Connors School Scoop

Dear Connors Families,

We had a wonderful week at Connors with our Class and School Champion Spelling Bee, Pizza with the Principal, and class learning activities! We have so many events and activities coming up, so please be sure to review the Connors School Scoop.

PTO CORNER

January PTO Meeting Recap: Thank you to all who joined our first monthly PTO meeting of the year on Tuesday, featuring special guest Christy Gaudio, who presented a very helpful overview of the CogAT and the Johns Hopkins CTY program utilized within the district Johns Hopkins, CTY and CogAT PTO Presentation, by Ms. Christy Gaudio. Check out the Meeting Minutes for a recap of the discussion, helpful next steps/resources and link to the meeting slides. We hope to see you at our next PTO meeting on Tuesday 2/11 @ 8:30am, featuring special guest Ryan Sorafine, Principal of Hoboken Middle School, who will discuss all things HMS!

Yearbook Photo Submissions: Help ensure the 2024-2025 Connors yearbook captures all the best memories of the year – follow this guide to submit your photos! Group photos are best, and must be in .jpg and .jpeg file format. Submit photos that you already have from earlier in the school year, and continue submitting throughout May as additional photo opportunities arise. Thanks for helping ensure the yearbook represents the Connors community!

Bingo Night Tickets: Our 3rd Annual Family Bingo Night will take place on Thursday, January 23rd at 6pm in the Connors Gym. Due to limited capacity, this is our only advanced RSVP ticketed event of the year, and due to incredibly high demand it sold out within 2 hours! We have a waitlist, which we will work through if and as tickets open up, so be sure to add your name to the waitlist if you’re interested in attending! We add people to the waitlist in the order we receive the emails and will contact you if space becomes available (this may include the day of the event).

Important: If you registered and one or more people in your family can no longer attend (including on the day of the event), please email the PTO ASAP so we can reassign your ticket to someone on the waitlist. You may NOT transfer any of your tickets to another member of the Connors community; only people on the PTO check-in list will be admitted into the event.

Bingo Volunteers & Event Donations: Connors PTO needs your help to make this event a success! Please review the Sign Up Genius to donate (prizes, snacks, drinks, monetary) and/or volunteer at the event (set up, concession, bingo assistant, clean up). You may sign up for one or more volunteer spots so long as the times do not overlap. As always, we appreciate your support!

Donate Bingo Prizes: We can’t have Bingo Night without fun prizes! We’re collecting item donations to be used for both kid and adult prizes. So, if you have any new/unopened items you may want to pass on (games, toys, dolls, puzzles, craft sets/items, books, trinkets, etc.). Items worth ~$25 or less are best. Gift cards are welcome too (such as Five Below, Target, coffee shops, ice cream shops, local or online businesses, etc. whether you have on hand or want to buy as a donation to this PTO fundraiser event). Higher-value items and gift certificates can also be used at Bingo Night or even for a future PTO raffle, so please reach out to the PTO if you have anything that might be a good fit. You may drop off prize donations to Connors front door security or office staff in a bag labeled for Bingo Night. Or, contact Michelle Mazurkiewicz (michelleaprilmaz@gmail.com) to hand off prizes, to coordinate a pickup from your home, or with any prize questions/ideas.

Stay Connected and “In the Know” By…

• Syncing the PTO "Live" Calendar

• Bookmarking the PTO Website

• Joining our PTO Facebook Group

• Joining our PTO Email List

• Reviewing December PTO Meeting Minutes

SCHOOL LUNCH and SNACKS

Here is lunch order form for the week of January 13th. 1/13 - 1/17 Lunch Order Form. Please ensure that you have set up a Mealtime Account on our district website. Please make sure that you packed a healthy snack for your child to eat at school.

WATER BOTTLES

Please remember to send your child with a water bottle to school daily! Children fill their water bottles multiple times a day at our Water Filling Stations, so it is super important to send in a labeled refillable water bottle daily for when your child gets thirsty during the day.

