As of today, we are on the other side of the mountain.
With our 90th day of a 180 day instructional calendar concluded, it is officially the second half of the school year!
We had a lot of fun spreading good vibes and positivity during the Great Kindness Challenge. A special thanks to the Brandt School PTO for sponsoring a visit from the folks at Lead U for another great assembly program. It was once again a big hit with our students. Thanks to The Hive and Joey No Nuts for partnering with us for the Coffee Shop Kindness endeavor. We received a lot of great feedback that the messages written by our students and stuck on coffee cups throughout the week made a lot of our friends in the greater Hoboken community feel appreciated. Thanks to the students and staff for really embracing the message of spreading kindness in so many ways. I am especially grateful for all of the Kindness Grams I received from some of our students. They really made my day and made me feel special! It was also a lot of fun to shout out everyone who received a Positive Office Referral. One final, special thanks to Mrs. Hosbach for planning the week's activities for us, and I am looking forward to displaying our new badge as a Kindness Certified School for 2025 in our newsletter very soon. Speaking of Mrs. Hosbach, next week is School Counselors Week. Fell free to join in on the fun with some themed dress-up days next week in celebration. You can see the details in the Counselors Corner section.
Please don't forget that while we may have concluded the Great Kindness Challenge week, we are still collecting new socks for victims of the California fires through February 7th. You can make donations at the main entrance during arrival time.
Speaking of collections to benefit others, with the 100th Day of School (February 13th) just around the corner, we will once again partner with the Hoboken Community Center Pantry to help them stock up on a needed item. They are in need of tubes of toothpaste, so for our 100th Day of School Community Service Project, you can start dropping off donations of toothpaste during arrival time on February 3rd, and we will collect donations until February 13th.
During the month of January, we held a Positive Office Referral Contest, with the two classes having the most referrals winning an indoor fake snowball fight. We will continue to tally through the end of the day today and announce the winners next week
As always, be sure to take a look at the featured flyers below this message, as well as the latest grade level and subject area updates. We’ve got so much to look forward to in the coming weeks.
For this week's Friday playlist, for the 90th Day of School, I went with three classics from some titans of the 1990s...
Please stay safe and have a great weekend.
Regards,
Mr. Bartlett
Principal
Joseph F. Brandt Elementary School
- A US News & World Report Best Elementary School
- A NJDOE/New Jersey State Policy Lab/Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers University Positive Outlier for Student Learning Outcomes
- A 3x Great Kindness Challenge Kindness Certified School
- A Blue Ribbon Lighthouse School of Excellence
- Niche.com #1 Elementary School in Hudson County
Kindergarten
This week in ELA, our kindergarteners identified and applied the letter Hh and its sound to various words and texts. Students practiced reading and spelling the sight word my. Students also answered the essential question: What do living things need to grow? Our big book of the week was called My Garden. Students continued to identify rhyme and repetition through various texts. Our dual language learners learned the Spanish letter Rr and the sight word que.
In math, students learned to compare totals. Students also enjoyed adding or subtracting from one quantity to make a new quantity. Students then participated in math games such as “double compare” and “build it change it” during small group work.
In social studies, students answered the essential question: How do I fit into all the different communities I'm a part of? Students worked cooperatively to identify what makes them and their own family special.
First Grade
This week in ELA, students focused on reinforcing their spelling skills by recognizing, reading, and writing words with various phonetic patterns. They constructed meaningful sentences using their weekly spelling words and practiced adding inflectional endings like -ed and -ing to describe actions in the past and present. In addition, they worked on reading and writing words with soft “c,” soft “g,” and “dge” after reading The Nice Mitten. The students really enjoyed this story and demonstrated a strong understanding of these concepts!
In Math, students had fun comparing the lengths of everyday objects in the classroom using counting cubes. After reviewing how to tell time to the hour and measuring time, the students explored which objects were longer and which were shorter. They also had a hands-on activity where they compared the sizes of various fish using inch tiles and counting cubes, helping them visualize length in a real-world context.
Our Social Studies lessons included a variety of exciting activities this week! Students enjoyed participating in Kindness Week. Students learned how to identify places on a map and understand map keys after reading Young Citizens Chapter 3. They also compared and contrasted different types of schools by using a Venn diagram, which helped them analyze similarities and differences. Additionally, our class participated in the Move This World online platform, where students used emojis to express their feelings in various situations—helping them develop emotional awareness.
We are so proud of how hard the students worked this week! It’s been wonderful to see their growth and progress. As always, thank you for your continued support at home.
Second Grade
We had a wonderful Kindness eek in 2nd grade! On Wednesday, students got to take part in the Lead U assembly. Students got to learn about different conflict resolution strategies, build leadership skills, and practiced empathy.
In social studies, we began learning about influential Black Americans as an introduction Black History Month. Throughout February students will get to participate in various discussions and activities and learn about Black History in America.
In reading, students practiced making thoughtful predictions about fictional texts. Students used their Wonders reading and writing companion to read, pause and think about what will happen next based on what they already know.
