different sets of data such as test scores and weights. Students completed questions on Khan Academy and MathXL to supplement what they learned in class. College Math We have used Khan Academy to review polynomials including operations of them such as FOIL and factoring. Students also applied the quadratic formula, completing the square, and solving quadratics with square roots. Then, we continued our discussion of quadratics by looking at the factored, vertex, and standard form of a quadratic equation. Students


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practiced calculating zeroes and vertices on Khan Academy so they can graph any quadratic equation. We had a polynomials test and a quiz on graphing quadratics.

Kristine Schoenig Math 8/Pre-Algebra Students in the Math 8 class started the month by learning the difference between linear and nonlinear. We also review graphing in the coordinate plane and ordered pairs. We had a chapter test on this material. We are ending the month by learning how to find slope and the y-intercept and how to graph the equation of a line. Students were also given standardized test practice in the form of Khan Academy.

Paulette Gareri Algebra 1 Students have spent the month of November working on linear and nonlinear functions. They reviewed plotting points and have established concrete understanding of functions and function notation. Students are beginning to prepare for lessons on slope and forms of a linear equation.

Algebra 1 ICS (with Rob Berger) Students have spent the month of November working on linear and nonlinear functions. They reviewed plotting points and have established concrete understanding of functions and function notation. Students are beginning to prepare for lessons on slope and forms of a linear equation.

(Samples of student work)

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Algebra 2 Honors Students are currently working on Unit 3: Quadratics & Complex Numbers. Students have worked on exploring graphing quadratic functions in standard, vertex and intercept form both manually and with the use of their graphing calculators. Currently, students are working on solving quadratics by finding the real solutions. Pre Calculus Students completed a unit covering trigonometric functions, angles and measures. Students used the unit circle to solve trigonometric problems involving non acute angles. They also completed a Unit Circle project on a non-paper medium. Students began a unit of graphing periodic functions. (Samples of student work)

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! James Santangelo AP Calculus AB Students have just finished the introductory chapter on derivatives. In this unit, students applied the definition of derivative and rules for differentiation to writing equations of tangent lines and solving real world problems involving position, velocity, and acceleration. The class gained more exposure to AP Exam type problems by completing problem sets from their workbooks. Algebra I Honors Students are in the process of completing a unit on inequalities and sets. They are also working on a project which involves tracking the stock market and stocks that they have selected as part of their portfolio. This project will run for about five weeks and will help them understand the real life application of percent increase and percent decrease, while incorporating the business application into their class. The winner of the best performing portfolio will be announced in January. Students will participate in the second round of STAR testing at the beginning of next month to see how much their math skills have grown since the beginning of the year. Geometry Students have finished a unit on inductive reasoning and are now studying lines. We begin by discussing angle pairs formed by two lines that have been cut by a transversal. Students will participate in the second round of STAR testing at the beginning of next month to see how much their math skills have grown since the beginning of the year.

Business Math Students finished a unit on percents and decimals and are now engaged in a unit on business statistics. In this unit, students will analyze data by finding measures of central tendency and measures of spread and how that affects decisions made in business and their lives. Students continue to use Kahoot! and Quizizz as supplemental tools for learning.

Robert Berger Geometry Resource Students completed chapter 2 focusing on reasoning in algebra and Geometry, and proving angles congruent. Then they began focusing on chapter 3 which pertained to parallel and perpendicular lines. So far students have been exploring lines and angle relationships, properties of parallel lines, proving lines parallel and parallel and perpendicular lines. Upon completion of the last two sections students will take a test. Students have continued taking weekly pop quizzes to help with remedial and basic skills, as well as completing khan academy lessons


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Science Department

Jacqueline Sanzari 8th Grade Science During the month of November, students in the 8th grade have been hard at work exploring the world of Physics. This unit of study started with a review of motion. Students practiced solving speed and acceleration problems as well as graphing speed, distance and time. The 8th graders used car ramps, photogates and electronic data collectors to complete graphs analyzing how the speed of a car changes as it travels down an incline. These hands on labs applied Math, Science and Engineering! The 8th graders study of Physics will continue by exploring force and Newton’s laws of Motion.

