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Deirdra Grode, Executive Director / Principal K-8

Elementary & Middle School 255 Congress Street

Jersey City, NJ 07307

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IALS

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3 John Bellocchio, Principal 9-12 High School

4th and Garden Streets, 4th floor Hoboken, NJ 07030

Tel: 201-963-3280 Fax: 201-963-0695

THE HOBOKEN CHARTER SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Important Dates: Monday – Thursday, May 13 – 16 – NJASK Testing for Grade 3 Monday – Friday, May 13 – 17 – NJASK Testing for Grade 3 Thursday, May 16 - Parent Association Meeting at 7:00 pm – Sts. Peter and Paul Friday, May 24 - 1:00 dismissal for Grades K-12 (no after school) Monday, May 27 – School Closed for students in grades K-12 Monday, June 3 – Dress Rehearsal for the Summer Gathering – Details to follow Tuesday, June 4 – Summer Gathering (rain date on Wednesday, June 5) Wednesday, June 12 - Board of Trustees Meeting – 7 p.m. Thursday, June 13 - Professional Development – 1 p.m. dismissal for students in grades K-12 Thursday, June 20 – Field Day (rain date on Friday, June 21) Thursday, June 20 – June 25 – 1:00 p.m. dismissal for Students Monday, June 24 – 12th Grade Graduation – St. Matthew Lutheran Parish Hall at 4:00 pm Tuesday, June 25 – 8th Grade Graduation – St. Matthew Lutheran Parish Hall at 4:00 pm

Table of Contents Español con Sr. Nuñez pgs 2-3 Physical Education/Health w/ Mr. Flynn pg 4 Music Rocks! w/ Mr. Gavarny pgs 5-7 ArtSmart with Mr. Duff pgs 8-13 Will You Be Returning to HCS pg 14

Amanda Modica’s Pep Rally Speech—Friday, April 26 There is no denying this has been a difficult year for Hoboken Charter School. We have been tested in a way no school ever should and neither a fire nor a hurricane was able to knock down our school spirit. When faced with adversity, we showed everyone – other schools, businesses, Hoboken officials, and people near and far– that our school is a school worth fighting for. Somehow, through all of this adversity we emerged stronger and prouder than ever

before. A true example of our school spirit can be seen in the performances of our Middle School boys and girls basketball teams. Under the outstanding leadership of Mr. Flynn, both teams did this school proud and are a

testament to how hard work and perseverance pay off. Although both teams started off the season slowly, over time they came together, scratching and clawing their way into the playoffs, living up to their Cougar name. Their resiliency and determination are truly representative of Hoboken Charter School. We are the little school that could!!!

Eugene Williams did a wonderful job as Principal for the Day.

Here Mr. Williams is pictured

reading to the kindergarten students.

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¡Español with Sra. Núñez! 

Kindergarteners learned the letters Ñ, O, P and Q and new vocabulary related to those letters.

Students created a booklet for each letter tracing; coloring and writing words that begin with those letters. They also learned numbers from 0-10. They continue mastering this theme through games, songs, short dialogues and questions reinforcing the vocabulary. Finally, kindergartens are learning colors and reviewing fruits asking their colors.

First graders are learning how to add and subtract in Spanish using the numbers 0-20. To review, students used

index cards to identify the numbers. They also played dominos and bingo in Spanish. Finally, they listened to songs and watched two videos about those numbers.

Second graders are learning how to add, subtract, multiply and divide in Spanish using

the numbers from 0-100. Students used index cards asking each other what number they had in their hands. They also played domino and bingo in Spanish. Finally, they listened to songs and watched videos about those numbers.

Third graders learned fruits and vegetables. They watched a video about this topic. They listened to a song and played some games to reinforce the vocabulary. They also practiced a conversation in which they used places and foods talking about where they eat some foods. Finally, they finished a package about foods and beverages.

