Curriculum & Instruction Newsletter

Another school year is in the books and I couldn't be more excited to share some of the activities that have happened over the last marking period. From engaging learning activities to Fair Haven traditions, these last few months have been packed!

I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing summer. See you in September!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Romano

Director of Curriculum & Instruction

“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.”—Maud Hart Lovelace

Our fifth grade students had so much fun visiting The Sterling Hill Mining Museum! In the 1600s, copper and iron became sought-after by early settlers. Initially it was thought that the zinc minerals at Sterling Hill contained iron and copper. Miners discovered that neither iron nor copper could be extracted from the minerals found at Sterling Hill and they finally discovered the mine to be rich in zinc.

When visiting the mine, students not only learned how mined materials are produced, but also about the many uses to which mined materials are put. The mining educators place special emphasis on the environmental and societal consequences of resource extraction. Alternatives to mining, such as recycling and the use of alternative materials, were highlighted as well.

This fun trip can inspire students to pursue careers in science and engineering, it promotes being thoughtful and responsible stewards of our environment, and is a hands-on experience in earth science and technology in an historic, immersive, real-world setting.

Students in Mrs. Conover's and Mrs. Peck's 5th grade class are just finishing up their argumentative writing. Students have done research and have found evidence that provides both pros and cons on a particular topic. In these pictures, you will see students preparing for their debates based on their argumentative essays that they have written. In these essays, students focused on whether or not teens should use social media.

Students working with Mrs. Whalen are practicing their sounds. This activity, called "Some Bunny Loves You," was a fun opportunity for students to practice articulation. The students' sounds are in each word on the page.

Our third graders worked very hard to write persuasive essays. In Mrs. Hughes's and Mrs. Halloran's class, students took their essays and transformed them into petitions. They started with having the students write about their opinions on “favorites” (favorite restaurant, subject, vacation...). Then they moved onto their stance on a variety of topics such as “should they have homework” and “should they wear uniforms in school.”

For the final part of the unit, Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Halloran asked their students to think past themselves and consider the community at large. They posed the question, “What problems or issues do you see in the community/state/world?” The students needed to develop reasons and examples to support their opinions. This work was also interwoven with their social studies units, where they have taught the students about having a voice in the community. Students were all very excited when Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Halloran told them they would send out their essays. But I don't think students were ready for what came next....people responded.

As an example, a student was passionate about equality for women in sports. This student wrote to the Athletic Director at Princeton University. It took a few months, but they heard back. Check it out!!

Our students can truly make a difference in the world and we are so very proud of them.

New this year, Sickles students were able to join a garden club, run by Ms. Schaffer. We called them our "Sickles Sprouts."

The Sickles Sprouts Garden Club invited in some special guests from the Fair Haven Garden Club. They presented on New Jersey native plants, as April is governor Murphy's new Native Plants Awareness month.

The native plant pictured is the Dark Pink Phlox Subulata or the Moss Phlox, which promotes local pollinators.

In Mrs. Albanese's 2nd grade class, students have been investigating the life cycle in various plants and insects. They learned about mealworm larva and watched them become darling beetles. They planted brassica seeds and watched their whole life cycle, including seeing new seed pods form. They built habitats for milkweed bugs and silkworm larva and were even investigating a mystery larva found in their classroom! Our second grade scientists had one final investigation, observing the life cycle of the painted lady butterfly.

While it was sad to see Mrs. Conover go, it was for a very happy reason. Baby girl Conover is expected soon and her 5th grade class was so excited about it. They threw her a wonderful baby shower with the help of Mrs. Peck and some amazing parents. We are looking forward to Mrs. Conover's return next year!

Students in Ms. Ferry's 4th grade class had a very busy 4th marking period. In the pictures below, you can see students learning about the elements of plays through Reader’s Theatre and learning about the Bill of Rights. They worked in groups to teach the rest of the class about each Amendment.

Club Impact's Journey and Achievements

Club Impact collaborated with faculty members, including Mrs. Rems from Sickles School, Mrs. Elgrim, our District Supervisor for Student Clubs and Activities, and Mr. McNeil, the District Superintendent, to bring their vision to life at Knollwood School.

Although they did not place in the top three, Club Impact made history as the first Middle School Team from Knollwood to reach the STEAM Tank finals. Their dedication and innovation were recognized with badges in: Spirit, Societal Impact, Social Emotional Learning, J.E.D.I (Justice, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion), and Collaboration.

We are excited to announce that Club Impact will officially launch at Knollwood in Fall 2024.

Fentanyl Fighters Triumph in NJ STEAM Tank Competition

Our 5th-grade team, the Fentanyl Fighters, achieved outstanding success in the NJ STEAM Tank Competition. Collaborating with School Resource Officer Mike Campanella, school nurse Mrs. Kemler, and guidance counselors, they developed a comprehensive Fentanyl Education Program for kids.