Ted Colarusso Medical Terminology Students are entrenched in learning a new language: “The Language of Medicine.” Students continued to expand their knowledge of this new language by discussing major body parts (both internal and external). Further discussion of medical imaging techniques and surgical procedures are discussed, along with knowledge of what body organs and systems are in each test / procedure. Students continue to develop a more professional view of the language by discussing basic surgical procedures in the language a physician would use. (They have found making the vocabulary flow smoothly will require constant study and use.) Students continue to develop their understanding of the construction of complex medical terms by combining Greek and Latin prefixes, root words and suffixes. In addition students performed a gel electrophoresis lab, using an agarose-based gel and electric current to separate molecules by size.

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Anatomy & Physiology Students have completed the anatomy and physiology of the skeletal system. Skeletal landmarks on major axial and appendicular bones were discussed and identified. We discussed the characteristics of the synovial joints, as well as joint types and range of motion. A skeletal bone practicum was conducted in a cooperative setting. The class is now learning the muscular system, examining the three muscle types and learning to identify the major muscles, the physiology of the sarcomere and muscle groups in antagonistic pairings. We performed a lab that captured electrical waves during muscle contraction using Vernier probe software.

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Zoology The Zoology classes have been actively engaged in a wide variety of science practices, performing multiple labs and exploring multiple scientific concepts. We performed a microscope based lab exploring meiosis and gamete formation using chromosomal bead simulations. We performed a Hardy-Weinberg lab that showed gene flow in a simulated population, as well as calculated the mathematical allele frequency of dominant and recessive alleles in a given population. We reviewed the mechanisms of DNA evidence and gene similarities as evidence of evolution. In addition, the zoology students were given the opportunity to complete their second dissection of the course by examining the anatomical structures of the mammalian kidney.

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Katy Daly Chemistry ICS The students just were tested on subatomic particles such as protons, neutrons, and electrons and their properties. Next, the students will talk about the trends of the periodic table.


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Math 7 ICS The students are learning about solving algebraic expressions. They just learned about how to solve a one step equation. Next we will learn about how to solve two step equations.

x - 12 = 15

Doubravka Hausner Chemistry and Honors Chemistry In Chemistry & Honors Chemistry classes, students learned about the arrangement of elements in the periodic table and trends that we can read of the periodic table. Now we smoothly continue to the next chapter, writing an electron configuration. This month students also enjoyed the activity of building atoms and prepared the poster of the element of their choice. In addition, the Honors Chemistry class is exploring the duality of particles which will be shortly followed by the flame tests lab.

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Forensics In Forensics, students learned about different types and patterns of fingerprints. Students were able to observe their own fingerprints and compare them to one of their family member. In the second part of the month, students did a research on various fingerprint techniques and presented their presentations to the class. AP Chemistry In AP Chemistry students were exploring the geometry of molecules which included the activity of constructing various types of molecules. Students also conducted a second inquiry-guided lab during which they observed few unknown molecules. They discussed tests that they can use to correctly identify the bonding in those molecules.

Keri Parry Algebra Based Physics We have had 39 instructional days by this time in Physics class. Students concluded the stomp rocket lab by applying Chapter 1 equation. The group with the highest stomp rocket height got a NASA sticker as a prize. We also concluded “Chapter 1” to answer the essential question: How vectors are used to analyze motion? Students analyzed velocity vs. time graphs to find information about displacement, velocity, and acceleration. The course began “Chapter 2” to address the difference between weight and mass. We applied this real world application to a lab using spring scales and masses. Finally, we introduced Newton’s Laws of Motion.


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Kristen Larson Forensics The first marking period ended this month with a lot of excitement! Our forensics class used various strategies to conduct fingerprinting searches, analysis, and collection. Students were able to lift fingerprints off an object and process them using analysis techniques taught in lecture. Students were impressed with how interesting fingerprints can be! Science 7 First marking period wrapped up quickly in Science 7. This month was packed with a lot of challenging concepts. Students explored the many facets of metabolism and unpacked the processes of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and fermentation. Students managed to cover a lot of material in a short period of time! We are excited to begin our next unit on natural selection in December! Biotechnology We ended first marking period in biotechnology with an analysis of DNA and DNA extraction. Students completed multiple interactive labs and an independent research lab to explore the details of genetic material. We are excited to explore the ways in which DNA can be used as a biotechnological tool.