Fourth graders are reviewing the verb Ser using it with occupations. Right now,

they are learning the present tense of –er, -ar and –ir verbs in Spanish. They are learning these verbs through body language, games and songs. Finally, they are working on a package about verbs in the present tense to master this topic.

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Fifth graders learned the verb Ser. Students learn how to say where they are from and asked each other where they were born. Students played a substitution game in which they indicate the same information. Students wrote short conversations in which they greeted another person, introduced themselves, asked where they are from and say goodbye. Sixth graders had a test on hobbies and chores. They also worked in class writing information about ten friends including their name, address, phone number, favorite hobby and favorite chore. Finally, they created a scrapbook based on this information. I have to say that I am very proud of the sixth graders because they did a great job and put their hearts in this project!!

Seventh graders create an advertisement for a Latino supermarket. They needed to pick a Latino name for their supermarket and include ten foods and ten beverages that they had learned in class. They learned the verb Necesitar in present tense. They played a substitution game using the verb Necesitar expressing the need for some foods. Finally, they practiced some conversations saying what they like to eat or drink.

Eighth graders learned the verb Tener indicating possession and their age. They practiced having conversations saying their age and the number of family members they have. They created a poster in which they indicated their favorite Francisco Goya painting and made their creation based on Goya’s artistic style.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH WITH MR. FLYNN

PE has been exciting and busy as always. K-1 has been learning how to throw a ball, how to hit a target and exploring different balls. We learned how to step with the oppo-

site foot and release points. The balls we have learned to throw are softballs, tennis balls, footballs and shooting a basketball.

Grade 2 has been playing two different kickball lead up games. The first one we played was called Kick-it. It combines the game of

Cricket with Kickball. The second game we played was Star Kickball. It’s a high scoring version of Kickball. Grades 3-8 have been playing the classic game of Kickball. It has been great fun to watch the team captains with their lineup cards and scouting reports on the other team. Right now we are in the middle of the HCS Series. In Health K-4 has been learning about the 5 senses. We learn one of the senses every week and we have learned what it would be like if we didn’t have some of our senses. Particularly what it would be like if we could not hear or see. One of our experiments was to move around the room blindfolded and find where a tapping sound was coming from.

Grades 5-8 have been learning about Human Sexuality. We have had open discussion on learning about changes that occur during puberty, hygiene, relationships and being respectful of the opposite gender, how babies are made and what happens in the womb, how much responsibility comes with having a child and gender stereotyping. I would like to thank Elissa Brachfeld for assisting me with this unit. She is able to give a female perspec-tive to students on the matter. Elissa has a master’s degree in Human Sexuality. We had an incredible Pep Rally for our bas-ketball team’s success this past season! The day was made possible by 2 special people at HCS. Mr. Giamura and Mr. Gavarny. Mr. Giamura and the student council did a marvelous job decorating the gym and spreading the word. Mr. Gavarny arranged the music and lead the pep band in “The Final Countdown” and “Party Rock Anthem” which got the crowd dancing! Thank you to both of them for showing team play extends off the court too! Our annual HCS Community Volleyball game will be on the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. Details to follow!

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Music Rocks! Mr. Sean Gavarny

April has been quite a busy and exciting month. Thanks to the wonderful Ms. Vivian Hasbrouk we pulled off our first middle school only play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” musical. Students worked very hard to learn their lines and songs, even rehearsing on weekends and during spring break. Congrats to an amazing job! K-4 students worked equally hard on their show, “The Jungle Book” and put on yet another incredible weekend of performances at the Monroe theater. So proud of all students involved in the plays and I can’t believe it’s all over already! Kindergarten Kindergarten has worked on melody, rhythm, tone color and form. They have explored singing songs they have already learned using different tone colors and changing the feeling of the song. They have also begun preparing for Summer Gathering. The songs they are working on are, “Secret Agent Man,” “Valerie Plame,” and “Inspector Gadget.” So far we have been focusing more on rhythm, to make sure we get some of the trickier parts of these songs. Students have also been working with pitched percussion and have learned how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb. For classical history they have learned about Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky.

