The Herald

Welcome back to the 2024-2025 school year. For those of you who are new to the school district, The Herald is a weekly digital newsletter that highlights events, accomplishments, co- and extra-curricular activities, and other important news from all of our schools and district. At the start of each week, The Herald will be emailed to all families. Be sure to take a moment and learn more about our preschool programs, our elementary schools, our middle school, and our high school:

Preschool Programs

Brandt Elementary School

Connors Elementary School

Wallace Elementary School

Hoboken Middle School

Hoboken High 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

At the start of this school year, there are a few very important things that I would like to share:

• First, I will attend a PTO meeting at each school in order to get to know all of you better. In addition, I have reserved the 2nd and 4th Friday of every month for Gather & Grow Sessions. The purpose of these sessions are for individuals or small groups (up to 8) of staff, parents, or community members to reserve thirty minutes or an hour of time to meet with me to provide valuable input and feedback that I will gather in order to help our district grow. If you are interested in reserving a session, you may do so by completing and submitting this Google Form.
• Second, your child's school will be sending home lunch applications. It is very important that you complete an application for all of your children. Even if you do not think that you qualify, submitting the form helps us keep an accurate count. Most important, if you have qualified in the past, you must complete a lunch form every year and for each child in your home that attends our schools in order for your children to be eligible for a hot meal at no cost this school year. If you do not complete the application for each of your children every year, your children will accrue a lunch balance and you will receive a bill at the end of the school year. It is also important to know that a la carte items in the cafeteria do not count under the free lunch qualifications or for those paying regular prices for hot meals. Therefore, it is important to remind your child that if they go up for a snack, such as pretzels or Sun Chips, there is a charge for those items.
• Third, attendance in school is so important. There is a correlation between student achievement and those students who are chronically tardy or absent to school. This year, our school principals are going to be monitoring this very closely. Please do not get offended it a principal calls or sends a letter regarding attendance. We are bound to notify families if a child is accruing absences because school administrators are required to report chronic absenteeism to the courts. Having a note for illness certainly helps a principal if your child is absent a number of times. While the N.J. DOE only allows for excused absences for a few reasons (being ill is not one of them), the principal does have the discretion not to report to the courts if there is documented illnesses or injury causing the child to be home from school. Keep in mind that family vacations and trips are not excused either, even with a note or submission of plane tickets. Schools are held to very strict guidelines. Our goal in the Hoboken Public School District is to have children here as many days as we possibly can to maximize learning and social development.
• Fourth, we are working on a new website. Within the next month, we will launch it and provide a complete "how-to-use" overview to all families.
• And fifth, the Hoboken Public School District will be engaging in the development of a new 5-Year Strategic Plan. Keep your eyes and ears open for more information and ways to contribute. The plan will be rooted in the Portrait of the Hoboken High School Graduate, with goals and objectives created using a backward design process, and an updated Long Range Facilities Plan to address both our enrollment growth and aging facilities.

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

HPEF's community run team had so much fun greeting new and returning students at Wednesday's ice cream social. We hope you'll all join us for another fantastic event -- our first annual Back-to-School Community Run next Sunday, September 15th featuring a Kids Fun Run, 1 Mile Walk/Run, and 5k. Register TODAY for 50% off the 5k registration (a $25 savings) by entering the coupon code ICECREAM at check out. Offer valid through 11:59pm today, Friday 9/6. Note: the 5k price increases on 9/7 so now is the best time to register! Visit www.bit.ly/HPEF5k to sign up today!

See you at the starting line!

Saturday, October 5, 2024, 2:30pm
Hoboken HS Gymnasium
800 Clinton St. Hoboken, NJ 07030
$5.00 Admission, $2.00 per Cupcake

(Contestant do not need to pay the admission fee)

Do you have the best cupcakes in Hoboken??

5 Competitor categories - one winner from each.
Adult & Student Catergories
Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Adults, and Fan Favorite.

Judging will be done by 3 celebrity judges. (Judges TBA)

Contestants must bake and decorate 3 dozen cupcakes for the
competition. Judges will be scoring based on
FLAVOR, CREATIVITY & PRESENTATION.
One Flavor per registration Only.

$20.00 registration fee to compete

All contestants must be registered by Tuesday, October 1, 2024 .

You will receive an email containing instructions for the competition.

https://forms.gle/7dyHF7bikv2HTqA4A

You can pay the registration fee by Cash, Check, or Money Order.

Checks or Money Orders can be made payable to Hoboken HS Class of 2025.

