North Arlington High School
Highlights for February 2010
I.Curriculum and Instruction
English Department:

Mrs. Albuquerque’s English III Honors students celebrated African American
History month by reading and analyzing Lorraine Hansberry’s novel A Raisin in
the Sun. Students evaluated the novel’s plot specifically for veracity of events that
occurred during the Civil Rights movement. In addition, students differentiated
between the lives of African Americans in that particular time period with their
contemporary lifestyles. Themes such as pride in one’s heritage and assimilation
to different cultures were also critically discussed in class. Mrs. Albuquerque’s
English IV Honors and Regular students reviewed the guidelines for developing
a thesis paper focusing on MLA format as well as composing a cohesive thesis
statement. Active research was conducted by using the computer labs and
accessing the internet. Seniors were also assigned two novels for independent
reading: Night and Fahrenheit 451.

In Mrs. Burns’ SAT Prep course, students are taking practice tests and using the
SAT Online course as well as teaching test taking strategies. In English III, Mrs.
Burns has been addressing RTI and using small intervention groups to address
different learning styles and skill levels using technology. In Propaganda of
Genocide and Oppression Mrs. Burns’ students are evaluating the effectiveness
of nonviolent and spiritual resistance to oppression. Additionally, Mrs. Burns
has successfully implemented newly learned RTI skills by creating need-based
groupings which change throughout the week.

Mrs. Hughes’ English I classes have finished their novel, Hiroshima, and handed
in projects based on their reading. They also viewed segments of BBC: Survivors
of Hiroshima. Mrs. Hughes’ English II classes have been working on their
thesis papers, which will be due in February. They were instructed in proper
MLA format and are diligently working on their final copy. Mrs. Hughes’
English I Honors class has completed reading The Color Purple and has
completed various cross-curricular projects in conjunction with their studying of
it.

Miss Ingannamorte’s English II classes are busy working on their thesis papers.
Many interesting topics are being researched. English II classes are
commemorating Black History Month by watching and discussing a PBS
presentation A Prince among Slaves. Ms. Ingannamorte’s Creative Writing
class has written enchanting and educational children’s stories. They recognized
Black writer Langston Hughes by conducting a poetry reading and roundtable.

Mrs. Kaufman’s Strategies for Improving Reading used the on-line New
Century Program to read and critically analyze a variety of works. Students
worked collaboratively researching an African American Poet, his life, his
concerns, his style and use of figurative language. Mrs. Kaufman’s SRA
students worked on the AHSA Language Arts Literacy

Ms. Singler’s AP English class is continuing to write an original novel. It has
fictional characters who attend an exaggerated North Arlington High School.
They also studied A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and The Piano
Lesson by August Wilson in their analysis of Black History Month. Continuing
with this study, her English IV classes studied and analyzed Native Son by
Richard Wright as part of their study of Black History Month. Her English IV
class worked in preparation for the HSPA. This class read several short stories
about important African Americans.

Ms. Turner’s English I classes have begun to study William Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet. They watched a biography on William Shakespeare in order to
get background information on the time period and have been performing and
discussing the scenes in class. They also worked cooperatively to write a fictional
conversation between two of the characters. They have also continued to use the
Study Island software to help prepare them for the HSPA. Ms. Turner’s English
IV Honors class has begun studying Hamlet. They took extensive notes on
Shakespeare and Elizabethan theatre. They worked in small groups to discuss the
main themes of Hamlet and attempted to connect those themes to things in their
own lives. The class also worked in pairs to rewrite the first ten lines of the play.
Each pair was given a different type of television or movie genre in which to
perform the first ten lines.
Social Studies Department:

Mr. Galante’s US II class utilized the high school’s media center in order to
research on the internet various topics dealing with WWI. The students researched
and printed many pictures and other visual aids in order to create a collage of the
topics of WWI. Topics included propaganda posters, weapons of WWI, Trench
Warfare, and Total War. These collages are on display in Mr. Galante’s
classroom. Mr. Galante’s PEG class has viewed and analyzed SmartBoard
lessons including power point presentations of Indian topography and early
history, as well as a virtual tour of the Taj Mahal.