In writing, students are finishing up revising their expository essays. This included conferencing with a peer, editing their work so they are ready to publish in the upcoming days. They have worked really hard, we are excited to see their published pieces.
In math, we are wrapping up Unit 3. Students throughout this unit deepened their understanding of place value and addition and subtraction with 2 digit numbers. Students applied this knowledge to story problems that had an unknown change and an unknown start. Students will demonstrate their mastery of this content on the Unit 3 assessment.
Third Grade
This week in language arts, students are continuing our Who Was Coretta Scott King? novel study. As students learn about the life and legacy of Mrs. King, they practiced literacy skills such as asking and answering questions, determining cause and effect, and discussing theme. In writing, students are still strengthening their essay writing skills. We practiced planning our writing by putting our ideas and text evidence into an outline. Soon, we’ll be using those outlines to write essays with multiple paragraphs!
In math, students started our unit on fractions! Students began by defining terminology such as “numerator” and “denominator,” and making fraction sets to reinforce the terms. So far, students have practiced identifying equal parts and creating wholes using equivalent fractions, as well as placing fractions on number lines.
In honor of Black History Month starting in February, students selected a trailblazing African American to research. Students are summarizing the life and accomplishments of their historical figure and will present their findings to their classmates.
Fourth Grade
In ELA, students continued reading our novel What Would She Do?, a novel featuring inspiring stories of trailblazing women throughout history. Our class engaged in meaningful discussions centered around the question: “What can we learn from the lives of these women, and how can we apply these lessons to our everyday lives?” This week, we explored the remarkable journeys of Amelia Earhart and Frida Kahlo, discussing their perseverance, resilience, and impact on the world. Students also continued working on their What Would She Do? project, researching their trailblazing women they chose.
In Social Studies, we focused on the power of kindness as we participated in The Great Kindness Challenge. Students reflected on the importance of friendship and explored ways to promote kindness in our school community. As part of our activities, we created kindness mugs and wrote heartfelt notes to attach to coffee cups for The Hive, spreading positivity and encouragement to those around us. We also started to read about black historical figures to kick off Black History Month!
In Math, students continued working through their unit on fractions and decimals, building on their prior knowledge and developing new strategies. Students worked on adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators and practiced converting improper fractions to mixed numbers. Through hands-on activities and problem-solving exercises, they strengthened their ability to compare and analyze fractions and decimals in real-world contexts.
It’s been a fantastic week of learning, and we’re excited for all that’s ahead! :)
Fifth Grade
In English Language Arts, our readers continued reading Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James Swanson. Our readers finished reading the book our reader’s workshop focused on story mapping. Story mapping has helped our readers understand the important events from the novel. The twelve day manhunt has officially ended for chasing John Wilkes Booth. As for writers’ workshop, students have completed their breaking news story and completed a writing assignment.
In mathematics, our mathematicians have focused on place value this week. Place value is key to Unit 6 because each additional topic correlates to place value. Students also focused on key topics such as rounding and placing decimals on a number line. Students are also engaging in previous topics such as multi digit multiplication and division.
As we continue to explore life before the Civil War, students have focused on the term secession. Students have examined the United States constitution preamble as well as the Confederates constitution. As we were examining, students were able to recognize the difference between the two preambles. As we continue to explore life, we will be touching on the different war strategies.
Our Brandt School community had a great week celebrating The Great Kindness Challenge! Students and staff shared Kindness Grams with each other giving others a shout out for being kind. We also continued our tradition of providing inspiring coffee labels to The Hive coffee shop, and also were lucky to share our labels with Joey No Nuts coffee shop this year!
Special thanks to our amazing Brandt PTO for once again sponsoring the Lead U assembly. Our students and staff enjoyed participating in this wonderful program.
Next week is National School Counseling Week 2025. "School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive," will be celebrated February 3-7, 2025, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems.
Phys Ed
This week in Physical Education, students in grades 3-5 took their hockey skills to the next level with the engaging and fast-paced “Clean Out Your Garage” game. After learning fundamental stick-handling techniques - such as controlling a puck, maneuvering around obstacles, and keeping their eyes up - students put their skills to the test in a fun competition. Using hockey sticks to transport objects like bean bags and foam balls into designated “garages", they combined precision, strategy, and teamwork to rack up points. The lesson not only improved their coordination but also reinforced important math skills as they calculated their own scores. Reflecting on the session, students gained valuable insights into control and agility, embodying the wisdom of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, who once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.
