Brandt 's Quarterly Newsletter

ELA: Students read, discussed, and explored how weather can affect our lives as students worked on cause and effect. Students were introduced to the silent letters wr, kn, and gn as well as more spelling patterns to help them spell new words. Students reviewed compound words and pronouns. Students are also challenging themselves by reading chapter books in their free time and writing fiction stories.

Math: First Graders began a new unit in math called Blocks and Buildings. Students described, compared, and built with 3-D shapes throughout the unit. Students went on a shape hunt around the classroom to find real life objects in the shape of cylinders, pyramids, spheres, cones, and rectangular prisms. Students have also been reviewing concepts such as time, money, place value, and double digit addition in order to prepare for second grade!

Social Studies: Students learned about our community, our state, our country, and our world. Students discussed how people work together to make the world a better place. In May, students read books and participated in activities related to Asian American Pacific Islander Month and Jewish American Month. Students especially enjoyed learning about different dances from other countries. Students read and discussed the importance of Memorial and Flag Day and enjoyed some Career Day fun with the Police and Fire Department.

First Grade kicked off the summer reading with the Hoboken Public Library visiting our school to introduce incentives for summer reading. To help our mental and physical health, the students did a little yoga on the rooftop and they made posters of healthy snack choices to continue good eating and mindful habits for life.

ELA: In Reading, second grade students were able to identify non-fiction features such as bold words, timelines, headings, and captions. Students were able to use these features to help them determine main ideas in passages and paragraphs. We also took a deep dive into Poetry! We learned all about different types of poems and created a few of our own. In Writing, students worked hard on their opinion and persuasive writing skills. They continued to create writing pieces with strong openings, included reasons and examples, and had strong closings to continue to convince their reader!

Social Studies: In Social Studies, students reflected on their second grade year. They thought about different ways they have grown and determined if they have reached their beginning of the year goals in all of their subjects. Students discussed what they still need to work on as well as shared things they loved about their second grade experience! Students also engaged in discussions to celebrate differences in our society such as AAPI, Career Day, and Mental Health Awareness Month. Students were introduced to a Yoga session where they worked on mindful breathing and being in the moment.

Math: In Math, students learned measurement as well as reviewed past topics. Students have been working on 2-3 digit addition and subtraction with regrouping. We have been continuing to practice and master place value skills, as well as working on fractions. Students have also been working hard on mastering the foundational skills of multiplication by using repeated addition. Third Grade, here we come!

ELA: This quarter, students in Third Grade took a deep dive into their third grade Reading Wonders curriculum. Through a variety of books and articles, students explored several different themes including: What makes different animals unique? How can one person change the world? What do we know about Earth and its neighbors?

Students also conducted their fourth novel study: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Students were given an opportunity to study the evolution of E. B. White's Newbery Honor Book. It is a tender novel of friendship, love, life, and death that will continue to be enjoyed by generations to come. It contains illustrations by Garth Williams.

Math: Students focused on developing ideas about collecting, representing, describing, and interpreting data. Students used bar graphs, pictographs, and line plots to represent, describe, and compare categorical and numerical data. They solved one- and two-step "how many more" and "how many less" problems using information presented in the graphs. Students also generated measurement data in inches, half-inches, feet, and yards.

Social Studies: This quarter students used the provided resources to research and learn about influential African Americans who helped shape our world. Students also explored the amazing Women of History, third grade students learned how those in history created change, helped navigate our society into a more perfect union and how they continue to honor those legacies.

The concepts of this unit helped to promote civic responsibility and help to establish a life-long process of a citizen’s role in their world. Students completed the unit of study understanding the importance of their civic choices and how those choices affect the lives of those around them.

ELA: Over the course of marking period 4, our fourth grade readers wrapped up the novel Jim and Me by Dan Gutman and launched the novel, Wonder by RJ Paclacio and began their final novels of the year Who Let the Gods Out? and Solimar. In addition, students refined their inferencing skills throughout class discussion.