Jonathan Hassinger Physics and Honors Physics This month in the Physics class, students are wrapping up the study of dynamics. Additionally we completed the Bowling Ball lab in which we calculated the coefficient of friction between a bowling ball and the floor using linear regression techniques and graphical analysis. Mrs. Barrows was kind enough to lend us some of her skill as a guest bowler. Our next topic in Physics will be uniform circular motion. In the Honors Physics class we concluded the chapter on Universal Gravitation and began studying Energy. We will be looking at three forms of Energy, Gravitational Potential, Kinetic, and Elastic Potential along with calculations for Work and Power.


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Chemistry In Chemistry we concluded out study of the structure of atoms including the electron cloud and the orbitals which electrons occupy. We also began studying the basics of Ionic Bonding and how simple and more complex ionic compounds form. Our next topic of discussion will be Covalent and Metallic Compounds.

Joseph Mojkowski Spanish II

• Class activities, group projects, and written assessments related to school/class rules and activities using the present tense

• Quizzes, class activities focusing on use of different stem-changing verbs • Director for a Day project using new vocabulary and stem-changing verbs to tell class about what things would

be prohibited and what you would have to do if they were director of a school (and using stem-changing verbs like poder and querer to follow up and explain the rules in more detail)

Spanish III • Class activities, group and written assessments related to camping and outdoor activities • Use of the preterite past tense to talk about past experiences incorporating irregular verbs, stem-change verbs

and verbs w/ phonetic spelling changes • Group project where use language to create short story about a past vacation and discuss w/ class • Chapter 1a written test / past preterite tense, camping-outdoor activities vocabulary

Spanish IV • Incorporation of vocabulary related to royal court painter Diego Velazquez • Exercises related to Velazquez and famous paintings focusing of accuracy of present tense verbs, use of present

perfect and participle formation as well as adjective formation and agreement (incorporating all special case adj such as possessives and demonstratives covered earlier in year)

• Video presentation for Las hilanderas • Velazquez test • Introduction for next artist Francisco Goya focusing on events in Europe during Goya’s life and effect on world-

view and themes in paintings Spanish AP

• Accentuation review of syllabalization, accents for writing accuracy as related to different known tenses • short, timed grammar practices • timed listening comprehension exercises • reading comprehension exercises • short, timed interpersonal writing practice • long, presentational writing

Angela Daniele Spanish I

• Recited theme-based poems • Learned the names of the Seasons. • Did individual and group activities with the Seasons. • Learned how to express the weather. • Using the weather vocabulary, made a video using the song “Que Tiempo Hace Hoy” • Wrote dialogs using theme vocabulary • Learned about and made masks for Dias De Los Muertos

Spanish II • Continued working with Affirmative and Negative terms in Spanish • Learned new words daily and used in a sentence to enhance Spanish vocabulary • Completed biographies on famous Hispanics and their contribution to the world • Created posters and presented orally on “Hay Que” - “What to do” and “Se Prohibe” - “What is prohibited” in

school • Wrote paragraphs on several themes about school • Recited extract of poem “Versos Sencillos” by Jose Marti and connected it with “Guantanamera” by Celia Cruz • Wrote dialogs using theme vocabulary


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• Learned about and made masks for Dias De Los Muertos