In Mrs. Kusher’s US History I Honors classes, students learned about the
Boston Massacre. Students then completed a project that required them to write a
story about the event as it would have been told in a colonial newspaper and a
British newspaper. Students had to include a headline for each story and a handdrawn picture. Mrs. Kusher’s US II students completed “Yellow Journalism”
posters. Each student had to take an event from prior to or during the SpanishAmerican War and tell a story using the technique of yellow journalism. Students
had to include an illustration, headline and story as part of their front page
newspaper account. All of Mrs. Kusher’s classes celebrated Martin Luther King,
Jr’s birthday by viewing a video by the band U2, named “Pride in the Name of
Love.” This song was a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and included footage
from the Civil Rights movement. In addition, the students viewed short
documentaries about incidents from the Civil Rights movement. Student reactions
were discussed after viewing the footage.

Mrs. O’Brien-Romer’s Advanced Placement History class read an excerpt
from Langston Hughes’ autobiography When the Negro Was in Vogue to
celebrate Black History month. Mrs. O’Brien-Romer’s PEG classes learned
about the Indian subcontinent and watched a short Youtube.com video about the
Ganges River. In her Sociology classes, Mrs. O’Brien-Romer’s students read an
article about India’s caste system and analyzed the social stratification in that
country.

Ms. Smith’s PEG Honors students wrote essays comparing and contrasting the
early civilizations of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Ms. Smith’s
Sociology students viewed the film, A Time to Kill, and analyzed how the movie
depicted topics recently addressed in class. Ms. Smith’s Government class
studied propaganda techniques and created fictitious propaganda posters using
one of the techniques studied. Ms. Smith’s AP European History students
analyzed the basic differences between nationalism, liberalism, and conservatism
as these ideologies were expressed in early 19th century Europe.
World Language Department

Ms. de Diego’s Spanish II classes have been working on the Preterit (past) tense
in Spanish and vocabulary related to vacationing. They created a Power Point on
an unforgettable vacation and are currently presenting it to the class. Spanish III,
and III-H, have been working on physical descriptions and adjectives of
personality. They have completed different activities such as being able to play
the game “Guess Who,” which employs skills of descriptiveness, totally in the
target language. Mrs. de Diego’s Spanish IV and IV-H are learning about the
history of the 20th Century Spain and the Spanish Civil War, they are also
working on the subjunctive tense while addressing different magazine columns
looking for advice in Spanish.

All of Mrs. McKeown’s French classes celebrated Black History Month with
poetry. Aime Cesaire, Leopold Senghor and Leon Damas, inspired by the Harlem
Renaissance, lead France into social awareness. Students will hear, read and
discuss the poets of this movement according to their level of French.

Mrs. Murad’s Spanish II and Spanish II Honors classes did a power point
presentation of places. They had to say that they went to that place and what they
did in each photo. For Black History month, Mrs. Murad’s Spanish II and
Spanish II Honors classes brought in photos of famous African-American
people. They had to compare the people using the target language. Mrs.
Murad’s Spanish I class is working in groups and writing skits regarding
ordering food in a Spanish restaurant.

Ms. Sanabria’s Spanish I and Spanish I Honors students are learning about
food. The students were enthusiastic about creating their own personal grocery
shopping list, and given fake monopoly money to go shopping. When they
arrived at the mock store, they had to ask for the items on their list in the target
language. Spanish II students wrote about places they visited, and what activities
they did at those places during a specific time. Students shared their excitement
about going out with their friends to a theater, or spending time with family.
Mathematics Department:

Mrs. Maresca’s SAT Preview classes have completed their review of algebra
topics and are beginning to review basic geometry topics. Many of the topics
discussed are essential for passing the HSPA as well.