You can mail all Checks or Money Orders to:

Hoboken HS Class of 2025

Attention: Mr. Munoz

Hoboken High School

800 Clinton Street

Hoboken, NJ 07030

or you can drop off registration fees in an envelope with your name with the subject: CupCake Wars to the Security Desk at Hoboken HS.

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Munoz at Christopher.Munoz@hoboken.k12.nj.us or call (201) 356-3738.

Dear Hoboken Community,

In honor of Veterans Day, the Hoboken HS Student Government would like to invite you to participate in a special program to honor our heroes. The front of our beautiful Louis M. Taglieri Jr. Stadium will be decorated with American Flags. Each flag will represent and honor members of our Armed Forces, past and present.

Please consider honoring these great men and women by purchasing a flag for their service.

Each flag costs $5.00 and will represent an honoree for their service.

To honor a hero, fill out the form and return it along with your donation in the form of a check or money order made out to: Hoboken HS Student Council. The cost is $5.00 a flag.

All forms must be completed and returned by Friday, October 25, 2024.

Thank you very much for your support of our Hoboken Heroes.

Christopher Munoz

Hoboken HS Student Activities Coordinator

Mail to: Hoboken High School

Attn: Christopher Munoz, Student Council

800 Clinton Street

Hoboken, NJ 07030

In Pre-AP Theater student's were introduced to the topics that they would be covering this year. The majority of the class period was spent on team building ensemble based activities which helped break the ice. Two theater games that students enjoyed were "1, 2, 3, Wa!" and "Trainwreck".

Students were able to experiment with gestures and practice projecting their voices as part of these activities. We are looking forward to beginning our deep dive into the Pre-AP curriculum starting on Monday.

This week in Critical Thinking we are getting to know the classroom. We are building upon the work we did last year in Creative Writing. We have started our first lesson on Motivation. We will be exploring what motivates us as individuals and the different types of motivation that exist.

We will be looking into our core values and exploring things that help make up our character.

Hoboken Middle School's chorus students have been so excited to hear what is in store for them this year being a part of this brand new program! Throughout the 2024-25 school year, they will be performing at the HHS/HMS Winter Concert, HHS/HMS Spring Concert, and Music in the Park at Six Flags among many other performances.

They get to look forward to learning music theory and Pre-AP Music which will help them immensely as they continue throughout their music careers in school. This is going to be a very exciting year for all the students who want the opportunity to sing for their school and community!

Welcome back little ones!

As we acclimate ourselves to a new school year, we settle into the comfort of our classroom by sharing some of our fun and delightful summer experiences. Here is what some of our Wallace Wildcat students illustrated!

We had a great first week of school in 302! It was so nice to all be together again. We did activities practicing teamwork and collaboration, and we had fantastic discussions about creating a strong classroom community! It’s going to be a great year in Ms. A and Ms. Courtney’s room!

Welcome back to Art class! This week we warmed up our creative thinking with a Creativity Test. Students were given a paper with 4 rectangles that contained a random line or shape. Their goal was to create a drawing using the random line or shape within it! They blended in these marks to the point where I couldn’t find them anymore!

Great start to what is going to be a great year!

We cannot wait for another wonderful week of learning next week!

Looking forward to a great 4th grade year!

Welcome back! It was so exciting to see everyone getting back to school and into the gym for some fun. This week we kept things simple and went over procedures and expectations for this school year.

After all that boring stuff we got right into it with some relay races and included some agility skills to see how much faster we have all gotten over the summer. We finished the week with Shark Tag and everyone was happy to be back and moving. It was a great first couple days!

Our youngest Wildcats have had so much fun these first two days at Wallace School! The Kindergarten team LOVED seeing lots of smiling faces and fewer tears this morning. We thank you for your cooperation in helping us get into the building quickly during arrival.

Our young learners have been busy becoming familiar with the daily routines of Kindergarten. We practiced writing our names, drawing pictures of ourselves, and explored our many math manipulatives. They are quickly learning their way around Wallace School and are meeting their teachers for PLTW, Art, Physical Education, World Language, and Music for the first time. We love our special teachers! It is going to be an amazing year and we are excited to watch them grow with you!

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! We hope you had a fantastic summer and are as excited as we are for all the learning, creativity, growth and new experiences that we have planned in Second Grade at Wallace Elementary!

This year, we will continue to build strong foundations in reading, writing, and math while also exploring science, social studies, and the arts. We have a variety of engaging activities and projects planned to make learning both fun and meaningful for all of our second grade Wildcats.

