The Herald

This edition of The Herald highlights a number of accomplishments across the district and upcoming events that will be taking place. Our students and staff are engaging in such wonderful academic, co- and extra-curricular activities.

Please enjoy reading news from each of our schools in this week's Edition of The Herald. Take a moment and learn more about our early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school programs:

Preschool Programs

Brandt Elementary School

Connors Elementary School

Wallace Elementary School

Hoboken Middle School

Also, if you are not already following us on social media, please do so:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HobokenPublicSchoolDistrict/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hobokenpublicschools/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hobokenpublicschooldist

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBeIpvP_DOKu3nNUs3t0baQ

In closing, I want to thank all of you for your steadfast cooperation, patience and partnership. All three ingredients make for an incredible school district. I could not ask for a more committed collection of guardians and parents. You are truly amazing and I am honored to serve the Hoboken Public School District.

Sincerely,

Christine A. Johnson, D.Litt.

Superintendent of Schools

The Pulse with Peter B: Principals discuss the National Blue Ribbon Excellence Lighthouse Awards

Awarded For Academic Excellence! Peter B sits down with All 5 Hoboken Public School District Principals discussing their winning of the National Blue Ribbon Excellence Lighthouse Awards!

The Hoboken Public School District is embarking on a comprehensive journey to develop a new 5-year strategic plan, a guiding document that will direct all district actions and decisions in the coming years. Central to this process is the revision of the district's vision and mission statements, along with the establishment of strategic goals. Two of these goals will be particularly significant: one anchored in The Portrait of a Hoboken High School Graduate, which will define the skills and attributes our students should possess upon graduation, and the other in the district’s Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP), which will ensure that our educational facilities support these aspirations.

I am currently working with our district's Architect, Facilities Director, and Facilities Committee of the Board of Education to update our Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP). I am also engaging with students around the topic of The Portrait of a Hoboken High School Graduate and will begin to engage our faculty in this overall process as well. In the upcoming days, I will post a community survey.

As a key school district stakeholder, your input is extremely valuable to the 5-year Strategic Planning Process as well. This specific survey is designed specifically for families of students in our PK-12 program. It contains a range of different types of questions. Some questions are required and some are not required. You will notice that the vast majority of open-ended questions are not required. This gives you the opportunity to answer those that you want to provide input and those you do not feel it is necessary. The multiple choice, check box, and star questions are required. Depending on the number of open-ended questions you choose to complete, this survey can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes to complete.

While it is time out of your busy schedule, it is so very important to us. I urge you to help us with this process. We have extended the deadline and will leave the parent survey open until Friday, January 10th.

E-mails will not be collected with this survey, ensuring that your responses are kept anonymous and confidential. Thank you for choosing to participate in this survey to help our district as we envision the future of the Hoboken Public School District.

Back by Popular Demand!

Hoboken Public School District's Office of Early Childhood is hosting free classes for toddlers. Scan the QR Code or visit the registration link to sign your toddler up for these fun-filled classes, which include art, music, dance, theater, and STEM activities.

Wee Passport 2024-2025
Please register using the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_43w-XbKLO0signUxf-1jrroiPEIvtnwp9IAYS5iw5SY6vg/viewform

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

This week, Pre-AP Theater students across all grades took on the leadership role of guiding the warm-up game, with Director In House being the most popular choice.

6th graders finished reading West Side Story and will now work on Act II, Scene II performances in small groups.

7th graders performed their myths for the first time and will continue refining their performances.

8th graders rehearsed short Commedia Dell'Arte scenes, called scenari, in small groups.

During AP Dance class, the 8th grade students are working really hard on their combined dance routines.

Each year, our students in grades 2 - 8 have the opportunity to qualify for the Hudson County Spelling Bee. The event this year is scheduled for February 8th at the Secaucus campus of the Hudson County School of Technology.

Listed below are the students who won their classroom Spelling Bees. They will participate in the Brandt School Spelling Bee this Monday.

Mrs. Gardiner - Vayda Guzman

Ms. Rodrigues - Paul Lemaire

Ms. Ayers - Hadas Segall

Mrs. Spano - Veer Kapur

Ms. Babilonia - Riley Klapper

Ms. Salvetta - Maya Aviram

Ms. Rodriguez - Ioana Sabu

Ms. Pavlovic - Mira Padmanabhan

Ms. Kontogiannis - Jackson Strougo

Ms. James - Zoe Kinzer

Ms. Carlson - Caitlin Faloon

Ms. Weadock - Archer Atkinson

Mrs. Farooq - Kian Gursahani

Ms. Reilly - Olivia Johnson

Ms. Constantine -Tomer Segall

Mrs. Sogluizzo - Mason Atkinson

Ms. Doehler - Vivienne Forester

Ms. Samuel - Aleyna Traore

Kindergarteners have made an amazing start to 2025! They returned focused and eager to learn.

