Dear HMS Tiger Families:
We are excited to share the first edition of Tiger Quarterly--a newsletter created for students, by students! In this issue, you’ll find highlights from recent events, sneak peeks of what’s coming up, and some interviews from our coaches and club advisors. We’ve worked hard to make this newsletter something you'd like to read.
Thank you for checking it out, and we hope you enjoy reading as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
Happy Reading!
Hoboken Middle School Newsletter Club
Debate Club
Debate Club is new to Hoboken Middle School for the 2024-2025 school year. Led by Ms. Rocco, Debate Club is open to students from all grades. Each week, members discuss and debate topics that matter to us—everything from school policies to real-world issues. One of our reporters, Jillian Cannavale, had a chance to sit down and interview Ms. Rocco about the new Debate Club. When asked how many students joined Debate Club, Ms. Rocco shared that there 40 students in Debate Club at the moment. Ms. Rocco also shared that some topics students are debating include: school uniforms, should Tik Tok be banned, and animal testing.
Club members are learning how to research, think critically, and present their arguments confidently. But it’s not just about winning arguments; it’s about listening to others, understanding different perspectives, and learning how to respectfully disagree—a skill that’s important for life.
If you are interested in joining Debate Club, please reach out to Ms. Rocco: arocco@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Entrepreneur Club
Hoboken Middle School is excited to announce its first Entrepreneur Club! This new club provides students with the opportunity to explore the world of entrepreneurship, develop creative business ideas, and gain hands-on experience in what it takes to turn those ideas into reality. In the Entrepreneur Club, students will learn key skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and financial literacy. They’ll also have the chance to open and run our school store. We can’t wait to see the innovative ideas that our students come up with and the impact they’ll make.
If you are interested in joining Entrepreneur Club, please reach out to Ms. Quist: hquist@hoboken.k12.nj.us.
Best Buddies continues to foster inclusivity and compassion here at Hoboken Middle School. One of our reporters, Jillian Cannavale, interviewed Ms. Beriloff in September to learn more about Best Buddies.
Jillian: What do you want Best Buddies to do for the school?
Ms. Beriloff: Best Buddies is all about fostering inclusion and creating meaningful friendships between students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). This year, we want to expand our efforts by partnering with the Heart of Hoboken and Hoboken High School’s Best Buddies clubs to host inclusive events for all students. By doing so, we hope to build a stronger sense of community where every student feels valued, included, and empowered to contribute to our school's culture of acceptance and leadership.
Jillian: How many students signed up for Best Buddies?
Ms. Beriloff: We currently have 40 students signed up for Best Buddies, and about 20-25 consistently attend our meetings. However, we welcome more students to join us! Even if you're unable to make every meeting, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved by attending events and taking small, daily actions to promote inclusion and foster friendships within our Tiger community.
Jillian: What do you want to accomplish this year in Best Buddies?
Ms. Beriloff: This year, we are excited to accomplish several major goals. We're holding our first-ever elections, which is a big step for our chapter, and we’ll be forming event committees to encourage even more participation. Additionally, I’ve been nominated for Champion of the Year, and I’m working closely with Keanu as my mission partner. We initially set a fundraising goal of $5,000 for Best Buddies but have now raised it to $7,000! Every dollar raised will go toward supporting Best Buddies programming and events in New Jersey.
Jillian: What do you plan on doing this year?
Ms. Beriloff: This year, we plan on continuing our partnership with Heart of Hoboken to hold a special Halloween-themed movie night at Hoboken High School on October 28th from 6-9 PM, which will be open to all students. We’re also gearing up for our biggest annual event—the Best Buddies Walk. This year, it will be held at TCNJ, which has a huge Best Buddies chapter. I had the chance to spend time with them at the Best Buddies Leadership Conference (BBLC), and it will be an amazing experience for our students to connect with their chapter. Stay tuned for more exciting updates and events!
Jillian: What do you think of the program this year?
Ms. Beriloff: I’m incredibly proud of how far our Best Buddies chapter has come. We started out as a very small group back in 2019, and we’ve faced a lot of challenges, including navigating remote learning and COVID-19. But we persevered, and now we’ve grown into a highly successful chapter. I’m most proud of how kind, respectful, and inclusive our members are. When you’re a Best Buddies member, you become a leader in our school, and it’s amazing to see our students take on that role
Editor's Note: On November 15th at the New Jersey Best Buddies Gala, Ms. Beriloff and Keanu Brueggemann won the New Jersey Best Buddies Champion of the Year. Ms. Beriloff and Keanu raised $23, 267 throughout their campaign. Congratulations to Ms. Beriloff and Keanu!
Throughout the month of October, all Hoboken Middle School students were able to read the book Four Perfect Pebbles. This is a powerful memoir by Marion Blumenthal Lazan, recounting her experiences as a child during the Holocaust. Marion, along with her family, was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, including the infamous Bergen-Belsen. In the book, she describes the hardships they endured, her close bond with her family, and how she held onto hope through a small ritual of finding four perfect pebbles to represent her family members surviving together. Her story emphasizes resilience, hope, and the human spirit's strength even in the darkest times.
Marion Blumenthal Lazan visited Hoboken Middle School on October 29th. Students had the invaluable opportunity to hear her firsthand account, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of history and the importance of compassion and tolerance.