At the beginning of marking period 4, our fourth grade writers were busy working on all three writing styles: narrative, LAT, and RST. Students prepared for NJSLA by working on simulation writing pieces that included: continuing a story about a pair of wacky shoes, analyzing the theme(s) between a literary passage and a poem, as well as comparing and contrasting two different myths.

As the marking period progressed, our fourth grade writers were able to work on some creative writing pieces. Students completed a realistic writing assignment that allowed them the ability to give advice to Auggie on his first day at a new school. To conclude the year students also were able to create movie posters for one of the many novels we read this year. Students were asked to include many different components, both written and visual, to show their knowledge of the book. Students will get to keep this to show how much they have grown as writers and students throughout the school year.

Math: At the beginning of marking period 4, our fourth grade mathematicians wrapped Unit 7: a review of multiplication and division strategies that also connect to measurement conversions (metric and customary) as well as estimation. Students worked on interpreting line plots that involved mixed numbers and fractions, as well as adding and subtracting these numbers to find the range within the data. In preparation for NJSLA, these mathematicians worked on simulation tasks that involved multiple word problems. Students navigated the TestNav platform and learned how to use the online tools in preparation for their first experience with NJSLA testing.

At the end of marking period 4, our fourth grade mathematicians launched and completed Unit 8, which focuses on comparing situations represented by arithmetic sequences. Students have been analyzing arithmetic patterns and using tables and symbolic notation to model situations involving penny jars and floors and towers.

These mathematicians have worked on generating expressions involving multiple operations and multiple variables. Using these expressions, students have completed data tables filling in how many pennies are contained in a specific jar based on information provided. Students then use these expressions to determine how many pennies will be in the same jar at a higher numerical round.

Social Studies: Throughout marking period 4, our fourth grade agents of change wrapped up their unit focusing on the War of 1812. Students explored how the British and American colonists were still at odds with each other despite ending the Revolutionary War with the colonists gaining their independence from Britain. As part of their exploration, students identified the causes of the War of 1812, as well as influential people in this war–which was nicknamed the Second Revolutionary War. Students completed extension activities that involved writing diary entries about what life was like from a different points of view: 1) a U.S. merchant sailor being stopped and searched by the British, 2) a Native American witnessing more and more settlers arriving, and 3) Dolley Madison, wife of the current president, sharing her experience.

During the second half of marking period 4, these agents of change worked hard to understand the causes and effects of Westward Expansion. Students read and discussed topics such as Manifest Destiny, the Oregon Trail, the Mexican-American War, the Louisiana Purchase, and the California Gold Rush. Students learned how the birth of the railroad also transformed travel during the 19th century. These agents of change have explored how Westward Expansion negatively impacted the indigenous peoples and forced them off their land, and they discussed ways we can better our modern-day society and prevent history from repeating itself.

ELA: It was a fun filled and productive final marking period in 5th grade language arts. Throughout this fourth marking period, students visited the genre of nonfiction and historical fiction in order to deepen their comprehension skills through a deep study of the story plot structure.

Students started off the marking period by reading the novel, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson. This fast-paced thriller follows the twelve day manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after his assassination of President Lincoln. Students worked hard to make connections between the significant historical events, ideas, and people and then got creative by scripting and filming a breaking news story related to their reading!

Our final novel was Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. In this historical fiction novel, a young Danish girl has to show bravery and maturity as she helps her family, friends, and members of the Resistance smuggle their Jewish neighbors out of Denmark and into the safety of Sweden. Through this novel, students learned about direct and indirect characterization, reading informational texts, and making connections between fiction and real life.

Throughout both novels, fifth grade scholars analyzed the motivation, diverse perspectives, and development of multiple characters in the text. Students also mastered identifying and analyzing literary elements to evaluate setting and plot development within literature.

Math: Fifth graders were hard at work this marking period, refining previously learned skills and taking on new challenges in mathematics. During their investigation of Unit 7, Races, Arrays, and Grids, students focused on multiplying and dividing rational numbers, which included extending students’ understanding of the meaning of those operations and of place value. Students used contexts and representations (fraction bars, arrays, and grids) to solve problems involving multiplication and division of fractions and decimals. Lastly, they applied their understanding of multiplication and division to solve measurement conversion problems.