Mrs. Maresca’s Algebra II students participated in a cooperative learning
activity. The students were divided into small groups and discussed a set of key
concepts from their textbooks pertaining to properties of rational exponents.
Students had to produce and present their own examples of each of the
concepts.

Mrs. Maresca’s Precalculus classes applied the Laws of Sines and Cosines and
the formulas for finding the area of a triangle, which included Heron’s Formula,
to find the area of “Lake Maresca”. This cooperative learning activity was
presented as a Smart Board lesson with the students working in small groups.

Miss Fash’s Math Tech classes have completed a unit of Problem-Solving.
Linear Equations applied to solving problems (Motion; Mixture; Distance, Rate
Time, and Money). Students worked on various tasks involving applications of
linear equations.

Miss Fash’s Pre-Algebra class is working on creating a cookbook. Students are
completing a unit of ratio and proportion. As an application of this material
students are using the “Food Network” website to find their favorite recipes.
Students will then be given instructions on how to convert their recipes to suit
different size of “dinner parties”. Students will use their knowledge of ratios and
proportions to rewrite recipes and create a cookbook.

Miss Fash’s SRA class has been preparing for the March administration of the
HSPA. Students are completing practice tests and reviewing test-taking strategies.

Mr. Nazi’s AP Calculus students are able to connect differential and integral
calculus (called the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus) which become the single
most powerful insight mathematicians had ever acquired for understanding how
the universe worked.

Mr. Nazi’s QBasic class is dealing with many related data items as a group by
means of a structure known as an array. They are investigating one and two
dimensional arrays as well as their applications in sorting and searching.

Mr. Nazi’s Algebra II-H class appreciates the contribution of Arabians on the
method of completing the square and use it to find the properties of quadratic
functions. They also appreciate the power of the method in generating a perfect
square expression.

Mr. Nazi’s HSPA classes are preparing for the New Jersey HSPA Test in
mathematics. They continuously practice multiple choice, short constructed
response, and open ended questions. They are ready to take the HSPA Test next
week.

Mr. Capriola’s Algebra I classes completed a real-world project involving
scatter plots. Students were asked to find a scatter plot relating two different
quantities from either a newspaper or magazine. Students were instructed to
analyze the data and identify if a positive, negative, or no correlation existed
among the two variables. Students then had to construct a line of fit that best
described their scatter plot. Finally students had to write an equation for the line
of fit in slope intercept form using two points on their line. This project helped
students understand how linear equations relate to real world applications.

Mr. Capriola’s Geometry Basic classes completed an activity that involved real
life identification of isosceles triangles. Students had to find examples of isosceles
triangles in buildings pictured in newspapers or magazines. Students were then
asked if they could identify the parts of the isosceles triangle. Students were then
instructed to copy the triangle represented by the building and construct the
perpendicular bisector to the base side. This activity helped give students a better
understanding of the real life applications of isosceles triangles.

Mr. Dembowski and the Algebra II-B class has been working on using rational
functions. Students have been familiarizing themselves with TI-83 calculators.
Each student used graphing calculators to graph rational functions. They then
compared and contrasted their results with other classmates. Students also
searched and found examples of how these functions can be used in real life
situations.

Mr. Dembowski and the Geometry classes have worked on real world examples
of word problems. After lessons, students created groups of two to three students
that worked together on word problems that are presented in everyday life. Each
group worked together to solve the problem with a recorder that wrote the
information and one reporter that presented the problem and solution to the class.

Mr. Dembowski and the HSPA Math class is working hard to prepare for the
HSPA. The class has been focusing on individual areas of the exam to spot
strength and weaknesses of the students.

Students in Mrs. Khalil’s QBasic class completed Chapter 9. Students created
various programs using dimensional arrays, sorting data, bubble sort, shell sort
and sequential search.

Students in Mrs. Khalil’s Algebra II-A were introduced to graphing systems of
linear inequalities, solving systems of linear equations in three variables, and
performing basic matrix operations. Students are also working on a project that is
due on March 10, 2010. The smart board is constantly being used for graphing
equations.

