HUBER STREET SCHOOL
MAY 2025
Hello Bears,
As we head into the home stretch of the school year, Huber Street School is buzzing with excitement! May and June are packed with incredible upcoming events, and we can’t wait to celebrate all the hard work and achievements of our students.
Get ready to be amazed by our talented performers—our Chorus Concert, Band Concert, and the always delightful 3rd Grade Recorder Concert are just around the corner. We know our young musicians will shine on stage!
Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders will also be showing off their academic skills during the upcoming NJSLA testing. We’re cheering them on as they tackle each challenge with confidence and focus. The Academic Bowl and Geography Bee will give our students a chance to flex their brainpower in some friendly competition; and don’t miss our colorful Art Show, where our creative students will have their work proudly on display.
The Kindergarten Play promises to bring big smiles and warm hearts while the Track Meet will have us all cheering from the sidelines as our Bears dash toward glory.
Our 5th graders have a calendar full of celebrations to mark the end of their elementary journey—including the PTA Family Dinner, the LEAD Graduation, the Huber Street/Clarendon 5th Grade Social, Pool Day, and, of course, their Promotion Ceremony. We’re so proud of them and excited to honor this special milestone.
We’ll also be celebrating our littlest learners at the upcoming Pre-K Promotion Ceremony—a sweet send-off as they take their next steps into kindergarten.
It’s going to be a joyful and memorable end to the year!
Sincerely,
Mr. Valente
~PS- May the Force Be With You!
NJSLA Testing
Grades 3-5 students will be taking the NJSLA Mathematics and English Language Arts on May 12th to 16th. Here are three tips to support your child during state testing season.
Stay positive and offer support: Encourage your child to do their best, but also remind them that standardized tests are just one measure of their abilities. Offer support and encouragement throughout the preparation process.
Help your child manage test anxiety: Teach your child relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or positive visualization to help them stay calm and focused during the test.
Ensure your child gets a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast: Rest and nutrition are important for your child's overall well-being and can help them perform their best on test day.
Upcoming Events
Join the Secaucus Police Department and the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run on Saturday, May 17th for a thrilling stair climb challenge at the iconic Harmon Cove Towers! This fundraising event will test your endurance and raise critical funds to support Special Olympics New Jersey athletes. See the attachment below for more details.
On June 6th, students can participate in the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run For Special Olympics New Jersey. See the attached permission slip to have your child(ren) participate.
The Secaucus Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) is a welcoming, parent-led group that works to advocate for and support the needs of students with disabilities in our district.
SEPAG would love for you to join them in their next meeting. If interested, please contact Fabiana Vivero-Roman at SEPAG2024@gmail.com with your email address so they can send you the details of the meeting. Their last meeting, which took place on March 20th was very productive.
It is a safe, open space where your voice matters. They look forward to hearing from you and working together to create meaningful change.
Check out the latest edition of the Huber Street School Newspaper. Thank you to the Huber Street Newspaper Editor, Mrs. Kelly Ingenito and her staff: Nila Qadhimi, Chinmayi Bhendarkar, Alisa Erdynieva, McKenna Tardieu, Advaith Panneerselvam, Amber Payano, Adrianna Jacobson, Liam Pablos, Juliana Borgono, Buddy Baker, Frances Almazar, and Deyang Dorjee.
4th Grade: Poetry Jam
The Secaucus Public Library hosted a Poetry Jam on Tuesday, April 29th. This event showcased the creative talents of our elementary students, who presented original poems written during the Amplify CKLA Poetry Unit. The library extends its sincere appreciation to all the participating students and their families who contributed to this enriching community event. We look forward to continuing to support literacy and creativity through future programs.
Art: The Huber Sweet Shop
Welcome to The Huber Sweet Shop! Students in 1st grade created Rainbow Lollipops using colorful air-dry clay. In 3rd grade, thanks to Starbucks in Secaucus for their donation, we created Starbucks Frappuccinos made with acrylic paint and clay. 4th graders created donuts using paper mache. 5th graders had the freedom to create their own miniature clay food sculptures. We had so much fun using the elements of art for this project! The results are pretty sweet!