For the final unit of the year, Unit 8: Properties of Polygons, students focused on classifying triangles and quadrilaterals based on their properties. Additionally, they used patterns to describe how the perimeters and areas of rectangles change when the dimensions of the rectangle change.

To wrap up the year, students completed spiral review activities, where they reviewed and refined all previously learned mathematical concepts from 5th grade. As the review unit closed, our mathematicians were eager to demonstrate mastery of these concepts through their final cumulative assessment. Congratulations fifth graders!

Social Studies: In 5th grade Social Studies, students spent a majority of the quarter engaged in lessons surrounding the American Civil War. They explored the events and disunion that led up to the Battle of Fort Sumter, ultimately marking the start of the war through the events that led the Confederates to surrender in 1865. By engaging with various multimedia stimuli, students made connections between significant people, places, and events of the time.

Students took part in lessons that focused on important historical figures and events from the time period during and following the American Civil War. They learned what happened to the Confederate generals and how the country struggled to get back together after the great war. Upon completion of the unit, fifth graders learned what life was like for varying groups of people after the war, such as soldiers, women, and people of color. Lessons focused on the amendments that were made to the US Constitution and how African Americans obtained citizenship.

In addition to our Social Studies curriculum, 5th grade scholars took part in activities to recognize Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Projects focused on exploring, highlighting, and honoring the history, arts, and culture of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the United States. Through choice boards, 5th grade historians worked together to research and deliver presentations that include individual accomplishments, contributions, inspiration and impacts on the world.

Our first graders began the quarter with learning about the life cycles of plants. As an example, we worked on a tomato life cycle that showed how living things grow and change over time. Next, our first graders worked on projects that showed how many different types of animals help their offspring survive until they grow strong enough to go off on their own. Babies have behaviors to communicate their needs, such as ducklings. The project that stood out for us was to create duck callers. It was creative and fun, however, like scientists and engineers it took us a lot of trial and error. The most difficult part was testing the sound. We had a few duck callers that worked and many that did not. We talked about changes in design and helped each other succeed to have a better end result. Lastly, as we did earlier this year, we checked in on the live web cams from the San Diego Zoo. We noticed that each group of animals showed different behaviors during the day. We saw koala bears, polar bears, baboons, giraffes, apes, and penguins. We also noticed that animals can survive in different environments, such as polar bear adaptations to warmer weather.

We also combined coding and animal habitats. We recalled previous knowledge and our Dimensions books to help with our study. With this, each child was asked to complete a habitat example by using their tablets or chromebooks to code their ideas. They were required to apply the characteristics, as well the animals and insects that live in a specific environment. They added animation, created games using the habitat work, and also applied their life cycle of plants. Designs were changed, discussed, and enhanced using this process.

Lastly, we worked on how animals take care of their young. We learned that animal parents are very protective. For example, young rabbits are taught to hide in the grass while their mother is away. They listen for her return after her call and then call back to her so they know when she's near. We also found out that a lot of animal parents use sound to provide their young with food and nutrients. A common example would be baby chicks chirping. Some animals stay for years with their parents for survival.

Phys Ed began this quarter with our Game Unit, which is an unit we created last year based on the idea of bringing retro games from our childhood to life. We started off with Mario Kart, the ever popular Nintendo racing game. The Brandt gymnasium underwent a magical transformation into a real-life Super Mario Kart adventure, with characters like Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach coming to life. Students zoomed around the course on scooters, aiming to navigate without colliding with any of the obstacles scattered throughout. Adding to the excitement were some new surprises for this year’s event. Mushroom Man kept students on their toes as he chased and tagged them, while slippery banana peels threatened to send them spinning out of control.

