THE TIGER QUARTERLY

My first year as a 6th grader at HMS has been so amazing. I have really enjoyed this year, as all of the teachers have been really kind and I have made so many new friends. The activities such as the assemblies have really made this year fun. Over the summer, I will be going on vacations and attending camp, but I can’t wait to see everyone next year.

ELA

In 6th grade ELA, students prepared for the NJSLA testing. They read Freedom Walkers and learned about different bus boycotts. Sixth grade students took the ELA portion of the NJSLA and created “Blackout Poems.” Students wrote their end of the year essays on what qualities of character matters most. To finish the year, we read the humorous story “The All-AmericanSlurp” by Leslie Namioka. This story ties in nicely with our unit’s essential question: "What’s Your Story?" because it chronicles the struggles faced by an Asian family as they adjust to life in America.

Math

In 6th grade math, students learned about different ways to graph data. They learned about bar graphs, dot plots, and histograms. They have also spent time preparing for NJSLA. Students learned about different mathematical terms for graphing, such as interquartile range and mean absolute deviation. Later in the marking period, students worked on culminating projects where they created a model shed using balsa wood. Students put projects together in groups to make the different pieces of the shed.

Science

In 6th grade science, student learned about the different types of clouds and how air pressure affects the atmosphere by conducting different experiments and investigation. Then, began our climate unit to study climate and weather and how they influence one on another. Students studied systems and determined the inputs and outputs, analyzed data, and made inferences about climate based on weather maps. Additionally, 6th graders learned about water pollution and the effects of it. For their final project, student designed a “green” island, coming up with a plan for a green community on a recently discovered island.

Social Studies

In 6th grade social studies, students have been learning about the different amendments and laws in the 4th marking period. This includes the freedom of speech and the first, second, and fourth amendments. The 6th graders learned about freedom of religion and while there are no limits on beliefs there are limits on some religious practices. Students were able to watch a series of videos on our key terms: Civil Rights Movement, Civil War Amendments, grandfather clause, literacy test, poll tax, register, suffrage, Voting Rights Act, Thirteenth Amendment, Fourteenth Amendment, Fifteenth Amendment and the Nineteenth Amendment. Additionally, 6th graders learned about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and what it’s purpose was. Lastly, they learned about the relationship between the U.S. and other nations of the world.

ELA

7th grade ELA students read the famous short dystopian story, “Harrison Bergeron” and viewed the film version to explore dystopian elements and review important literary elements. To conclude Unit 4: Moment of Truth, students worked to draft, revise, and edit their extended writing projects, which used unit texts to answer our essential question: "How can one key event change everything?" 7th graders began reading their last novel of the year, The Giver by Lois Lowry and focused on identifying dystopian elements established in the first chapters. Lastly, 7th graders focused on their Unit 6 Extended Oral Presentations. In these oral presentations, students used claims, evidence, and reasoning to recommend a seventh grade text to their classmates.

Math

In 7th grade math, students determined how many triangles can be created with three given set lengths and explored and practiced using proportional reasoning to determine the scale factor between two figures. Students then demonstrated their learning by describing, comparing, and contrasting cross sections of prisms and pyramids and solving real-world and mathematical problems involving the volume and surface area. Additionally, students explored how gear trains and other mechanisms transfer movement in mechanical systems and designed, built, and programmed automated systems to meet the needs of “clients.” Lastly, students built and programmed a cam and follower system to move autonomously. They also utilized their developing building and programming skills to complete the BaseBot and Chain Drive builds.

Science

In 7th grade science, students compared and contrasted cellular respiration in both animals and plants. The students worked in groups to gather information from research and videos, and begun organizing their collected information for their project slides. Students touched on different topics including climate change, the food webs, and how scientists classify living things. Additionally, we completed a slide-show presentation on the five threats to biodiversity, pollution, population, climate change, invasive species, and habitat destruction. To conclude the year, students created a presentation focusing on the Earth’s different biomes: biodiversity, climate, food chains, major threats and geography.

Social Studies

In social studies, 7th graders spent time with their classmates learning about European involvement in Mexico and the Mexican War of Independence. Students finished mapping Central America and the Caribbean and started to discover the characteristics of these countries. Students were able to create their own “vacation” to a country in the Caribbean and Central America by researching flights, hotels, historical sites, restaurants, activities, and souvenirs from their country and created a presentation to show what they learned. 7th graders continued onto Central America and the Caribbean by learning about the history of this region before and after Spanish colonization. Lastly, we learned about South America.

ELA

During the 4th marking period, 8th grade ELA students continued and concluded their reading of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Students paid particular attention to character development in relation to theme and plot development. Leading up to NJSLA, we reviewed 8th grade prominent standards and practiced LAT writing. After NJSLA, we learned about Anne Frank and read an excerpt from Refugee as we continued the discussion of trying times. Next, we learned about War of the Worlds and the original radio broadcast. To conclude the year, students completed a research paper, utilizing proper MLA format.