ATTENDANCE + ABSENCES

For each day your child will be absent, you must email connorsattendance@hoboken.k12.nj.us along with your child’s homeroom teacher by 8:30am with the following information:

• Child’s Name

• Reason for absence

• Date of expected return

• Any documentation for your child’s absence (i.e. doctor’s note, court note, etc.)

• If your child is well enough to complete their assignments at home, please share that information with your child’s teacher so they can send you assignments that your child can complete while absent.

EARLY PICK-UP FROM SCHOOL

Please refrain from signing children out of school before the end of the instructional day unless there is an emergency and you need to do so. Parents will not be able to sign children out between 2:30pm and 3:00pm. After 2:30pm, you must wait until 3:00pm regular dismissal time. During 1:00pm dismissal days, parents will not be allowed to sign out children between 12:30pm and 1:00pm.

If you must pick up your child early (before 2:30pm), send an email to connorsattendance@hoboken.k12.nj.us along with your child’s homeroom teacher by 8:30am with the following information:

• Child’s name

• Time that you will be picking up your child

• NAME of the person picking up your child. If this person is not the parent or guardian, please ensure that this individual is listed on your child’s approved pick-up list on the Connors Parent/Student Information Google Form 2024-2025. This is extremely important as per our safety protocols.

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:

• January 20th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (School Closed)
• January 21st-24th - Hoboken Community Center Drive (PTO Sponsored)
• January 23rd - Connors Family Bingo Night (PTO Event)
• January 27th-31st - The Great Kindness Challenge
• January 30th - Laser School Assembly *Bullying Prevention*
• January 30th - Grade 5 Buehler Challenger Science Center HPEF Field Trip
• January 31st - MP2 PTL Ends
• January 31st - Grade 4 Theatre Showcase

IMPORTANT LINKS

• Connors Family FAQ's 2024-2025
• Connors Sick Day Guidelines
• Meet Our Connors Team 2024-2025
• Who Should I Contact for Assistance? 2024-2025
• Connor's Calendars Events
• Connor's Staff Directory 2024-2025
• Connors PTO website
• DRA-3 Google Site
• DRA3 Level Correlation Chart

We make it our priority to partner with parents in the academic growth and success of every child. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

All the best,

Principal Addi

Our Classroom Spelling Bees took place Monday, January 6th. Victor Lopez, Hazel Numa, Leo Mossessian, Eknoor Kohli, Harlem McClary, Noam Patel, Arianna Serrette, Anika Konde, Siya Patel, Sohum Dixit, Oliver Kondili and Lynje Murray we our 2025 Classroom Spelling Bee winners! All 12 classroom winners participated in a School-Wide Champion Spelling Bee on January 9th and our School-Wide Champion is....SOHUM DIXIT! Sohum will be invited to the Hudson County Spelling Bee! Way to go Koalas!

This week was the first week of "Pizza with the Principal"! This program provides an opportunity for me to connect with our students on a more personal level and build strong relationships with each and every one of them. During Pizza with the Principal, we gather together and enjoy delicious pizza or lunch brought from home, read captivating stories, and/or engaged in fun games and activities. Pizza with the Principal started this past week with homeroom classes 102, 201, 204, 208, 307 and 303! Next week homerooms 103, 202, 205, 210, 308 and 305 will have pizza with the Principal! There is no charge for Pizza with the Principal. If children bring their home lunch, they can enjoy their home lunch only or both pizza and home lunch. For any of the students who don't like pizza, they can choose to get the lunch offered in the cafeteria as well. If a student is absent, they can come on a different day. If a parent ordered lunch from the cafeteria as they normally would on the lunch google form, but their child participated in Pizza with the Principal, parents will not be charged for school lunch. It is very flexible! If your child is not able to eat pizza, please email Nurse Kristen kmarotta@hoboken.k12.nj.us

Mark your calendars and join us on Tuesday, February 11th at 8:30am at Connors (or virtually via Google Meet) for our February PTO Meeting! Our guest speaker, Principal Sorafine, will present an overview of the Hoboken Middle School, and will be answering your most pressing questions.

Family involvement is part of what makes the Connors community so special, and PTO meetings are a great way to get involved and stay in the know. All parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend! No worries if you need to leave early or if you’ve never been to a meeting before, join us! Hope to see you there!