Tess Iannacco Italian The Italian I classes worked on learning the grammatical structures of subject pronouns, the verb “ Essere”, adjectives, and adjective agreement. They learned how to tell time (24 hours) and they can read someone’s agenda and answer questions their own agenda in school. They learned the days of the week, time, subjects and used them when talking about their daily schedule in school. We watched the film “Pinocchio” and made a project about it. To celebrate Thanksgiving, this class did a project in class to express gratitude. Italian II This class learned to use the grammatical structure of modal verbs such as “dovere, potere e volere”. Students are able to distinguish the difference amongst them and apply them in verbal/written expression. Students also learned irregular verbs such as “dire, uscire and venire and disjunctive pronouns. Culturally, they learned about how Italians use technology and the different acronyms used by their peers in Italy. This class watched the film “Pani e Tulipani”. A reaction paper and discussion about the many topics addressed in this film followed. To celebrate Thanksgiving, this class did a project in class to express gratitude. Italian III & IV These classes learned vocabulary related to the house and its contents. They learned how to use the formal/informal imperative, and time expression by recycling vocabulary learned in previous lessons. They know how to give informal/formal commands for chores around the house. They will start learning about the two islands of Sicily and Sardegna. To celebrate Thanksgiving, this class came up with their own ideas on how to express gratitude. AP Italian This class continued to learn about human interactions and discuss a plethora of topics. Cities, even if they don’t have words, communicate to us their history. Since forever, are the witness of the need of people to live together and express as such, the human capacity to construct and challenge time. What rapport do any of us have with our city and its symbols. How do you feel in respect to continued changes, real estate development and demographics.

The Italian Honor Society and the Italian Club had the opportunity to learn how to make the delicious, healthy antipasto “bruschetta”.


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Physical Education

Joseph Vaccaro Grade 8 Physical Education We covered and reviewed all rules and regulations for Physical Education classes. Students continued with class in the Fitness center. Students have also been required to maintain their logs based on each exercise they completed for each day. Students are always reminded on how to manage their workout routines, exercise safely and with spotter/partner, they are also given lessons to understand the importance of these exercise in relation to lifelong fitness. In addition, we added a regular workout day to the weekly schedule and on these days each student is responsible for maintaining a certain Heart Rate for the duration of the exercise/workout. After each workout day, we proceed to stretch as a class. Grade 11 Health Students were introduced to 11th grade health. As a class we reviewed the course expectations, classroom emergency procedures (Lockdowns, fire-drills, etc.) In addition we covered Chapters 1-4 with a chapter test on chapters 1-2 and a test planned for Chapters 3-4 next for the first week of March. As a class we have also completed 2 current event assignments which involve the students finding relevant information pertaining to the subject of the class (vaccines, STD rates/prevention, etc.) Grade 12 Health (CPR) Students were introduced to Senior Health (CPR). As a class we went over course expectations, classroom emergency procedures (Lockdowns, Fire-drills, etc.). Items we have covered so far are: How to recognize an emergency, when to and when to not act, The Emergency action steps (Check-Call-Care), performing CPR for a conscious and unconscious person, and how to help a conscious and unconscious person (adult, child, & infant) who is choking.

Lucia DiNapoli Physical Education Physical Education classes continue to work towards their ideal fitness levels through our weekly rotational program between the Weight Room, Target Heart Rate training and activities. We also engaged in tournament games of Basketball and Volleyball Health 9 The students began learning about the decision making process, learning about who they are and things they are comfortable with. They also took a personality test to determine their types of personalities and the different dimensions of the human person. Health 11 Juniors began their health marking period discussion relationships steps and healthy boundaries. We discussed the intricacy of humanity, the different aspects of the human being, readiness for sexual activity, the differences between male and females brain both emotionally and physically, and the difference between lust and love.


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Health 12 Seniors began learning about CPR and how to recognize emergencies and overcome barriers to prevent people from not helping.

Andrea Marino Physical Education Grades 7 and 9 Students in grades 7 and 9 have started a unit on Volleyball. We have modified some of the rules to make the games easier and more exciting for all participating. They are using different methods for serving, such as throwing and overhand and underhand. The students were taught how to rotate during the game and also how to keep score. The games have become more and more competitive as the lessons have progressed. Health Grade 8 Students were introduced to the Health Curriculum for Grade 8. We have discussed our first three topics of Respect, Stereotypes and Decision Making Skills. Students have been participating in group discussions in class, which allows for more students feeling comfortable and speaking about each topic as it personally relates to them. Volleyball The season was a great success with the following athletes receiving the following post season accolades: Madylin Marino First team All League, Third team All County, 1st Team All-State Group 1 Casey Schulz First team All League Ashley Gareffa First team All League Ciilez DaCosta Second team All League Isabella Nieves Second team All League Lauren Asedillo Honorable Mention