Pre-AP Algebra

In Pre- AP Algebra, students jumped feet first into quadratic relationships, comparing these to linear and exponential relationships. Each group solved a series of problems to determine missing lengths of elements of a pool complex. Students learned to differentiate exponential from linear and quadratic sequences and how to determine the growth and decay factors in order to write functions for exponential change. Also, students looked into variables in computer programming and how they are similar to and different from the variables that we have used all year in algebra. Lastly, we learned to set variables into their code for apps so that they could then use conditional statements to program different events within different apps.

Pre-Algebra

During MP4, 8th graders learned about diations. Students reviewed solving linear equations, graphing linear functions, and systems of linear equations. Then, we reviewed topics such as Scientific Notation, Exponents, and Square and Cubed Roots. To celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Month and Jewish Heritage Month we played games from both cultures. To finish the year, we worked on our Project Lead the Way unit. We focused on debugging a program and talked about variables within coding.

Science

During science this marking period, 8th graders made digital time capsules for the next solar eclipse in 2044. Students wrapped up genetics by completing a heredity lab. Then, students picked a genetic mutation to research and gather information on and created a visual to represent their findings and shared it with their peers. To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, we researched someone that has contributed in the STEM field with this background. To finish out the year, we completed a stop motion movie. Students selected a science phenomena to teach and show other students about it through a series of moving pictures.

Pre-AP World History

During Pre-AP world history, students read sources about political boundaries, religion, and relation to the Mauryan Empire. Students analyzed Greek philosophical traditions such as the natural and human world through reason and observation and how this shaped the democratic and republican forms of city-states. 8th graders designed pottery to show religious traditions influenced art back in 625 BC. Lastly, students traced the origins and assessed the impact of long-distance overland and maritime trade in Afro-Eurasia during the classical period.

Social Studies

During 8th grade social studies, students learned about Joseph Stalin and totalitarianism. Students examined resources about Russia today, including the reasons the Russian economy improved after 1991, how increased government controls have set back democratic reform. To add on, we learned about the geography of Southwest Asia, along with the importance of water and oil. After wrapping up Southwest Asia, we were introduced to Southern and Central Asia's chapter atlas, where students identified political and physical features.

French

During MP4, 6th graders demonstrated receptive and productive language skills involving all grammar and vocabulary from Unit 2 by engaging in the listening, reading, grammar, and writing sections of the unit test. 6th graders practiced their presentation skills by mimicking the correct pronunciation of each word, and practiced spelling the words correctly. 6th graders focused on mastering numbers in French from 21 up to 100. 7th graders mastered vocabulary related to professions and began studying a new unit on clothing. 7th grade students demonstrated mastery of the vocabulary surrounding clothing and colors by reviewing listening skills by playing bingo and completing the listening, reading and writing sections of the unit exam. Lastly, 8th graders began Unit 9 by identifying various body parts in French. Additionally, 8th graders practiced discussing various ailments as well as describe which body parts hurt.

Spanish

During the 4th marking period, grade 6 students used the correct forms of adjectives and of the verb to be "ser." Students had to indicate what happens on a typical day at school by reading and answering questions in Spanish. They practiced their true and false cognates while learning about new words that fit each category. Grade 6 students discussed how to use the verb "estar" to express how they and others feel and also words of location. 7th graders discussed places and activities in the Spanish speaking countries they would like to visit with their families. They then wrote a paragraph in Spanish describing what they like and dislike. 7th graders learned about different traits and characteristics, including their pronunciation in Spanish. They created sentences using the traits and verbs that they learned and continued to use words to describe physical characteristics and personality traits. Then, students chose a variety of famous people in an array of different professions and the task was to describe the person using physical characteristic traits and personality traits. 8th graders compared and contrasted two types of dances from Argentina. 8th grade students discussed poems written by Rafael Pombo. Additionally, we discussed a variety of verbs, including the verb to do/ to make, "hacer", and the verb to want, "querer". Students developed their writing skills by writing original pieces and expressing requests then continued to use words to describe physical characteristics and personality traits. Lastly, they chose a variety of famous people in an array of different professions and the task was to describe the person using physical characteristic traits and personality traits.