Students in grades 1-2 took their first steps in learning stick handling, an essential hockey skill. Using foam balls and hockey sticks, they practiced basic control, gentle tapping, and maneuvering through fun activities designed to build confidence and coordination. Through engaging drills and teamwork-based games, students improved their hand-eye coordination while learning the importance of keeping their eyes up and staying in control. Their excitement and determination echoed the words of NHL star Sidney Crosby, who once said, “The biggest thing for me is just to play with confidence and believe in yourself”
Our kindergarten friends had a blast as they raced through exciting scooter relays! Using teamwork, coordination, students took turns gliding across the gym, passing off to teammates in a thrilling relay-style challenge. The activity not only promoted fitness and agility but also reinforced the importance of sportsmanship and communication. Laughter and cheers filled the air as students worked together to complete each round as quickly and safely as possible. As NHL legend Mark Messier once said, “The highest compliment you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day.” Our students definitely put in the effort, showing great determination and enthusiasm throughout the relay!
World Languages
This week in Mandarin class, the students continued the Lunar New Year unit. They learned the story of Nian, the new year culture and the celebrations. They had fun making traditional spring couplets, paper cutting art, and paper dragons! They also enjoyed watching the firecrackers ceremony, lion dance, and dragon dance! Wishing everyone good luck, good health and good fortune for the Year of the Snake!! 新年快樂！恭喜發財！
Art
This week in Art, students continued working on their George Seurat inspired landscape pictures. Students used the pointillism technique to shade and color in their drawings of the beach or mountain landscape using small dots to enhance shadows and darker areas while using more spaced out dots to show lighter colors and areas of the scenes. They are really enjoying it, and it has been very relaxing and calming for them to take the time to continue to create dots using markers for our class period.
Music
Fourth grade is finishing up our bucket drumming. It was such an exciting marking period as we learned many new musical concepts and put them all to use on the buckets! We also spent some time this week reviewing songs for the theater showcase on Monday.
Fifth grade presented to their peers projects about different musical instruments. Everyone did a nice job researching and presenting.
Strings and band are getting underway for the spring concert, which will be held in June 4th, so Save the date!
Science
This week in Science class, students are continuing to prepare for the Science (STEM) Expo. The students were able to explain how their toy invention works by presenting it their me and then completing the writing assignment. They are very eager to share their inventions. The next Kindergarten module focuses on Animals and Algorithms. Students were introduced to their new topic and we discussed what we will be learning about.
First Grade
This week our first graders revisited the app, Scratch Jr. We recalled how we learned to use code blocks last year to create animations on our tablets. To help with this review we played the game, Rosie's Runtime. Rosie, the robotic dog, has to follow a code created by the students to travel from start to finish in her doghouse. On her travels she needs to pick up bones and jump over mud puddles. The game was played on the carpet in the lab and the students worked together to direct Rosie in the right direction. They also worked solo to create their own path for Rosie in their Launch Logs. To end the week we will be predicting what will happen on Groundhog Day! Come on spring!
Second Grade
This week, the Second graders continued work on the STEM Expo projects. We focused on the written portion and presentation aspect of our toys. We answered the questions: What is the name of the toy invention? How does the toy invention work? What did you learn about how objects can be taken apart and turned into something new? We reflected on the Engineering Design Process and how it pertains to this assignment. We found out that working with a team is a lot of fun, however, it can present some challenges. For example, team work, listening to others ideas, and working together as a group with a time constraint added to complete the project. Also, we discussed how designs can always change or can improve when designing something. Some of our learners found that their toy can actually be assembled into 3 toys instead of two. Next, we plan on presenting to our classmates as a test run to get us ready for February 19th!
Third Grade
It was another wonderful week in third grade science! This week we continued working on our presentations for our STEM Expo, in which students have been adding more details and ideas to the inventions that were thought of during STEAM Tank. Students have been having lots of fun writing everything they can about the business of their proposed invention. They have also been enjoying bringing the literal vision of their creation to life by drawing pictures of their inventions to display on the slideshows. They will then continue to show that creativity when they make “prototypes” of their inventions out of cardboard next week.
Fourth Grade
This week fourth grade groups continued to conduct experiments and build projects for the upcoming STEM Expo. As each group completes their activities, they then analyze their results and draw conclusions about their individual topics. In addition, groups are filming informative videos and converting those videos into QR codes which will be featured on their tri fold posters.
Fifth Grade
This week in 5th grade science students continued to work on their science expo projects! Students are having so much fun designing their posters. As the students are designing their posters, they are thinking about ways in which to add elements that connect directly to their lab experiments. Students have been so creative with 3D designs, dot markers, as well as drawings that symbolize what it was they learned!
Dear Brandt Parents/Guardians:
In New Jersey, public schools are required per N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2 (l) that students receive health
screenings.
HEALTH Screening Schedule:
Health screenings will take place during the months of December through February
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-2.2 (l) requires New Jersey school districts to ensure that students receive health
screenings:
Height, weight, and blood pressure: Annually for grades K–12
Visual acuity: Biennially for grades K–10
Auditory acuity: Annually for grades K–3
HEALTH Screening Results:
1. If results of the screening warrant further follow up you will be notified and Documentation
will be sent home.
2. You will not be notified if your child has a normal screening.
Warmly,
Cassandra Nuovo, BSN, RN
School Nurse
Joseph F. Brandt. Elementary School
201-356-3697