Andrea Marino Coach of the Year

Chris Lange 7th Grade - Physical Education The students learned how to develop a fitness plan. Students learned Weight training using machines and free weights. Students learned cardio workouts and how to monitor their target Heart Rate Zone. Students performed dynamic warm up/flexibility exercises. Students learned core training and how to incorporate stability balls and additional training equipment into their workouts. 10th Grade Physical Education The students learned how to develop a fitness plan. Students learned Weight training using machines and free weights. Students learned cardio workouts and how to monitor their target Heart Rate Zone. Students performed dynamic warm up/flexibility exercises. Students learned core training and how to incorporate stability balls and additional training equipment into their workout. 10th Grade Driver Education The students learned how to prevent collisions, how to deal with aggressive drivers and road rage. Students learned safe driving distances, to not tailgate and proper following distances. Students learned how to drive with poor road conditions and with reduced visibility. Students learned the effects of alcohol and drugs while driving. Students learned how much is too much and legal levels in relation to DWI. Students also learned about violation surcharges and violations. Students learned how to share the road with others including pedestrians, motorcycles, trucks, tractor trailer, and buses. Students learned the no Zone principles and proper following distances and driving next 2 trucks. Students learned vehicle information with regards to title and registration license plates, and vehicle inspections. Officer Geisler from the Wood-Ridge Police Department was a guest speaker and spoke on the dangers and realities of DWI and driving under the influence. 12th Grade Health The students learned their role in the EMS system. Students learned how to check a conscious person and check an unconscious person. Students learned how to check an injured or ill adult and how to check an injured or ill child or infant. Students learned about cardiac emergencies and CPR. Students learned about heart attack and cardiac arrest and how to perform CPR on an adult, child and infant. 7th Grade Health Students learned how they can take charge of their physical mental emotional and social health by making healthy choices I'm practicing healthful behaviors. Susan Sloan the factors that impact health and can lead to healthful decision making students learn about ways a person's surroundings can influence his or her health. Students learned and


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identified how their own actions can improve their health. students compared and explained why they felt social and mental health are just as important as physical health.

Joseph Belger Physical Education This month in Physical Education 10 Mrs. DiNapoli and I have team taught combining 9th and 10th grade students at times. We have a rotation for Activity Days and Weight Room/Run days. Every 3rd class we implement a 20 minute routine in the weight room full of 2 upper body exercises and two lower body exercises. The next twenty minutes students work on attaining and maintaining a target heart rate specified for that individual student. After two laps students check their heart rates and record their data. Learning how to find and maintain a heart rate through exercise is essential in healthy living. Our activity days have included activities such as basketball, volleyball and badminton. Rachel Mifsud Art Concepts 7 & Art Exploration 8 On Halloween 7th grade made positive/ negative space (Notan) collages:

! ! New students were introduced to art for marking period 2 by reviewing the value scale followed by beginning a scratch art lesson using black and white scratchboard. Before beginning the project, I demonstrated observational drawing and tracing/ transfer paper techniques, and explained the aesthetic concepts (visual elements and principles of design) that are used for drawing from life. Next, students chose reference photos of animals from magazines to use as drawing subject matter. After creating their drawings, they transferred them onto the scratchboard using transfer paper. Once the outline of their animal was transferred onto the scratchboard, they began etching away the negative space of the scratchboard using an etching tool.

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Sean Rutherford TV Production & Communication: TV Production & Communication students finished their Music Video Projects and we’re in the process of critiquing them. The final products were as expected, some students excelling and creating a fantastic video and others not giving it their best. However, I plan to motivate each group to give their best in the projects and assignments. This is a course


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they signed up for and I won’t accept a product that is “just good enough”. As the students watched the other videos, they saw the abilities and creativity from other groups. The critiques were designed to be constructive, not abrasive.