Students in Mrs. Khalil’s Algebra I-B class were introduced to Multiplying
Monomials, Dividing Monomials, Scientific Notation, and Polynomials. Students
are progressing as they are doing well on quizzes and homework assignments.

Students in Ms. Samko’s Algebra I-A classes have completed chapter three.
Topics covered include solving equations and formulas and word problems
involving weighted averages.

Students in Ms. Samko’s Algebra I-B classes have completed chapter seven and
sections one and two of chapter eight. Topics covered include solving systems of
inequalities in two variables graphically and simplifying monomial expressions
involving multiplication and division.

Mr. Zukatus’ HSPA class has been working with the FOIL method and
multiplying polynomials. Students are able to solve problems and combine like
terms. Students have also been working with word problems in order to further
their understanding of material that will be covered on the HSPA test.

Mr. Zukatus’ Geometry classes worked with quadrilaterals. Students are able to
define different types of quadrilaterals, as well as prove certain quadrilaterals are
parallelograms. Students are also able to graph out quadrilaterals on the
coordinate plane and find lengths and slopes of sides of given figures.

Mr. Zukatus’ Statistics classes have been working with the standard normal
curve. Students are able to find area under curves given the z-score for a piece of
data. Students have also been working with normal curves and are able to relate
them to standard normal curves in order to find areas of given problems.

Mr. Spaccavento’s Physics 1 Honors classes have completed the “Force Table”
laboratory activity. The analysis included making scale vector diagrams, applying
basic trigonometry as well as completing the analysis using a Microsoft Excel
spreadsheet of their own making. Additional topics explored included pressure,
buoyancy, Pascal’s Principle, and Archimedes Principle.

Mr. Spaccavento’s Physics 2 students completed “Module One and Two” of
CASTLE (Capacitor-Aided System for Teaching and Learning Electricity) and
are now working on Module Three.

Ms. Rosen’s Biology Class explored the processes of cellular respiration and
fermentation. Students also identified the different phases of the life cycle and
draw the phases of mitosis on index cards in order to make a flip book that will
demonstrate how cells divide

Ms. Rosen’s Environmental Science Class learned about different types of
ocean pollution and how laws are being established to curtail water pollution.
Students described the beauty and importance of freshwater by watching the
Planet Earth’s freshwater episode and writing a summary on what they saw.
Students began learning about various forms of and cause air pollution.

Ms. Rosen’s Anatomy and Physiology Class completed a unit regarding the skin
and all of skin’s accessory structures. The class started the cat dissection by
removing the skin from their assigned cats. Students also identified the different
components of long bones by drawing diagrams of long bones.

Mrs. Abdel Messih Biology classes have worked in groups to create “Respiration
Flip Books”. Students have used the computer to compare and contrast aerobic
and anaerobic respiration and to research the role of ATP in the living organisms.
Also, the students have used the microscopes to identify the stages of mitosis and
to identify the differences between plant and animal mitosis.

Mrs. Abdel Messih Honors Biology classes have worked in groups to construct
three dimensional models of different phases of mitosis and meiosis using the lab
materials. They drew them in the lab report to compare and contrast mitosis and
meiosis phases. Also, the students have used the computers to research the
differences between normal cells and cancer cells and to research the cancer risk
factors. Students also completed the activities listed above for the biology classes.

Mrs. Abdel Messih Study Island students have worked on human body systems
and photosynthesis assignments.

Mr. Rapp’s Chemistry students became familiar with techniques and principles
associated with paper chromatography and other processes commonly used to
separate and purify the components of a mixture. They determined the “Rf”
values for dyes used as coloring agents in foods, and for some selected indicators
used in Chemistry.