Mark your calendars! Hoboken Public Education Foundation's annual Moms' Night Out will be on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the one and only Hoboken Biergarten. Get ready for an evening full of laughter, connection, and fun! Tickets will be available later this month—they always sell out quickly.

We’re also introducing something NEW and exciting: This March, we’ll be launching our very FIRST Dads' Night Out! Stay tuned for more details.

Be sure to follow us on social media @hobokenpef or visit www.hobokenpef.org to be the first to know!

3rd Grade (Location for all games: Damon Murray Gym @ 605 Jackson Street)

• Jan 11 at 1:15pm vs Brandt Navy
• Jan 25 at 4:15pm vs Brandt Royal
• Feb 1 at 5:15pm vs Elysian White
• Feb 8 at 2:15pm vs Elysian Green
• Feb 22 at 5:15pm vs Hola Teal
• March 1 at 2:15pm vs Wallace Green

4th Grade (Location for all games: Wallace Gym)

• Jan 11 at 2pm vs Brandt Navy
• Jan 25 at 11am vs Hoboken Rec
• Feb 1 at 11am Brandt Orange
• Feb 8 at 3pm All Saints
• Feb 22 at 9am Elysian Green
• March 1 at 2pm Hola Black
• March 8 at 2pm Elysian White

5th Grade Boys (Location for all games: Wallace Gym)

• 1/17 @ 6:30pm vs Hola Teal
• 1/24 @ 7:30pm vs Wallace Gold
• 1/29 @ 7:30pm vs Hola Black
• 2/5 @ 6:30pm vs Wallace Green
• 2/10 @ 7:30pm vs Hoboken Rec
• 2/12 @ 8:30pm vs Elysian White
• 2/19 @ 6:30pm vs Elysian Green
• 2/24 @ 7:30pm vs Brandt Orange

5th Grade Girls (Location for all games: Multiservice Center Gym)

*All Connors 5th grade girls are on the Hoboken Rec Gold team.

• Jan 11 at 9am - Rec Gold vs Wallace
• Jan 25 at 12:30pm - Rec Gold vs Brandt
• Feb 1 at 9am - Rec Gold vs Rec Purple
• Feb 8 at 12:30pm - Rec Gold vs Wallace
• Feb 22 at 9am - Rec Gold vs Brandt
• March 1 at 12:30pm - Rec Gold vs Rec Purple

Dear Connors 1st-5th Grade Families,

Would you like your child to be in our CTY Johns Hopkins Program? Students can qualify for the CTY Johns Hopkins Program if they score proficiency in Math, English or both on the CogAT.

ILP PERIOD

The John's Hopkins CTY program takes place in 2nd-5th grade during the ILP period. Here is more information about the Individualized Learning Pathways and Johns Hopkins CTY Program

ABOUT THE COGAT

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

Throughout the month of February, all first grade through seventh grade students throughout the district will be administered the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). The CogAT is designed to measure a students' reasoning and problem solving skills using verbal, quantitative and nonverbal (spatial) symbols. An informational letter about the CogAT, including the purpose of administering, was sent home in each child's backpack for children in grades 1 - 5.

It is important to note that sitting for the CogAT is not mandatory. If you choose to have your child opt out, please communicate your child’s name, grade and school to Supervisor Christy Gaudio via email at cgaudio@hoboken.k12.nj.us no later than Wednesday, January 29th.

Please review the following CogAT Informational Guides to learn more:

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Grades 1 - 2 Informational Guide
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Grades 3 - 7 Informational Guide

Connors G1 - G5 CogAT Parent/Guardian Notification Letter - English

CONNORS CogAT ADMINISTRATION DATES

• First Grade: Monday, February 3rd
• Second and Third Grades: Tuesday, February 4th
• Fourth and Fifth Grades: Thursday, February 6th
• Make-up Date for Grades First - Fifth: Thursday, March 6th

It is important to note that sitting for the CogAT is not mandatory. If you choose to have your child opt out, please communicate your child’s name, grade and school to Supervisor Christy Gaudio via email at cgaudio@hoboken.k12.nj.us as soon as possible.

WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ALREADY IN THE CTY PROGRAM?

Children who already qualified for the CTY Johns Hopkins program are grandfathered into the program until the completion of their 8th grade school year. Students do not need to re-take the assessment to continue in the CTY program. Therefore, if you DO NOT want your child to sit for the CogAT again, please email Ms. Gaudio cgaudio@hoboken.k12.nj.us as soon as possible.

WHAT IF MY CHILD ALREADY QUALIFIED FOR MATH, BUT DID NOT QUALIFY FOR ELA IN THE JOHNS HOPKINS PROGRAM? CAN THEY ONLY TAKE THE ASSESSMENT (MATH/ELA) THAT THEY DID NOT QUALIFY FOR?

Unfortunately, students are not allowed to take a single assessment (Math only or ELA only). Students will have to take both Math and ELA CogAT. However, a student is still grandfathered in on their original passing assessment score regardless of how they do on the second assessment round.

MY CHILD HAS AN IEP. DO THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE COGAT?

All students sit for the CogAT. Children with IEP's will receive their testing accommodations. If you do not want your child taking the CogAT, please email Ms. Gaudio cgaudio@hoboken.k12.nj.us as soon as possible.

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HOW LONG DOES THE COGAT TAKE?

Students will take the CogAT in the morning. Students will complete the assessment prior to their lunch period.

DOES MY CHILD PREPARE AT SCHOOL FOR THE COGAT?

No, we do not practice for the CogAT. However, parents are more than welcome to prepare at home for the CogAT assessment if they would like. There are a number of online practice tests and various companies that you can choose from to expose students to the question formats. You can also review the practice problems linked below as well in the informational guides.

Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Grades 1 - 2 Informational Guide
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Grades 3 - 7 Informational Guide

ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL TIPS?

Please ensure that your child has a good nights rest and eats a good breakfast at home or in our school cafeteria. Please also ensure that they come to school with a charged chromebook in grades 2-5. We will be supplying chromebooks for students in Grade 1. Please make sure that your child arrives at school on time.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CTY AND THE COGAT?

Ms. Christy Gaudio, the K-12 Supervisor of ELA and our Gifted and Talented Program will be speaking at our Connors PTO meeting on January 7th. The PTO meeting starts at 8:30 am, and Ms. Gaudio will be speaking at 9:00 am. If you can't make it in person, you can join virtually. (PTO Google Meet)

Dear Connors 5th Grade Families,

On behalf of our team, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the generous support of the HPEF in funding our science field trips this year. Their commitment to advancing educational opportunities has provided our students with invaluable hands-on learning experiences that truly enhance their understanding and passion for science.

In Grade 5, students will be visiting the Buehler Challenger and Science Center in Paramus, NJ, where they will participate in the Expedition Mars program. Students will fly in a space mission beyond their wildest dreams in the challenger simulator! Students will work on teams to complete their mission, while conducting experiments, monitoring life support, and implementing navigation orders. In this dynamic environment, students use principles of science, mathematics, and technology to complete their tasks. This four-hour program consists of a design challenge, lunch, and a simulated space mission.

Field Trip Information:

• Fied Trip Date: January 30, 2025
• Transportation: Buses will depart from the school by 8:30 a.m. and return to school between 2:45 and 3:00 p.m.
  
• Lunch: Students can bring their own lunch or purchase school lunch (which will be a bagged lunch provided by Chartwells).
• Timeliness: Please ensure that your child is on time for school on the morning of the field trip.
• Clothing: All students should wear their Connors Koala T-Shirt on the Class Trip.
• Chaperones: We will not be able to have parent chaperones on this trip due to limited space.

PERMISSION SLIPS

Expeditions Mars and Design Challenge Permission Slip

Please ensure that your child's permission slip has been submitted.

If you have any questions about the field trips, please feel free to reach out to me or to Ms. Donna D'Acunto ddacunto@hoboken.k12.nj.us

All the best,

Principal Addi

The Hoboken Theatre Department would like to invite your child in grades K-12 to participate in this year’s district production of Newsies! If you are interested in having your child participate in this year’s musical please read these links District Parent Letter 2025 and District Production 2025 FAQ.