! ! Artist: Hannah Montana Artist: Ally & AJ Song: Rockstar Song: Potential Breakup Song

We’re now in the process of three projects. The first is assigning groups to film winter sports previews (Girl’s & Boy’s Basketball, Bowling, Wrestling, and Competitive Cheerleading). The second is creating voiceovers for a television commercial. I will select commercials and remove the sound. Students will pull a commercial out of a hat and their group will be required to create a voiceover for that commercial, but it can’t be related to the actual commercial. They are to be creative with it and can choose a route that suits them. It can be funny, serious, or dramatic. For the third project students are going to shoot a General Knowledge Questions segment, where they will ask ten general knowledge questions to students and faculty. They’ll edit it and use sound effects to present it. Some questions include, “Who is the current Vice President of the United States?”, “What are the three branches of government?” and “What are the names of the seven continents?”. The music videos may be placed on the Blue Devil Nation YouTube channel, I’m contacting YouTube to discuss the copyright information for the songs. The other projects will be uploaded once completed.

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Web 2.0: Students researched personal, professional, and corporate blogs. They posted on their own blog what it was they liked about the ones they found and what they would change to better enhance them. For example, one student discussed that a corporate blog he researched should have the ability for users to ask questions about products rather than just read about them. Students are preparing their technology research projects which will incorporate their blogs and Google Docs.

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Intro to Computer Science Principles: Students worked on a project in which they filmed an interview with a camcorder and a cell phone. Students compared the quality and the options to edit the video from both sources. They were able to determine that while a Smartphone has the capabilities to take video and pictures, there is still a need for independent devices. An example a student came to use was a wedding. She said “While I can take photos on my Smartphone (which are very good quality), no bride would hire me to walk around using my phone to capture their day. They want a real camera with a real flash and high quality.” Students are now working on the benefits and risks of using social media. Students will work in groups to determine how each social networking site was created, how it created a new use, and what it’s benefit to society is (if any).

Robotics

! My first marking period of students finished out their class with their own designs. Some of the class favorites were the pitching machine with baseball batter, the roller coaster, and the dolphin. My new group of students have discussed what they expect from the course, answered some questions about robots they wish existed and ones that do, watched videos explaining simple robots and advanced robots, and will begin the initial builds this upcoming week. They’re incredibly excited to begin working on their robots.

Toni Baumgartner Band American Popular Music artists:

• Edward Kennedy "Duke Ellington, Eubie Blake, James "Bubber" Miley, Bix Beiderbeck, James Reese Europe, Justo "Don" Azpiazu', King Joe Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Nick LaRocca, Noble Sissle, Paul Whiteman, Vernon & Irene Castle

• Terms: Conjuntos, disc jockeys, Jazz age, Licensing & copyright agencies, Microphone, Pregon, Radio, radio network, sound film

• Social Dance & Jazz in the 1920’s and 1930’s • New technologies


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• Jazz Artist presentations

Life Skills • What is social emotional learning?

o Being honest with others o Being responsible and dependable at home and in school o Initiative and putting their best effort into what they do o The importance of having patience o The importance of maintaining a positive attitude even in difficult situations o The importance of learning from consequences at home and in school

• What are your superpowers?

Junior High School Band Class (Semester class) • New notes, new rhythms, blending • Setting up instruments and getting ready for rehearsal in a timely fashion • Selections for Holiday Concert (HS Band class will join them for the following)

a. Jolly Old St. Nick b. Good King Wenceslas c. Cousin Louie d. Jingle Bells

Senior High School Band Class • Notes, rhythms, blending, intonation • Warm ups • Pep songs • Selections for Holiday Concert - with Jr High School band class listed above, plus…..

a. Anasazi b. The Chipmunk Song c. Christmas in the Kitchen

Full band rehearsal on the day before Thanksgiving. • HS band class members were excellent leaders

o They helped the 7th and 8th graders with their music, setting up, and working together in a group • This was the first time we had everyone room 109. It was cozy but worked out well • The period prior to the rehearsal was devoted to setting up the room with chairs, stands, all percussion. • We had 32 band members in attendance, 8 were absent.


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Jr. Sr. HS Concert Band … some with the Sr. HS band class Holiday Concert (12/20/17) List of songs

1. Festival of Eternal Lights 2. Believe 3. Sleigh Ride 4. Hallelujah Chorus 5. Feliz Navidad

Melissa Manolakakis Choir Classes During the first two weeks of November students continued to identify correct pitches, sing in unison, run through warm-ups; assess and assign students their voice parts: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. We prepared for the holiday concert by decorating the auditorium, setting up the sound and risers, gave placement on and off the stage and drilled their harmonies. The concert will be Wednesday, December 12/22/17 on the half day. Both concerts are their mid-term. The concert will be recorded and critiqued the following week after the show.