Mr. Necoechea’s Physical Science classes have been studying physical geology
and mineralogy. Activities have included: (i) plotting the geographic distribution
of earthquakes and volcanoes, which allows students to see how areas near plate
boundaries are geologically active; (ii) a lab in which students constructed threedimensional models of how the ions are arranged in mineral crystals; (iii) a lab in
which students grow actual crystals and observe the resulting (macroscopic)
shapes. Students also constructed a scaled timeline of Earth’s geologic history.

Mr. Necoechea’s Honors Chemistry class has completed a unit on chemical
equations and reactions. They have studied all of the basic reaction types:
synthesis, decomposition, single-replacement, double-replacement, and
combustion. They have used whiteboard exercises extensively to practice
balancing equations predicting products. They have also performed a computer
simulation of combustion on the PBS website.

Mr. Mott’s Biology Honors class performed a photosynthetic rate lab. The
students also performed a chromatography lab, where they determined the various
pigments, found in a variety of leafs. By calculating the RF factor, they could
determine the type of pigment, such as chlorophyll a, b, c, d etc. In honor of Black
History Month, students researched various African American Scientist and their
contributions to the field of biology.

Mr. Mott’s AP Biology class performed a respiration lab where students
measured various rates of respiration in living things. Comparisons were made
between pea seeds that were dormant, just geminated, 4 days germinated and 7
days germinated. The resulting data was analyzed and relationships of energy use
and respiration where drawn. The study of DNA was begun, and the extraction of
DNA from bacteria was performed. Through a series of steps, the DNA was freed
from the bacteria and collected on a spooling rod. This was dried, and broken
down by restriction enzymes for examination. The transformation of e coli was
accomplished by shocking the bacteria with heat and cold in the presence of a
DMA plasmid. The resulting bacteria grew green in color as the result of the
DNA plasmid.

Mr. Mott’s Anatomy and Physiology class examined the “Integumentary
System”. The students took their own fingerprints and made comparisons by
examination the various fingerprints in the class to the typical types, and then
repeated this procedure for their hair samples examining under a microscope for
similarities and differences. Each student also examined the effect of temperature
on various regions of the skin by exposing areas to hot and cold and by use of
temperature sensitive strip observing the effects on the immediate area, and
nearby areas of the body. The students also did a hair sampling experiment
making a latex imprint and permanent slide of various hair types, than comparing
them to an unknown hair to determine a match. They than justified the reason for
the hair identification. The students also began the dissection of the cat, by
removing the epithelial tissue, and examining both epithelial and hair from the
cat. The cats were put in storage for future use when the muscular system is
examined.
Business Education:

Mrs. Tomko’s and Mr. Kenny’s Computer Applications I classes have been
working on formatting research papers. Formatting is consistent with the
guidelines set forth by the North Arlington High School Handbook. Resources
are shared for further investigation by students who may come across different
situations when citing references.

Mrs. Tomko’s and Mr. Kenny’s Computer Applications II completed the unit
on PowerPoint. The students took a comprehensive exam and completed a
capstone presentation project that will be shared with the class.

Mrs. Tomko’s Introduction to Business class has begun work on savings and
checking accounts. Internal Training Service material is being used as a
simulation for actual checking account record keeping. ATM’s, deposits, check
writing, bank reconciliations and more are explored with this hands-on
simulation.

Mrs. Tomko’s Personal Finance class completed a short unit on Student Loans
and College Funding. Students worked through college cost projections, student
loan payoff calculators and learned the rights and responsibilities of being a
borrower as well as information on completing the FAFSA and scholarships and
grants offered both nationally and locally. The NAHS Guidance Department
visited and presented information useful to the students and did a Q&A period for
any and all questions regarding future education!

Mr. Kenny’s Accounting 1 completed journalizing transactions and posting to
the general ledger. Students are now completing Worksheets (Trial Balance,
Adjustments, Income Statements, and Balance Sheets). The class is continuing
“Business Current Events Friday”. Every week a selected student brings in an
accounting related article to be read and discussed. A writing assignment follows.