We can't wait to share all the fabulous things we do in our classes and to celebrate all the students' successes with you, so don't forget to check back here weekly.

Thank you for your support and partnership. Let’s make this a memorable and successful year together!

We are thrilled to welcome you and your child to the 4th grade! This year promises to be a fantastic journey of learning, growth, and exploration. Our classrooms will be a place where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is celebrated, and every student’s unique talents are recognized.

In 4th grade, we’ll dive into exciting new subjects and deepen our understanding of concepts in math, ELA, science, and social studies. We’ll also have the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills, work collaboratively on projects, and engage in hands-on activities that make learning come alive.

Welcome Back to School! My name is Ms. Drew and I will be your Guidance Counselor at Wallace Elementary School. Each week, I will be sharing exciting Social Emotional Learning updates. Social Emotional Learning is an important component of education and human development. This form of education helps students of all ages to better understand their emotions, to feel those emotions fully, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions, create frameworks to achieve their goals and build positive relationships with others.

Throughout next week, we will be celebrating The Week of Hello. This theme week creates a welcoming environment, addresses positivity and the importance of being kind to one another. Monday’s theme is Make Someone Smile Monday. Students are encouraged to wear rainbow clothes/accessories and to “be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Tuesday’s theme is Take What You Need Tuesday. Students are encouraged to spread encouragement and positivity with their peers. Wednesday’s theme is Wallace Spirit Wednesday. Students are encouraged to wear their Wallace Wilcat’s Spirit Wear. Thursday’s theme is Talk About it Thursday. Students will be able to view the Positive Affirmation Station by my office RM 207. Lastly, Friday’s theme is Find a Friend Friday. Students are encouraged to invite someone new to eat lunch with them and make new friends.

Every month I will be conducting Social Emotional Learning classroom lessons with each grade level. Students will participate in an activity/anticipatory set, independent reading/writing and closing activity with an exit reflection. The topic for September is Meet the Counselor and Welcome Back to School. Students will learn about my job responsibilities, where I am located in the school building, and how I can support them academically, socially and emotionally. I look forward to our continued collaboration in your child’s educational journey and to a wonderful school year! #GoWildcats

Welcome to HMS 6th graders! ELA students were introduced to school and classroom policies and procedures, joined their respective Google Classroom and Vocabulary.com classes, and then participated in various activities in an effort to get to know each other. Next, students enjoyed completing an “All About Me” one-pager activity.

Next week, students will join the StudySync digital platform and will be introduced to their unit 1 novel, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. To start off science class this year, students got to know each other by working together to figure out how I had them arranged in class. Students also chose life science careers, conducted research, and designed a t-shirt for their chosen career. On Friday, we prepared for labs by going over lab safety rules and making lab safety signs that we will hang up in our classroom. In 6th grade civics, there are a lot of history buffs so we are sure to have a wonderful year. The students learned about National History Day, parents you will be receiving an email about this wonderful program next week. The students also learned about Cornell Notes. They will be using this technique to write their weekly notes during class. In math, all students were able to get to know one another by completing a Math-style getting to know you activity.

Students then completed some critical thinking puzzles to give them a taste of how they will learn math this year. We are looking forward to a productive and successful school year!

We are looking forward to our first full week. Be on the lookout for emails from your child’s teachers!

Welcome to 8th grade! We had a wonderful first two days of school. All subjects participated in icebreaker activities to introduce both teachers and students. We spent some time reviewing expectations and procedures as well. The 8th grade team looks forward to an excellent year ahead!

When asked what they were most excited for this year, 8th graders said..

“I’m excited to prepare myself for high school.”

“I’m excited to join a club.”

“I’m looking forward to getting to know my new teachers.”

“I am most excited for making more friends, just like I did last year.”

“I am most excited for the book The Outsiders that we are going to read in the school year.”

Teacher Emails:

ELA:

To kick off the new school year, HMS held its annual Club and Activities Fair on Friday, September 6th during lunch. This event gave students the opportunity to explore and learn about our various clubs and after-school activities. Students are welcome to sign up for multiple clubs if they are interested, and can attend the meeting times on a consistent basis.

Clubs will commence the week of September 9th. Each club advisor will set up a Google Classroom and maintain daily attendance for all meetings. All club activities will take place after school from 3:00 PM to 4:15 PM. HMS Club schedule is subject to change based on needs and advisor availability.

HMS Fall Clubs Schedule (Click to View)

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