1st Grade The 1st grade has been working on melody, rhythm and expressive qualities. They just had their trip to Carnegie Hall and had an amazing time learning about patterns in music and seeing incredible musicians. They have also been preparing for Summer Gathering. They will be performing together with the kindergarten and second grade to sing, “Secret Agent Man,” “Valerie Plame” and “Inspector Gadget.” Each grade will be responsible for different parts of the song which helps reinforce the concept of form that they have been learning about all year. In classical history, they have learned about Canon in D by Pachebel. 2nd Grade Second grade has been working on harmony and melody . In their sight singing curriculum, they are practicing with all pitches from Low Do to High Do. So far they have been focusing on step-wise movement but soon they will be learning to sing with skips which will present new challenges. They have also started learning about the letter names to the pitches instead of the “solfege” system we have been using for most of the year. This is to prepare them for reading music and playing recorder in 3rd grade. In addition they have also been working along with kindergarten and 1st grad to prepare for Summer Gathering. They are the anchor of this K-2 chorus and will be responsible for keeping this group of 66 students together! For classical history they have learned about the Toreador song by Bizet.

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Carnegie Hall Musical Explorers! Another great year at Carnegie Hall for 1st and 2nd graders! Our very own Grace Conlin, Nariah Gilyard and Toby Platt went on stage for a demonstration of Chinese sign language to one of the songs we learned! 3rd Grade Third grade has been working on harmony, form, tone color and rhythm. Students have been working hard on recorder and learning new songs. Most recently they have learned how to play, “New World Symphony.” They have learned how to play their first note with two hands, “E” which is needed in New World Symphony. In addition they have been preparing for their trip to Carnegie Hall by learning to sing and play the songs we will be participating in at the concert. In order for 3rd grade students to be allowed to bring their recorders to Carnegie Hall they must learn how to play the first song, “Come to Play,” on recorder. In the world of classical history they have learned about the Wedding Chorus by Wagner. 4th Grade The fourth grade has been focusing on melody, rhythm, harmony and expressive qualities. They have been preparing for Summer Gathering and increasing their technical abilities on the recorder. One concept they have been focusing on is theme and variations. They learned about a theme in comparison to a pizza pie. The variations are the different types of toppings you can have on a pizza. A theme can vary just the same. We took the theme of Twinkle

Twinkle Little Star and learned how to hear and play about five different variations. Students are now in the process of composing their own variations of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. For music history, they have learned about Unfinished Symphony by Schubert. Carnegie Hall LinkUP! Program: The Orchestra Rocks Students in grades 3–4 discover how composers and musicians play with elements of rhythm, creating patterns of sound and silence that are expressive and exciting. Exploring a range of orchestral repertoire, students sing, play the recorder, compose, and perform in a culminating concert in Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium.

Middle School Artsbridge Classes Grades 5-6 - X-Factor This past month all small groups have pretty much finished up their first project and are beginning their second project. Students generally work in groups of 2-3 and pick different responsibilities for what they will accomplish in recording the songs. Some groups choose to focus more on vocals while others prefer to work more on the instrumental side of the song. This class has been going very well and I am proud of their work so far.

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Grades 7-8—X-Factor Students have been working hard this past month to finish up their first projects and begin their second group project. Similar to the way the 5th/6th grade class runs, they work together in small groups to rehearse and record songs that they choose. They have done a great job so far! Beginner Band Beginner band has been working hard to prepare for Summer Gathering. There are different challenges in the selections they have to play for Summer Gathering. In “Dominance,” the blend of the ensemble and their harmonies are more of the focus. Students must learn to listen for the melody and not blast their own part if it is not the melody of the song. In Batman, they have been learning to play tricky rhythms that even involve a little swing. It also includes accidental notes that are a little bit out of their comfort range. They are practicing hard and getting the hang of it. We are looking forward to an awesome Summer Gathering performance! Concert Band 5th and 6th grade Concert Band has been working on Mars by Holst, the Light of Dawn by James Swearingen, the Star Spangled Banner and the Firebird by Stravinsky. 7th and 8th grade Concert Band has been working on Acclamations by Ed Huckeby, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, Ballade and Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed. Congratulations to all middle school