Ms. Rosolen’s Information Management class has been working on Privacy
issues on the Internet. Use of the class Wikispace has been a cornerstone of the
class work.

Ms. Rosolen’s Web Design class completed a jigsaw project on the Responsible
Use of Computer Systems. Teams of two researched topics such as hacking,
spam, and privacy in the workplace. Each team prepared and presented
information on the topic via a presentation and a handout of their choice for the
class.
Family and Consumer Science:

Mrs. Comer’s Culinary Arts classes completed their yeast bread unit. Students
were amazed at their capabilities as they prepared pizza, pretzels, and calzones
among many other yeast breads. Recipe-costing project recipes created in
January were made in class this month. Peanut butter cups, lemon bars,
quesadillas, and apple crisp were enjoyed by everyone.

Mrs. Comer’s Child Development classes have been very excited since nursery
school resumed. The high school students could not believe how much the
children matured and grew since their winter break. Regression was seen with
some children and the focus has been on different ways of dealing with these
feelings. More focus with cognitive development will take place throughout the
spring.
Art :

Ms. DuJack’s Art Exploratory classes completed a scratch board design project
on fantasy subject matter. They were given various ideas to draw and then
transferred their drawing to scratchboard using a transfer sheet. Finally they
etched out their drawing on the scratch paper using a wooden stylus. Details and
textures were incorporated. Students are in the process of completing a project on
Octagonal Designs. They are using a pencil, ruler and color pencils or markers to
create a three dimensional design on paper. A demonstration was given on
measurements and ideas were generated for original colored designs.

Ms. DuJack’s Art Studio/Independent Art students are working on portfolio art
work whether it be an acrylic painting or advanced octagonal designs that are
more intricate.

Mrs. Branco’s Art Studio and Art Cycle students are exploring the genre of art
know as Op art. This refers to the optical illusions that are created with the
artwork using line, color and perspective. The students have created at least 6
styles of op art. They will then create a cube using 6 different types of op art.
These cubes will be hung from the ceiling like the work of Alexander Calder.
II.Workshops Attended

Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Kusher attended the BCEA workshop, “Grant Writing,”
and received ½ graduate credit as well as 2 hours of Professional Development.

Ms. Ingannamorte attended a workshop on February 4, 2010, at MSU Institute
for the Humanities entitled “Colonial America and the Literary Imagination.” The
workshop focused on Hawthorne and Miller and was very applicable to
sophomore curriculum.

Mrs. O’Brien-Romer attended, then turn-keyed on the Response to Intervention
workshop to the high school faculty on February 1, 2010.

The NAHS and NAMS English Department attended a District Professional
Development Writing Workshop on February 25, 2010 facilitated by Montclair
State University professor, Dr. Emily Isaacs. Dr Isaacs will return to continue her
series regarding expectations of colleges, student writing abilities, and teaching
and writing strategies to be applied in classrooms.

The NAHS and NAMS Social Studies and World Languages Departments
attended a District Professional Development Workshop on February 25, 2010
facilitated by Supervisor Nancy LoPresti that included the ongoing pacing
charts for these disciplines. This was an opportunity for the middle school and
high school teachers to work collaboratively.

Mrs. Maresca attended a workshop sponsored by the Bergen County Education
Association at the Glenpointe Marriott Hotel in Teaneck, New Jersey. This
workshop on grant writing, presented by Joan Jensen, ED.D., covered topics on
locating sources of grant funding for educational programs and writing winning
grant proposals. Mrs. Maresca also visited Bergen Tech High School in
Teterboro, to view a presentation of the Naviance Program, a guidance program
which also has an SAT and ACT component. There is a possibility that this
program will replace the currently used SAT online program from College Board.
 Mr. Spacavento attended the NJAAPT Executive Board Meeting at Rutgers
University on February 1st.

Mr. Spaccavento attended The Winter Meeting of the AAPT (American
Association of Physics Teachers) in Washington DC from Saturday 2/13 through
Tuesday 2/16. Mr. Spaccavento attended numerous sessions ranging from
Particle Physics to Physics First. In his role as New Jersey AAPT Section
Representative, he also participated in the AAPT Strategic Planning retreat all day
Sunday.