G&T: Dream Flags Convocation
On Tuesday, April 8, 2025 the third grade enrichment students from Huber Street and Clarendon Schools attended the Hudson County Dream Flags Convocation at Washington Middle School in Harrison, New Jersey. Other school districts in attendance were Harrison, North Bergen, Jersey City, Guttenberg, Union City, Bayonne and the Jersey City Community Charter School.
The Dream Flag Project has been an inspiring journey that connected students to their dreams and the larger world through the power of poetry and art. Drawing inspiration from the poems of Langston Hughes, students explored themes of hope, identity, and aspiration, channeling these reflections into creating unique Dream Flags.
Our flags were displayed in a way that honored the tradition of Nepalese Buddhist prayer flags, which are believed to spread good wishes and positive energy through the wind. Just as prayer flags offer blessings to those around them, the Dream Flags symbolized the dreams, hopes, and aspirations of each student, which created a powerful community of shared purpose and creativity. Each flag represented an individual expression and collectively the flags created lines of hope and diversity. The project encouraged self-expression through both written word and visual art. Students fostered a deeper understanding of self while they connected each dream to a collective spirit.
Upon the conclusion of our Dream Flag celebration and poetry readings, the students were escorted from the performing arts center to the gymnasium where the poetry and arts celebration continued. Students from eight school districts rotated through twelve learning stations as an extension activity to this outstanding program. The stations included Gratitude Jars, Dreamcatcher Poetry, Developing Dreamers - Canvas Bag Design, A Sky Full of Stars, Button Making, Paper Fortune Tellers, Poetry Pebble Painting, Friendship Bracelets, Bucket Hat Dream Design, Mandala Art, Retracing of the Renaissance, Dream Comic Strips and lastly a Photo Op station. The creativity and passion truly came to life in such meaningful ways as students shared their poetry and projects.
DREAM FLAGS CONVOCATION
Student Objectives
Reflect on their personal dreams, aspirations, and cultural identity, connecting these to the themes present in Langston Hughes’ poetry.
Write original poetry that expresses their own hopes and dreams, inspired by the poetic style and messages of Langston Hughes.
Create a Dream Flag that visually represents their poem and personal aspirations, integrating art and symbolism to deepen their connection to the themes of the project.
Share their Dream Flags and poems with the school community, participating in the larger conversation about dreams, identity, and cultural connection.
Understand the significance of prayer flags and their role in spreading positive energy and well-wishes, applying this concept to their own lives and artistic work.
Rules
Students will each create a portrait oriented, letter-sized Dreamflag made from cardstock or fabric to display on the trip.
Districts must bring 1 presenter/workshop with materials for every 12 students they bring. The workshops can be broken up into multiple stations.
The workshop must include materials that are easy to carry/complete if not finished.
Workshop should take no longer than 10 minutes from instruction to completion.
G&T: Marsh Explorers
On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the third grade enrichment students from Huber Street and Clarendon School traveled to The Meadowlands Environment Center to explore a salt marsh within an estuary. Students were first introduced to the habitat and took a field walk to explore the sights, sounds and smells of a salt marsh. Along the way to a collection site, students will make observations about the weather, physical environment, fauna and flora.
At the collection site, students used dip nets to collect and identify the aquatic organisms that inhabit DeKorte Park. Working with the live specimens, students learned how to make observations of nature and how to record their observations through journaling and sketching. Using what they have learned during their field trip, students completed a salt marsh food chain and explained some of the relationships within it. All students will be able to bring their salt marsh journal back to school with them.
Estuaries are visited each year to boat, swim, bird watch and fish. Students learned the importance of protecting estuaries and the delicate balance of this environment can be easily destroyed by human impact. A vital step in protecting estuarine environments is to teach children the importance of these areas to the next generation.