Over the past two days, they created vision boards to discuss their goals and dreams. They also made sight word snowballs, wrote winter stories, and worked on snowflake addition stories and hot cocoa place value mugs in Math.

Their creativity and enthusiasm have been inspiring, and we’re excited for all that this year will bring!

The kindergarten team is excited to welcome back our wonderful students! They've been sharing their Winter Break experiences in their journal entries.

In Math, we're reviewing 2D and 3D shapes using worksheets, tablets, and Math Centers.

Our dual-language classes are revisiting reading and high-frequency words in Spanish.

The second graders returned from break refreshed and eager to learn. In ELA, we’re continuing to explore story elements, write friendly letters, summarize key details, and check our work. They're also learning how to write cohesive paragraphs using the writing process.

In Math, we finished our geometry and fractions unit and are now solving story problems with unknown changes and starts, while also reviewing adding and subtracting three-digit numbers.

The students enjoyed learning about different cultures through our Holidays Around the World lessons and will continue exploring influential events and people that shaped our country.

ELA
4th grade readers started the year with What Would She Do?, a novel about 25 incredible women, from historic leaders to modern-day pioneers. Students will explore the achievements of feminist trailblazers like Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart, Malala Yousafzai, and Michelle Obama.

Math
This week, students wrapped up Unit 5: Large Numbers and Landmarks. They learned to subtract 3- and 4-digit numbers using various strategies, including the U.S. standard algorithm, and created their own story problems. Next week, they’ll dive into fractions!

Happy New Year 2025
As we welcome 2025, let’s embrace new opportunities, growth, and unforgettable moments. Wishing everyone health, happiness, and success in this exciting new year!

In ELA, 6th graders completed Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry after winter break. They've analyzed the impact of family relationships on the characters in preparation for their culminating project: The Logan Family Scrapbook. Students will create artifacts from the novel by digging deep into the text.

In math, students reviewed Topic 4, focusing on solving one-step equations and writing, solving, and graphing inequalities on a number line.

In Civics, students are learning about the Philadelphia Convention, including who attended and how it was organized. Our focus terms are Framers and Philadelphia Convention.

In Science, we started the topic of Reproduction in Animals and prepared for our upcoming field trip. On Thursday, we discussed animal courtship behaviors, and on Friday, students applied for their preferred roles during the field trip.

Seventh graders kicked off the year by preparing for their field trip to the Buehler Challenger & Science Center. They participated in a communication lab to construct detailed paper planes using step-by-step directions from their partners. Students also created mission patches to represent the HMS and Expedition Mars mission.

In Social Studies, students learned about Canada’s regions and their characteristics. Next week, they will study Canada's history and geography.

In Math, students began Topic 4: Generating Equivalent Expressions, focusing on writing and evaluating algebraic expressions. Next week, they'll explore simplifying and performing operations with these expressions.

In ELA, students started Part III of Tangerine, completing an independent reading assignment where they used text evidence to analyze the main character’s choices. Next week, they will read a biographical piece on Simone Biles, exploring themes of love and loss.

After the break, ELA students began reading The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, focusing on the central idea, historical context, and tone.

In Algebra, students explored the relationship between squares and right triangles to prove the Pythagorean theorem. Pre-Algebra students reviewed comparing linear and nonlinear functions using graphs, mapping diagrams, and tables.

In Social Studies, students analyzed factors behind the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, while Pre-AP World History and Geography students learned about the causes and effects of the Neolithic Revolution.

In Science, students explored reflection through laser demonstrations.

This week in Physical Education, students continued the California Kickball season, showcasing their catching, kicking, and throwing skills. Next week is the final week of the regular season before playoffs!

This week, the Academic Team kicked off 2025 with their third Continental Mathematics League meet. Students tackled six challenging math problems in under 30 minutes. Congratulations to sixth-grader James Hanna for scoring perfectly!

Welcome back! After a relaxing break, students are excited to return to school and start the new year with friends and teachers. Before the break, they celebrated the holidays by making Christmas Literacy Trees, Menorah handprints, dreidels, snowflakes, and more, while learning about winter and holiday traditions.

They also had fun during Spirit Week with pajama day, sparkly outfits, ugly holiday shirts, tie-dye day, and flannel day. Students made holiday gifts for their families with photos and homemade frames and loved making gingerbread houses!

Happy New Year from Room 107 at 770 Jackson! Before winter break, a parent volunteered to read The Night Before New Year’s. The class talked about holiday celebrations and practiced a countdown for the ball drop!

Afterward, students made New Year’s picture frames, decorating them with stickers and framing their favorite memory from 2024.

Room 308 is dressed to impress! Students celebrated the holidays and rang in the new year! Everyone is so excited to be back and say hello to 2025.