All the classes: , 1. Grades 7th – 8th comprised of 80 students and 2. Grades 9th - 12th comprised of 100. Students in Glee Club will perform with the choir and as an individual group. The songs we are singing in HS Choir are: “The Star Spangled Banner”, “Alma Mater”, “God Bless America”, “Amazing Grace”, “All I want for Christmas is You”, “Swingin Jingle Bells”, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”, “Deo Dicamus Gratitas”. The songs we are singing in MS Choir are: “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”, “Bidi Bom” and “Carol of the Bells”. Musical Theory They will sing in the Holiday Concert as their final assessment to demonstrate their knowledge of reading music. Every day we warm-up and complete sighting reading rhythm exercises and sight singing exercises. They are introduced to


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basic music theory concepts on a daily basis and for the 2nd half of class they break into sectionals and work on their individual melodies for each song. They are working on the songs in HS Choir. Music, Art and Film For this month we watched “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, “Casablanca” and “Gone with the Wind”. We learned aspects of various Comedy and began the Genre of The Golden Age of Hollywood. Characters who seek redemption; and the Effect on the audience of music and art within the films. At the end of each film students completed a series of questions and wrote a film review.

Eileen Layman Media Center The Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr High School Media Center is an active, participating member in the Bergen County Educational Library Systems. (BELS). Students have the ability to borrow books from any of the participating school libraries. CIRCULATION Books: 31 Borrowed: 2 book, 4 DVDs Lent out: 3 books

Students have been using the Media Center before and after school and between class periods. Students are now able to use the Media Center during their lunch periods

Media Skills Class - Grade 7 - Marking Period 2 The MP2 seventh grade class is learning about Southern Sudan during the 1985 civil war. The novel, A long walk to water, is about the displacement of young boys who left their country during the civil war. Globally, the boys are referred to as, The lost boys of Sudan, using the J.M. Barrie novel, Peter Pan, and the lost boys as a comparison. Career, Exploration and Readiness Class - Grade 8 MakerSpace in the Media Center Eighth graders from MP2 have been working with MakeyMakey circuits, lego designs and creating animation during the STEM section of the Careers class.

Alyssa Bullaro Culinary Arts, International Cuisine, 21st Century Life Skills Culinary Arts I During the month of November, students finished studying grains. Dishes prepared included macaroni and cheese and fried rice. Students were tested on grains before moving on to dairy. The dairy chapter focused on eggs as well as milk and various dairy products. Students had the opportunity to prepare chocolate pudding as well as omelettes. Students were then tested on dairy. A meat project was then assigned for the meat chapter. Students were divided into groups, assigned a topic and required to research and present the meat chapter to their classmates. A powerpoint presentation, do-now, fill-in notes and a recipe were all part of the requirements.

International Cuisine Students continued to study Eastern European countries and their cuisine. Countries included Russia, Poland, Hungary, Austria and The Netherlands. Topics included geography, climate, agriculture, food and culture, mealtime customs and food history. Dishes prepared included Schnitzel, Austrian Pancakes, Pirozhki, Beef Stroganoff and Pierogies.

21st Century Life Skills Continuing on with the money management chapter, students began studying credit. Topics included credit cards, interest, the importance of credit, credit scores, and where to get credit. Students then learned how to budget their money and the requirements they will have when they move out of their parents house. Students will be tested on banking, prior to moving on to the parenthood chapter.