MEADOWLANDS ENVIRONMENT CENTER INFORMATION
An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water where saltwater from the ocean mixes with freshwater from rivers, streams and/or creeks. These areas of transition between land and ocean are driven by gravity (water flowing to the lowest area), the surrounding landforms and the tides. They are inland from the ocean, protecting organisms from the full force of ocean winds, waves and deep waters. Estuaries are generally enclosed in part by the coastline, marshes and wetlands; the seaward border may be barrier islands, reefs and sand or mud flats. Some familiar examples of estuaries are: Newark Bay, Hudson-Raritan Estuary, Hackensack River, Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, Boston Harbor, Tampa Bay and Puget Sound.
A large number of organisms can be found in estuaries that are specially adapted to the “brackish” estuarine waters. These organisms can tolerate some salt in the water or salt spray in the air. A few examples of such organisms are: plankton, marsh grasses, aquatic turtles, fish, birds, shrimp, muskrats and crabs. Salt marshes that border estuaries are home to many upland plants and animals as well, such as a wide variety of birds, mammals, coniferous/deciduous trees and butterflies.
Estuaries are ecologically and economically important. They are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on the planet and serve as a nursery to a wide range of juvenile aquatic life, providing protection and shelter as they develop into adults. An abundance of bird species utilize estuaries for food, water and shelter either as full-time residents or seasonal migrants (there are hundreds of bird species in the Meadowlands region alone). Estuaries act as filters for terrestrial pollutants and provide protection from flooding. More than two thirds of the fish and shellfish we eat spend some part of their lives in estuaries.
The Secaucus Rotary Club is donating a Tree Kit to all students from Kindergarten through 5th grade in both Huber Street School and Clarendon School.
The Tree Kits are from ForestNation, and they are a unique gift that allows students to grow their own trees and to continue to a greener planet. Each kit includes everything that a student will need to start planting and nurturing their very own tree.
Who Makes The Tree Kits?
In the United States, each Tree Kit is assembled by Sunshine Arc Knox in Knoxville, Tennessee. They are a social enterprise providing meaningful work to people with intellectual disabilities.
The Tree Kits are carefully made by hand, using sustainable, eco-friendly materials that leave no waste behind. Every kit is packaged in compostable materials, designed to nurture the planet and reduce environmental impact.
Thank You for Supporting Our Boosterthon Fundraiser
We truly appreciate your support in helping us surpass our fundraising goal. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $24,000, well above our original goal of $15,000.
Our Huber Street students enjoyed the Glow Run, and our Millridge students had a great time at the Dance-A-Thon. As a thank you, students from both schools will be treated to a visit from the Mr. Softee ice cream truck. We’re grateful for your continued support and for helping make our Fundraiser such a success.
Huber Street School Schedule
Full Session: 8:20am-3:00pm
- (Kindergarten is dismissed at 2:45pm)
One-Session: 8:20am-12:30pm
Delayed Opening: 10:20am-3:00pm
Millridge School Schedule
Full Session:
Pre-K AM: 8:20am-10:50am
Pre-K PM: 11:50am-2:20pm
Pre-K Full Day Classes: 8:20am-2:20pm
One-Session:
Pre-K AM: 8:20am-10:00am
Pre-K PM: 10:30am-12:10pm
Pre-K Full Day Classes: 8:20am-12:00pm
Delayed Opening:
Pre-K AM: Class Cancelled
Pre-K PM: 11:50am-2:20pm
Pre-K Full Day Classes: 10:20am-2:20pm
We will make every effort to have our students go outside for recess. Please make sure to provide your children with appropriate clothing for cold weather. Students will remain indoors during the following weather conditions.
Snow, Rain, Hail, Sleet
Thunder/Lightning
Temperature and/or Windchill Temperature 32 degrees or colder
Huber Street School is an elementary school in Secaucus, NJ that educates students from Kindergarten through 5th grade. The Millridge School (Early Learning Center) is a satellite school that houses our pre-kindergarten students. Huber Street School has been educating Secaucus students since 1910.
Huber Street School
1520 Paterson Plank Road
Secaucus, NJ 07094
201-974-2053
The Millridge School
40 Millridge Road
Secaucus, NJ 07094
201-974-2053
Email: kpascarello@sboe.org, cmason@sboe.org,
Email: rvalente@sboe.org.