In an effort to expedite auditions, every student must pre-register using this google form Registration Link for Newsies. Online sign ups will be accepted through January 31st. We can not accept late audition registrations. The K-2 grade ensemble will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays weekly from 3:15-5pm. If your child already has commitments after school these days please do not send them to auditions.

Audition Dates:

Monday February 24th: Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades

Tuesday February 25th: 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades

Wednesday February 26th: Middle School

Thursday February 27th: High School

Friday February 28th: Callbacks

Show Dates:

Friday May 16th at 7pm

Saturday May 17th at 2pm

Sunday May 18th at 2pm

Ms. Bartolotti, Ms. Fernandez, Ms. Fleischer, Ms. Criqui, Ms. Klag

Math: Students are working on Unit 4 Investigation 2 in math. This week students started skip counting by 2,5, and 10. We began exploring story problems and tips for adding numbers. We learned the games double compare and one more, one less.

ELA: This week in ELA, our essential question was, "What do people use to do their jobs?" Our letter focus was Oo, phonics focus was short /o/, and our sight word of the week was you. Kindergarteners read the stories Whose Shoes? Little Juan and the Cooking Pot, & Tom on Top! Our amazing Kindergarteners were able to identify the topic and important facts after reading the stories. Kindergarten students continue to do an amazing job during learning centers: guided reading, sight word focus, phonics focus, handwriting, and sentence structure. We completed the MP2 DRAs and we cannot wait to share how much our KOALAfied Kindergarteners improved. We look forward to another wonderful week of learning next week!

Social Studies: This week in Social Studies, we discussed history and the study of the past. We compared pictures and materials from the past and how they have changed over time. We also talked about how people have come from different countries to our state. This led us to the topic of cultures. This was special because we learned a lot about the different cultures within our classroom. We participated in activities that allowed us to explore and celebrate our diverse backgrounds. Each child had the opportunity to share aspects of their culture, such as food, music, language, and traditions. We discussed how our unique experiences shape who we are and how learning about each other helps us grow as a community. It was a wonderful way to build understanding and appreciation for the richness of the cultures present in our class.

Ms. Vayda, Ms. Severino, Ms. Sheridan

Math: This week in First grade, students began Unit Four of Investigations: Time and Measurement. Students learned how to measure the length of objects using their own hand to compare the length of their hand with another object found in the classroom. Students also used string to compare two objects to tell which is longer and shorter. This week we also practiced telling time to the hour using analog and digital clocks. We look forward to learning more about measurement next week and taking our Link It Winter Assessment.

ELA: This week our essential question was, "How do we measure time?" We started the week by listening to a poem about words we use to talk about and measure time, such as minute and month. Students also did a great job brainstorming their own vocabulary words related to this question. Our phonics skill this week was long a_e. Our red words for the week were: why, away, now, some, way, and today. In one center students used their decodable books to search and record long a_e words. We used wands to learn about magic e. On white boards, students were given a short vowel word to spell such as cub. Then they placed the wand at the end of the word to read and spell the new long vowel word. We focused on fantasy stories again this week. When reading "Nate the Snake is Late," we discussed how stories can be told in the first person, when using the words I, me, my, and we. Students also used graphic organizers to retell the most important events that happened in the story. In grammar, we learned about verbs and practiced using commas in a series by listing verbs. We also finished Marking Period 2 DRA assessments and we are so proud of the progress we are seeing with our reading!

Social Studies: This week during social studies, we distinguished common features that make up neighborhoods, and how to use direction to navigate a map. We learned how to find our way around with cardinal points, and drew a neighborhood map with a key legend! it was so fun.