Mandarin

In Mandarin, 6th grade students finished Unit 5 part two on the topics about telling time. Then, 6th grade students continued with Unit 6 on the topic of animals. Students practiced different names of the animals by singing songs or doing word matching activities. Based on the name of the animals, students learned how to express a person's zodiac animal sign according to their birthday year and engaged in dialogues asking and responding to a person's age, name, birthday and zodiac sign. 7th grade students continued with Unit 10 on the topic of fruits and students practiced the recognition of the different fruit names by doing Chinese character writing and typing practice. Students practiced how to ask and respond to the questions about their favorite and least favorite fruit. 8th grade students prepared for the unit test by practicing basic vocabulary using interpretive questions, reading comprehension and presentational writing practice. Finally, students moved to the last step of Unit 14 on the topic of school subjects and house vocabulary.

Visual Arts

This marking period, we participated in the PATH contest. Congratulations to all of our winners! We can't wait to see our HMS students' work displayed on the PATH this summer.

Creative Writing

To begin the marking period, students completed an "All About Me" project. Then, students invented a candy and groups presented the candy they invented. To conclude the year, students created a vacation project with a travel brochure and presented them to their class.

Pre-AP Dance

In Pre-AP Dance class this marking period students in the 6th grade started to learn about the art of dance as a way to tell stories with the viewing of curriculum anchor works. Students in the 7th grade finished up their first introduction to movement product, the ultimate handshake. And students in the 8th grade are well on their way to learning about the importance of theme and variation in dance.

Pre-AP Music: Band

This marking period in band, Mr. Stasiak's Novice Band completed their first concert piece, "Blackbeard." The 6th grade band next focused on the introduction to their second piece, "Fortify." Mr. Stasiak's young musicians worked to perfect their first concert pieces “Batman Theme” as well as a Taylor Swift Medley. In these two songs, we are challenging all grade levels to play more difficult arrangements and improve their range and pitch accuracy. The Advanced Band (7th & 8th grade) worked to move further in their piece, "Afterburn: Relaunch."

Pre-AP Theater

In Pre-AP Theater students across all grade levels enjoyed warming up each day with a round of Zip-Zap-Zop. 6th graders were introduced to the wonderful world of West Side Story and worked towards acting out Act II Scene II as part of the first module. 7th graders begun exploring different theatrical structures and have each completed their own outline of a well known story as it follows climactic narrative structure. 8th graders discussed Commedia Dell'Arte and performed 1 minute retellings of popular stories. The catch was they had to communicate the plot of their story without speaking!

Newsletter Club

The Newsletter Club completed their final Tiger Quarterly of the year! We hope you have enjoyed reading our newsletters this year.

Student Council

On April 18th our “A Night in New York City” dance was a success! Student Council showed their appreciation for our HMS teachers by passing out treats for Teacher Appreciation Week.

Academic Team

The Academic Team worked collaboratively to design a motivational bulletin board for the NJSLA. Students wrote a variety of helpful tips for the test. Students played a competitive game of “grudeball” to help study for the National Language Arts Meet. Students competed in their last academic meet of the school year, hosted by the National Language Arts League. This meet consisted of 50 multiple choice questions, with sections on Vocabulary, Grammar, Spelling, and Word Relationships. Students completed the meet in under thirty-five minutes! Congratulations to our top scorer: Dexter Shin. “Buzzword.” This audio-based trivia game focused on pop culture and sports knowledge. At the final meeting, we handed out awards for this year’s competitions and celebrated individual and team accomplishments!

NJHS

he NJHS assisted the Student Council and PTO in setting up for the school dance. Members also held a toilet paper drive for donation to the Hoboken Shelter. The induction ceremony for 6th grade students took place on June 12th, at 5:00 p.m. Congratulations to all inductees!

GSA

Club members read about a bakery in Cranford that responded to hate mail by selling baked goods to raise money for the Trevor Project. GSA worked on creating short biographies for a Pride Bulletin Board being designed for the month of June. Students researched influential people in the pride movement, including Audre Lorde, Harvey Milk, Freddie Mercury, and Marsha P. Johnson. MS GSA continued working on their mini-biographies for celebrities, politicians, authors, and other individuals who have positively influenced LGBTQ+ history. During the first week of June, HMS celebrated pride month with a pride spirit week!

Best Buddies

On, Sunday, May 5th, the Best Buddies Middle School Friendship Chapter played a pivotal role in the success of the North Jersey Friendship Walk held at Seton Hall University on Sunday, May 5, 2024. Our exceptional chapter raised over $3,500!

Literary Club

The Literary Club continued reading the 2022 thriller novel, The House Across The Lake, by Riley Saga. The Literary Club went outdoors and continued to read their drama. We got to know characters in the story and discussed themes of the novels. As well as they influence of structure of the text alternating between ‘before’ and ‘now.’

Junior Thespians

Junior Thespians split into groups and were assigned a segment to prepare for our own take on the popular evening sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Students split into two groups to go on adventures with one group opted to play Werewolf as a form of adventure storytelling while the other group set out on a quest to save the kingdom of Avalon through verbal storytelling.