We are proud to announce that the Fentanyl Fighters have advanced to the top three teams in the elementary division, earning badges in: Spirit, Societal Impact, J.E.D.I (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion), and Collaboration.

They will present their project at the NJSBA Workshop on October 22 & 23, 2024, at the Atlantic City Convention Center, with NJ STEAM Tank awarding $15,000 between the top three teams in each division.

The successes of Club Impact and the Fentanyl Fighters showcase the hard work and innovative spirit of our students. These achievements highlight the importance of fostering a supportive educational environment and prepare our students for future success.

We are proud to celebrate the achievements of three of our talented students, William Kuskin, Orian Smolinsky-Shorshi, and Edison Bohm, who showcased their creative talents at the Shore Consortium for Gifted and Talented Programs Film Festival Competition. Their original Documentary Parody won two prestigious awards: Best Editing of a Film and Best Overall Film. Their hard work and creativity truly shined, and we are thrilled to recognize their success.

We are excited to announce the winners of the "Do You Want to Build a Hero" Competition, organized by the New Jersey Consortium for Gifted and Talented Programs. This challenge encouraged students to build a hero using mostly recycled materials, develop a mission for their hero, and create a video explaining their creation process and mission. The winners from our school are:

1st Grade: 2nd Place: Marielle Geres

2nd Grade: 1st Place: Lochlan Tornichia, 2nd Place: Evelyn Biegen and Lily Pantano

These real-world, hands-on experiences have truly prepared our students for future academic and career endeavors. We look forward to seeing where their passions and hard work will take them next. Congratulations to all our gifted students for their exceptional achievements this year!

While our Gifted Education Program sponsors the Covenant House Sleep Out, any student in grades 6-8 can participate in this fun and informative night out, as well as join the Knollwood team to fundraise for this very important non-profit organization.

On May 10th, middle school students reported back to Knollwood School at 8:00 PM to spend the night at school, giving up their warm beds for one night to ensure that homeless youths can sleep safely at the Covenant House. Students were able to meet with volunteers and residents of the Covenant House to hear about their stories and why they sought out assistance from the Covenant House. Their stories were so moving and they were some exceptional individuals.

Our school team fundraised $13,080 to support the Covenant House! We are truly a community that makes a difference in the lives of many!

This year, our preschoolers and 2nd graders had the opportunity to experience a bugs roadshow! Members from Insectropolis came to visit with their "Bugs on the Go" presentation. This presentation was one that shed some light on a variety of insects and arachnids. Students learned about the bodies of each type of bug, the environments where you can find them, their diets, and their defense systems. If that wasn't engaging enough, students had the opportunity to touch a hissing cockroach, a giant millipede, a tarantula, and a scorpion! They also got to hold the skin of a tarantula that molted, examining the exoskeleton up close. We have some really brave students!

On Friday, June 7th, Mother Nature knew to give us the most perfect day to celebrate our soon-to-be 4th graders. Families were invited to Sickles School to see our 3rd graders perform in their Third Grade Show. This amazing mashup of songs all about the United States was led by the amazing Mr. Mottern. Students sounded fantastic and it was quite an emotional time seeing how much our students have grown over the years. While this signified the end of a chapter in their lives, our 3rd graders were ready to start a new one with their bike ride over to Knollwood. The streets were filled and we celebrated our 3rd graders all the way from Sickles to Knollwood. What an amazing tradition!

Over the course of the school year, our 3rd and 4th graders participated in our virtual postal service. Through Google Docs, students wrote letters to their pen pals monthly, learning about each other and building a friendship that they can carry into the new school year, when they are 4th and 5th graders.

The cultivating event for our Knights Postal Service is our Pen Pal Meet Up. This is the third year we've hosted this team building event at Sportsman's Field and students had a blast. Classes partnered up to complete five different stations throughout the field. For the first activity, students met their pen pal in person and shared a snack together, then they moved onto the stations together. This year, we had a photo station, a hula hoop pass activity, a human knot activity, a water balloon toss, and a "Titanic" challenge. This fun-natured day had some competitive qualities, but all students had so much fun meeting their pen pals and participating in all the activities.

Mrs. Harvey's 5th grade class has been working hard this school year. They demonstrated responsibility for their academic performances. They did an amazing job leading their conversations to show what they have learned, their goals, and areas for improvement. It was an absolute pleasure watching them be able to talk it through to their families.

Mrs. Harvey's class wrapped up the school year working on their graphic novels in writing. Students looked carefully at the special features of graphic novels and the effect those features have on readers. They doodled to generate characters and story ideas. They did a great job coming up with a plot and making each panel come to life with speech bubbles, text boxes, and sound effects!

On Thursday, June 13th, we celebrated our graduating 8th grade class. The graduation ceremony was emotional and students did a fabulous job sharing their "I believe" statements. The walk back to Willow Street, for the 8th grade dance, completed the final page in the middle school chapter of their lives.

We wish all of our 8th graders well as they embark upon a whole new journey...high school. We're all so very proud of them!