Dual Language: This week during Spanish, our essential question was "¿Cómo medimos el tiempo?" (how do we measure time). We learned different ways to tell time. For example, we can use a clock to tell time by looking at the hour and minutes. Our phonics focus of this week was /r/ and /rr/ we are learning how to roll our /r/ in Spanish. We practiced words like: perro(dog), burro(dunkey), amarra(tie), tarro(jar, and many more. For Grammar, we learned about Spanish verbs. Spanish verbs end in either /ar/ like amar (to love), /er/ like to comer (to eat) or /ir/ like subir (to go up). As a whole group we read many verbs, acted them out, and completed activities!

Ms. Rinaldi, Ms. Celentano, Ms. Garcia

Math: This week in math, second graders began Unit 3. We are continuing to learn about place value models in order to represent a 2-digit number as tens and ones. This week we learned about making numbers with tens and ones by using strips and stickers, as well as dimes and pennies. We also learned a new game called Roll-a-Square. We are excited to continue learning about place value next week!

ELA: This week's essential question was "what can we see in the sky?" Students learned about a character's perspective otherwise known as point of view. We read the fictional story "Starry Night" where students had to figure out whose perspective the story was being told from and how the characters were feeling. Students also used their comprehension skills of sequencing to help them keep track of what was happening first, next, then, and last. The phonics skill this week was long o: o, oa, oe and the vocabulary skill was compound words. For writing, students continued to work on their drafts for their personal narratives. They learned to add juicy details to their writing and different words to spice up what they wrote! Everyone has been working so hard, we are so proud of them!

Social Studies: This week, we began Chapter 2 of Young Citizens! Students explored the qualities of a good rule by reading and writing about its key characteristics. Together, we created a chart of school and classroom rules, discussing how each rule meets the criteria for a good rule: fairness, leading to good behavior, making sure everyone's safe, and being enforced. We can’t wait to continue learning from Chapter 2!

Magical Moments: On Monday, 2nd graders had their classroom spelling bee. The homeroom winners in 2nd grade were Leo Mossessian, Hazel Numa, and Victor Lopez. They participated in the school- wide spelling bee on Thursday. We are so proud of everyone who participated and tried their hardest to spell these really tricky words. Great job to everyone!

Ms. Hall, Ms. Schmidt

Math: This week students built upon their knowledge of area and perimeter! Students used their area formula, Area = Length x Width, to find the area of rectilinear shapes. They learned to decompose rectilinear shapes into non-overlapping rectangles, then add the areas of the non-overlapping parts.

ELA: This week, the third graders read chapters 1-3 of our new core novel, Who Was Coretta Scott King? by Gail Herman. The students enjoyed learning more about Coretta as a child, and were able to identify many of her traits by analyzing and citing text evidence. Additionally, they identified cause and effect relationships throughout the text, and used text features and their knowledge of chronological order in order to create a collaborative timeline of the first few chapters. Additionally, students engaged in Linkit practice activities, and continued to work on improving their Literary Analysis Writing skills by evaluating student examples of introductions/conclusions, and then editing and revising their own.

Social Studies: Third graders began the new unit: A Case Study of New Jersey's Government! We are learning all about how state governments are run. We learned how state governments compare to our federal government. We discovered who makes up the three branches of our state government, what they do, and how they are chosen. Students explored the role that citizens play in the state government, as well.

Third Grade Thrills: 3rd grade is full of spectacular spellers, and more importantly, brave and supportive classmates! This week third graders participated in classroom spelling bees. We are so proud of everyone who participated and cheered on their friends. Congratulations to Eknoor and Harlem for winning the spelling bees in their classroom!

Ms. Schulz, Mrs. Rodriguez, Ms. Stubbe

Math: Phenomenal 4th Grade Mathematicians completed their study of Unit 5 in Investigations. Students were assessed on place value skills, addition, subtraction, and word problems. Students have worked very hard and were very successful.

ELA: Phenomenal 4th Graders completed the second unit of writing which focused on creating narrative stories. Students learned how to organize their writing with a sequence of events that includes characters, setting, problem, plot events, resolution, and lesson learned. This amazing group of writers also learned how to expand on the narrative elements by including dialogue, inner thoughts, strong vocabulary, descriptive details, idioms, and failed solutions.