Next up was Star Wars week, where there were opportunities for students to either destroy The Death Star or ensure peace and justice in the galaxy. Students in grades K-1 transformed into Storm troopers or Jedi to establish peace in the galaxy, playing a fitness tag version of Star Wars. Students in grades 3-5 played The destruction of The Death Star. Students had multiple expeditions and skills they worked on during this game. Students were separated into five groups: red, blue, purple, and yellow. Each color was assigned a rebel base and provided 4 frisbees. Their goal was to get the frisbee inside the Death Star from their base.

Then we transitioned to the next activity in the Game Unit: Hungry, Hungry Hippo. Students split into various roles: Hippo head, feet, a collector, and a counter. Students rotated roles after each round. As the hippo head, the students used a basket as their mouth to chomp down on the food in the middle of the gymnasium. The hippo feet moved the hippo head forward and backward to collect the food. Once the hippo head returned to their area the collector took all the items and gave it the counter.

Next up was MouseTrap. In this activity students transformed into mice. Luckily we prepared with our homemade trap. Players scurry around the mats collecting cheese, however they need to watch out for the trap! Students worked on straight pathways, running, crawling, and strategizing to be able to get the cheese. The mice who have been caught had to give up all of the cheese and contribute it to the main pile under the trap.

To wrap up the Game Unit, the student engaged in Battleship in honor of Memorial Day. Each team strategically placed their battleships (bowling pin) in their own area and were tasked with trying to sink the opposing teams battleship by accurately throwing the ball over the blind barrier and knocking over the ball on the cone.

To finish off the last couple of weeks, the students engaged in parachute activities. The purpose of the parachute play lessons is for the students to master fundamental skills for lifetime sports and recreation activities. They learned cognitive concepts and enjoyed the game. Through this lesson, children will increase their physical activity levels. The activities allow a large group of children to work together towards a common goal in a non-competitive environment.

On May 3rd we hosted our annual Career Day! It was another great day filled with lots of information presented to our students with a look into the world of careers. Thanks to the Hoboken Police Department, the Hoboken Fire Department, and the Hoboken Emergency Medical Service squad for having their vehicles on hand for our Kindergarten and First Graders.

Thanks to the following community members for coming in to share their expertise and career experience with our 2nd - 5th Grade students:

Amanda Connelly, Lee Miller, Gili Segall, Sean Cercone, Laura Keefe DeLange, Ronnie Adler, Cristin Cricco-Powell, Kamal Gursahani, Nicholas Pasquenza, Ryan Wiltbank, Emily Jabbour, Kristen Karotkin, Catherine Willhoit, Jarret Roth, Meryem Barbenes, Tim Smith, Sheryl Weaver Brennan, Dana LaPiana, and Matthew Schiumo.

Thanks as well to the Brandt School PTO for providing breakfast and lunch for our guests.

Check out some scenes from Career Day below...we can't wait to do it again next year!

END OF YEAR MEDICATION PICKUP

The end of the school year is quickly approaching! New Jersey State regulations require all

medication left at school at the end of the school year be discarded. This includes inhalers and

Epi-pens. The school is not able to allow your child to bring the medication home themselves. If

you need to make special arrangements to pick up medication, please call to make

arrangements. Medications not picked up, will be disposed of on the last scheduled school day

of the year; June 18th , 2024 at 12:00 PM.

For your convenience in preparing for next year, New Jersey State Law requires that:

• New medication forms for both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications must be signed by the provider and parent annually. Orders are good for one year from the date they are written.
• The parent must sign the medication permission form.
• Medication must remain in the properly labeled pharmacy or original OTC container.
• Parents or guardians must personally deliver all medication to the to the school health office (unless a self-carry order form is signed by parent and physician).
• If your child’s provider has determined that your child may self-carry and self-administer their medication, please have your healthcare provider complete the appropriate portion of the medication form which requires provider consent. Parent signature is also required.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions or concerns, please call

me at 201-356-3757 or email me cnuovo@hoboken.k12.nj.us . I thank you for your attention to

this matter. Have a healthy, happy and safe summer.

Warmly,

Cassandra Nuovo, BSN, RN

School Nurse

Joseph F. Brandt. Elementary School

201-356-3697