students who performed at Empty Bowls this past Saturday! Hopefully students understood the fact that this wasn’t just another performance, but a chance to give back, a way to give back and to contribute to others by their talents. Middle school bands are now preparing for Summer Gathering which is coming up quite soon!

After School Programs

Jazz Band Congrats to the jazz band for their recent performances at our first school pep rally and at Empty Bowls! At the pep rally they played Final Countdown and Party Rock Anthem and at Empty Bowls they performed As If to Say Goodbye. Healing Choir Congratulations to the Healing Choir for their beautiful performance at Empty Bowls. Such a short and simple song, “Is this the World we Created” is, but with a powerful message that became even more touching coming from the mouths of these young students. **************************************

Upcoming Events:

June 4th, 2013 - Summer Gathering

(Rain Date June 5th) Please check ahead of time for schedule

conflicts and see if there is any way we can avoid issues ahead of time so it can be a better

experience for the kids, you and me!

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ART SMART We made clay EMPTY BOWLS (without a kiln or a sink)

and helped our community! We’re in the final ARTSmart stretch for the year w/ projects

ranging from self-portraits to Navajo horse masks &

The 1-2 Recycled/Reseen ART Fair and Summer Gathering are on the way!

     We’ve been up to our necks in bowls – empty ones, of clay, yarn, even recy‐cled record albums! In fact we seem to be “going in circles” from the 7/8  Arts‐bridge making dreamcatchers to the 4th graders creating work after the paint‐ings of Sonia Delauney! It’s been a circular season! 

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In  fact,  our  Sonia Delaunay‐inspired work has  provided  the  perfect  backdrop  for  Empty Bowls! AND we  are  also making Day of the Dead colored aluminum diptychs and triptychs as we learn to emboss and deboss metals. We are creating ethnic portraits that represent ceremonial  costumes  from around  the world. AND  lastly,  the new  “Seriously Silly” class even tattooed bananas.   

 

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  The 5/6 “Best Of…” Artsbridge class has been creating Navajo horse masks like this one by James Jensen. 

There are have also been lessons on perspective and portraiture. First graders are learning about placement on the face when rendering (so we don’t look like aliens from Mars with eyeballs on our foreheads) and also how to tackle those 

pesky noses (so we don’t render ourselves like scarecrows)!   

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  AND then there have been lessons on Georgia O’Keeffe and rendering bones! AND poems  from others’ perspectives, hauku,  tanka,  renga,  and  Imagist po‐ems. We’ve  created  “comic  book”  paintings  after Warhol  and  Lichtenstein… And we have made yarn bowl/baskets, shotgun houses after the sculptures of African‐American artist, Beverly Buchanan… AND paintings influenced by ex‐treme weather – the kind that causes “displacement” (our word of the week) – and paintings inspired by Dale Chihuly’s “organic” (a word of the day) botani‐cal glass installations!   

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    The  MONSTER,  INC.  after  school  en‐richment class watched a snippet  from “BRAVE” and created  “sprite” masks based  on  the  ethereal  creatures  in  that  film! We’re  also working  on  dragon paintings and 3D ones from recycled items and clay! 

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AND after reading “Stone Soup” Kindergarten kids have  learned that there  is enough food for everyone if only we share, and just in time for Empty Bowls! Our collages reflect that!   

  

 So, ‘til next time, I remain yours in art, edu‐cation & service learning, Mr. “SK” Duff  & the K‐8 ARTSmart kids.

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