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Guidance Department The guidance office had an exciting November. In the beginning of November we welcomed a new teammate, Ms. Tenore who will be counseling all 9th -12th graders A-L. Mrs. Paniagua, Mr. Rowley, Ms. Tenore and Mrs. Barrows worked hard through the month with enrolling new students, changing schedules and processing marking period one grades. In addition, the guidance department is pleased to announce that Ramapo College, Kean University, Felician University and Bloomfield College are all coming to Wood-Ridge during the month of December for Instant Decision Days. Mr. Rowley and Ms. Tenore have also been actively visiting local universities and building connections with admission representatives, including Rutgers and Marist. Mrs. Paniagua has been working extensively on drug prevention and brought the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office’s Narcotics Division to speak with all the 9th graders on the Heroin and Opioid Epidemic occurring in Bergen County. In the final week of November the guidance department held two night presentations for parents. On Tuesday, November 28 a HESSA Financial Aid Workshop was presented and on Wednesday, November 29 the Academy of Technology and Science held an Information Night. The guidance department is looking forward to the month of December where there will be more new and exciting programs brought to the Wood-Ridge Community. Bergen County Narcotics Division educating the ninth grade students on the Heroin and Opioid Epidemic on Friday, November 17, 2017.

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Athletics Charlie Trentacosti Football November was a good month, we made the play off for the first time since 2006, we had our first player since 1977 gain all county honors 1st team. Michael Giancaspro as well as 13 of our player get all league honors. We had 7 first team players including Michael getting his 3rd first team all-league selection, and 4 second teamers as well as 2 honorable mention.

The season didn’t end the way would have dreamed or expected with us losing to New Milford in the first round. But it did set the tone for next year, we have more athletes already working out in the weight room then any other year and I’ve had up to 7 young men already reach out to ask about playing next year. All positive things, making the playoffs and not winning will turn out to be a positive we are all looking forward to next year. Our players are turning around their grades and excited about getting better grades our continued effort to stay in touch with the staff is starting to show positive effects the kids know they need to work in the classroom as well as on the field to play. Our dinner is set to go, and colleges are starting to come in and visit our players, there is a renewed energy around our football program and our community Blue Devils Nation is growing and getting stronger. We’ve already set up with the class of 2019 our first big fundraiser with Dreams for Kids coming back with NFL players to play a basketball game and bring the community together it will be an exciting afternoon March 3rd 2018. Gatorade has committed to sponsor us and come back to do a G week for us and bring in product. We have applied for a uniform grant through California Casualty which we will know more about in May and things are moving forward for our Coop with Ridgefield. There is much to be excited about in Blue Devil Nation. Thank you all for your support and help this year and are looking forward to working with you all next year.

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Our annual end of year Bonfire and senior player farewell was a hit this is something that we look forward to each year and it gets harder and harder to say good bye each year.

Thank you

Coach T Charlie Trentacosti Let’s Go Blue Devils


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Andrea Marino Volleyball The season was a great success with the following athletes receiving the following post season accolades: Madylin Marino First team All League, Third team All County, 1st Team All-State Group 1 Casey Schulz First team All League Ashley Gareffa First team All League Ciilez DaCosta Second team All League Isabella Nieves Second team All League Lauren Asedillo Honorable Mention

Andrea Marino Coach of the Year Awards

2017 Fall Sports Honors

Girls Soccer Football

Carly Cook 1st Team Ryan Kriegal 1st TeamOffense

Angela Picheo 2nd Team Jake Colon 1st TeamOffense

Samantha EckertHonorable Mention Johnoi Martin 1st Team

Offense

Matthew Roncaioli 1st Team

Offense

VolleyballMike Giancaspro* 1st Team

Defense

Madylin Marino* 1st Team Jake Reiter 1st TeamDefense

Ashley Gareffa 1st Team Drew Tomat 1st TeamDefense

Casey Schulz 1st Team Stephen Rykola 2nd TeamOffense

Ciilez DaCosta 2nd Team Stephen Drotos 2nd TeamDefense

Isabella Nieves 2nd Team Eric Drotos 2nd TeamDefense

Lauren AsedilloHonorable Mention Evan West 2nd Team

Defense

Andrea MarinoCoach of the Year Dylan Ha

Honorable Mention

Offense

*3rd Team All County, 1st Team All-State Group 1 Dylan Pachon

Honorable Mention

Defense


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*1st Team All County

Boys Soccer

Tomas Suarez 1st Team

Brian Argueta 1st Team

Daniel Cygan 2nd Team

Andy QuituizacaHonorable Mention


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