In Connors 001, the children are thrilled to be back! They spent the day sharing what they did over Winter Break, with excitement about the Holiday Show and winter crafts they made.

Singing and dancing in front of friends and family brought them so much joy. The kids are also excited about the new year and will be discussing New Year’s resolutions soon!

Students are excited to learn about hibernation! After listening to a book on the topic, they explored why some animals hibernate while others don’t. They created booklets illustrating the animals and the hibernation process.

After the winter break, Rue 6 is back in action with their favorite game, "I Have, Who Has Colors." This activity helps students improve memory, build vocabulary, and practice following rules and turn-taking.

Pre-K 3 students in Room 404 at St. Francis kicked off the New Year by creating their own resolutions! After reading stories about New Year traditions and discussing resolutions, each student set a wish or goal for 2025.

Wallace Room 115 had a blast celebrating the holidays and is excited for the new year! Families visited to share stories about holiday traditions and help with crafts. Students made Menorahs for Hanukkah using stickers and Christmas ornaments filled with colorful pom-poms, both of which they took home to share with their families!

Both students and teachers are excited to be back! During free play, it was great to see students reconnecting and socializing after the break.

The Tools of the Mind activity helped them reflect on their holidays and practice communication skills. Students shared exciting stories about skiing, ice skating, visiting family, and traveling to places like New York and the Poconos, sparking great conversations and bringing the class closer together.

Happy New Year!

Students in Room 107 are excited to be back and ready to dive into their routine. With winter here, they can’t wait to explore all things seasonal—especially the hope for some snow!

Hoboken HS Wrestler Kodi Pfieffer beats a state qualifier from Wayne Hills (12-5) for a guaranteed top 6 finish at the Sam Cali Invitational.

The Sam Cali tournament this year featured over a dozen state medalists and over 50+ state qualifiers and is one of the toughest tournaments of the season.

Congratulations Kodi Pfieffer, Jhonas Eckhardt, & Noah Reyes of the Hoboken HS Wrestling Team for placing at the Cutter Classic wrestling tournament this past weekend.

Kodi & Jhonas improve their undefeated streak to 10-0 and take first place in the tournament, the first ever Redwings to ever do so.

Noah Reyes, seeded 7th, upset the 2nd seed en route to his first time placing in a tournament and takes third.

Hoboken HS (HWS) Hockey defeated Paramus Catholic 5 to 1.

Player of the Game was Junior Luca Matullo scored the game winning goal and played an outstanding defensive game. Hoboken HS Hockey now improves to 6-2 heading into the holiday break.

The Hoboken HS Hockey Team (HWS) is 6-2 going into the holiday break. The Redwings are in 1st place in the McMullen Division, ranked 4th in the NJIIHL Conference, and lead all Boys Ice Hockey North Co-Op teams in power points.

Congratulations to Hoboken HS Senior Lamir Boxley for scoring his 1,000th career point on December 28, 2024, against Hackettstown HS! What an incredible achievement!

Nico Esposito posted 18 points to lead Hoboken to a 57-37 win over Dayton at the Joe Pepe Holiday Tournament, hosted by Dayton HS. Hoboken HS have been crowned tournament champions.

Nick Petruzzelli added 15 points for the Redwings (3-2) while Lamir Boxley chipped in with eight points.

Our Vision

The Hoboken Public School District will be recognized as a premier educational choice and widely known as a best-practice model for academic growth, high quality instruction, innovative and equitable programs, engagement, facilities and personalized pathways that are essential for college, career and life-preparedness in our ever-changing, interconnected global society.

Our Mission

The Hoboken Public School District will prepare confident and resilient graduates who value academic achievement, embrace challenge, honor diversity, appreciate collaboration, and respectfully contribute to their local and wider communities.

Our District Goals

The Hoboken Public School District will implement a rigorous, relevant and responsive curriculum that meets the needs of all students, fosters personalized pathways for learning, and ensures continuous academic growth.

The Hoboken Public School District will support its diverse staff in professional growth, encourage them to serve as role models, and empower them to provide the highest quality of instruction for our students.

The Hoboken Public School District will develop and implement unique and innovative programs that promote global learning, ensure equitable access, and foster the social, emotional and academic growth of each student.

The Hoboken Public School District will engage and communicate with families and the wider community to bridge understanding and advance partnerships.

The Hoboken Public School District will operate well-maintained and safe facilities that respond to our growing student enrollment, support our academic and co-curricular programs, and promote pride across the city.

Email: District@Hoboken.k12.nj.us
Website: www.hoboken.k12.nj.us
Location: 524 Park Avenue, Hoboken, NJ, USA
Phone: (201) 356-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hoboken.schools/
Twitter: @HobokenSchools