Social Studies: 4th graders worked hard on finishing their projects on Aztec, Inca, and Mayan Empire. They worked on researching information to create their own presentation. Afterwards, students proudly presented their projects to the class. They learned more public speaking skills such as slowly presenting and talking with a loud voice. Keep up the great researching, creating, and public speaking 4th graders!

Ms. Yoo, Ms. Schultes, Ms. Ortiz, Ms. Arciero

Math: Our Mathematicians reviewed the strategies that they use to solve multiplication problems. They had to solve one multiplication problem using a strategy they chose and solve the second problem using standard algorithm. Students were also able to discuss estimating products and solve multiplication problems with large numbers.

ELA: This week 5th graders read chapters 2 and 3 of Chasing Lincoln's Killer. These chapters were action packed and left students wondering what would happen next. Our Reading Wonders curriculum focused on characterization and theme. We used characterization to also discuss and describe the characters in our novel. Keep up the hard work, fifth grade

Social Studies: This week in social studies, our 5th graders have been exploring the significant events that contributed to the onset of the Civil War. Students engaged in comparing the distinct characteristics and lifestyles of the North, South, and West regions of the United States during the early to mid-1800s. Through our discussions, we uncovered the underlying disagreements that existed at the time, including the creation of the Missouri Compromise, which was established to address the imbalances and resolve the contentious debates of the era.

Fifth Grade Fun: “The case of the missing Santa”- students worked as investigators and used DNA, crime scene analysis, and fingerprint analysis (thanks to some cinnamon science) to determine that Prancer pushed Santa down the chimney!

HR 302: This week 302 was full of focus and excitement to learn! In Social Studies we learned about the first settlers in our area, and what New Jersey looked like a long time ago. We practiced cause and effect so that we can start noticing where it pops up in our nonfiction reading! In Math, students continued to learn different strategies on how to add fluently within 100, we used number lines, hundreds charts, and breaking about using place value! In ELA we introduced biographies and learned about chronological order. For writing, students began writing personal narratives. It was such a fun week!

5th grade POR: This week in ELA we started our new core novel, Chasing Lincoln's Killer. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson is a nonfiction historical account of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent manhunt for his killer, John Wilkes Booth. The book chronicles the dramatic events leading up to and following Lincoln's murder, detailing the efforts of Union soldiers, detectives, and ordinary citizens in tracking down Booth and his co-conspirators. It highlights the intense pursuit that ultimately led to Booth's death, providing a gripping, fast-paced narrative of a pivotal moment in American history.

In Math, we also started our new unit on Multiplication. We have been learning how to solve both two-digit by two-digit multiplication problems and three-digit by two-digit multiplication problems. We have learned multiple strategies for solving these types of complex problems. We have been focusing on using both the "box method" (area model) and the standard algorithm to help us solve. Please continue to practice your child's multiplication math facts with them nightly, as this will help them be more accurate when solving more complex problems.

Kindergarten: This week kindergarten science classes wrapped up the unit on weather. Students were excited to see it snowing outside this Monday. We used it as an opportunity to learn about blizzards and snowflake formation. The final project challenged students to use the design process to design, evaluate, and explain how a structure reduces the Sun’s warming effect.

1st Grade: This week first grade science classes learned about the phases of the moon and why the moon looks different each night. Students made a craft to help them keep track of these changes. Classes are also beginning to work on their lab projects for the upcoming Science EXPO which will take place in February. First grade groups will design and build a toy which can make noise, using their knowledge of vibration and sound as a form of energy transfer from a previous unit of study.

2nd Grade: The 2nd grade students have begun their Brainstorming and data collection for the upcoming Science Expo. Students are engaged and looking forward to conducting their experiments.

3rd Grade: We are off to a heroic start this year! Recently, we read a story from our PLTW text about a tiger in a zoo who fell and became trapped. Inspired by this story, the students put on their engineer hats and collaborated to design a rescue solution for the tiger. Using the VEX kits, they creatively built crates and cranes to lift the 600-pound tiger back to safety! It was truly remarkable to witness their teamwork and innovative thinking in action.

4th Grade: 4th Grade students have begun their Brainstorming and data collection for the upcoming Science Expo. Students are engaged and looking forward to conducting their experiments.

5th Grade: In 5th Grade, our young Scientists further explored Matter. We debated the difference between Physical and Chemical Changes, and how to identify when they overlap for the same type of Matter. We also tested out the Conservation of Matter by weighing objects and comparing.

During the Individualized Learning Pathway (ILP) period, students who have qualified to participate in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) programming engage in a wide array of math course offerings that address their specific strengths and interests. Johns Hopkins CTY believes in researching and advancing ways to identify and nurture academically talented learners. CTY furthers research, guides educators and families and inspires students from diverse communities and backgrounds to pursue their intellectual passions and create the world of tomorrow.

Our new and returning CTY Mathematics students accomplished a great deal during their first week of coursework. For starters, they studied their course syllabi, became familiar with CTY’s lockdown browser for timed assignments, created contacts and contact lists for their CTY email accounts, and completed various surveys and introductory assignments. With those prerequisites satisfied, kids dug into their first unit of math. Fifth graders tackled decimals and divisibility. Fourth graders focused on multiplication and division properties. Third graders sharpened a number of skills, including rounding. Second graders delved into number patterns, among other topics.

It was a terrific start. We’re very proud of them.

GK

Explorers in Kindergarten are finishing up the Me On The Map Project with the last page of the flip book called planet Earth. Students are putting their flip book together to culminate their project.

G1

Travelers in 1st Grade have prepared their suitcases and passports and are ready to ‘take a flight’ to Italy to explore the country’s Winter holidays and traditions in the Holidays Around the World Project. After gaining information about the fun facts, students are completing an exit ticket, getting their passports stamped, and locating the country on the map.

G2

Future Actors and Actresses in 2nd Grade continue to brainstorm for their play of the fable and the writing of the script by working on the next steps in the graphic organizer to continue with the creative process. They focused on coming up with the Order of Event (Beginning, Middle, and End) to develop the sequence of events that will be taking place in their original story.

G3

Future Engineers are working on the elements of advertisements and marketing of their product/invention. They are talking about the price, sales, and ways to make their product/invention known to the people.

G4

Young lawyers are now ready to take on the most important project of their Mock trial experience - writing their original case. They are thinking and coming up with a list of civil and criminal case ideas for everyone to vote on to decide what each group is going to base their case around and get ready to submit to the Law Fair Foundation.

G5

Future Environmentalists are applying their knowledge about activism and coming up with 3 issues that they see around them. One problem they see in the community, one problem they see at school, and one problem they see in the world. They will be noting these issues and sharing them with their classmates in a presentation style.

Hello Connors families,

The week of January 6th the students welcomed in the new year and started getting down to the business of learning how to play the recorder.

In Ms. Rinaldi’s class the students were busy learning new theory lessons and also singing some songs that celebrated the new year. As the lyrics state, “It’s a new year make your own luck” and they are ready to start out 2025 with a bang! Here are Renana and Jordan with the lyrics to their new favorite song!

As we begin the new year, it is time for our 3rd graders to start learning their first instrument. Learning how to play the recorder is the beginning of their journey into being a true musician. So many elements are involved in learning how to play the recorder and here is Scottie showing off “attention position” by using proper posture. Great work Scottie!

The Winter Artland is underway!! We are bursting with trees, holiday candles, snowflakes, lights, and more! Grades 3-5 completed a mini George Seurat pointillism activity and K-2 created self portraits while artwork was being put on display this week!

This week in Mandarin we talked about our winter break and learned how to say and write different winter activities such as skiing. Students surveyed the class. We also started unit 3 on Home Sweet Home.

This week in math, second graders began Unit 3. We are continuing to learn about place value models in order to represent a 2-digit number as tens and ones. This week we learned about making numbers with tens and ones by using strips and stickers, as well as dimes and pennies. We also learned a new game called Roll-a-Square. We are excited to continue learning about place value next week!

Email: juliana.addi@hoboken.k12.nj.us
Website: http://www.hoboken.k12.nj.us
Location: 201 Monroe Street, Hoboken, NJ, USA
Phone: 201-356-3684