All Department Staff participated in the Professional Learning Community on
February 25 and continued working on mapping and updating coursework with
the new Standards.
III.
Student Recognition

Marlee Rodriques, a member of Mrs. Singler’s AP English class, represented
our school at the Poetry Out Loud Contest at Bergen Community College on
February 24, 2010.

Artwork by Ms. DuJack’s and Mrs. Branco’s students is on display in the
school’s main hallway.

Kiana Ortega, Art Studio, Painting, is a wonderful young artist. Her innovative
ideas and expansive talent have been an inspiration to her fellow students who
admire and respect her talent and dedication.

Pedro Wells has requested a recommendation for the Student Ambassador People
to People program.
IV.
Accomplishments

The North Arlington Chapter of SADD collected $800 on behalf of the Red
Cross Relief Fund. As their advisor, Ms. Ingannamorte reflected on what we can
accomplish when coming together for a common cause. Our North Arlington
community showed how everyone can make a difference.

The Spanish Honor Society hosted a “Rock Band Night” on Wednesday,
February 23, 2010. It was a successful fundraiser and provided the students with
an opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and musical talents!

Mrs. Maresca’s classes have been preparing for the HSPA’s by completing
sample open-ended questions. These questions were then scored according to the
rubric used on the HSPA. The students are learning the strategies involved in
responding to the open-ended problems.

Mrs. Maresca’s Precalculus classes have begun working on their
“Trigonometree” Projects. The students constructed “clinometers”, devices used
to measures angles of elevation, using protractors, straws, strings, and washers.
These clinometers were then used to measure angles, and with the application of
trig formulas, the students were able to calculate the heights of very high objects,
such as trees, buildings, light poles, and basketball hoops, all located on the
school grounds.

Ms. Samko’s students in Algebra I-B used the Smartboard to visualize how the
graphs of systems of inequalities overlap to create a solution set. They also
learned how to use a graphing calculator to graph these types of inequalities by
shading above or below the given lines.

Ms. Samko’s Algebra I-A students used problem solving strategies to complete
an in-class group project. Students had to create charts and derive both verbal and
mathematical equations from them in order to solve word problems. The students
also had to be creative by writing a similar problem, solving it, and creating an
illustration to enhance their language. Finally, the students had to write a
paragraph about their processes, difficulties, and methods of overcoming these
difficulties, including but not limited to the interactions within their groups.

Mrs. Abdel Messih Biology Classes have created a Respiration Flip Book.

Mr. Mott’s Chess Club continues to meet each Tuesday and Wednesday.
Students compete against each other or teachers to develop their ranking, the
students are also preparing to visit with Roosevelt School to teach the students
there how to play chess. Time is spent on proper methods of recording moves,
proper moves and strategies of chess.

Mr. Spaccavento’s Girls’ basketball team is having another excellent season,
they are in third place in the league, and have earned the sixth seed in the State
Tournament. They are currently 16 and 6.

At their last department meeting Science Department staff cleaned and
organized the laboratory prep room (220B) to better serve their needs.

With the effort of Mr. Spaccavento along with the help and support of Mr.
Asmus, two of the old large computer monitors from the “Destination Systems”
have been put back into service in rooms 218 and 220 using upgrades from
previously discarded computers.

Mr. Mott along with his committee developed a school professional development
plan to implement next year. In addition Mr. Mott has been formally
acknowledged by the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine as an
educational Leader and Mentor and in recognition has been granted honorary
stasis by the National Committee.

Mr. Kenny completed a successful 8-2 season as the Junior Lady Vikings
Basketball coach.

The Student Council is preparing to participate in the planning of the district
Early Childhood Education Program as they did last year.

Ms. Corcoran has begun rehearsals for the play.
V.
Special Programs

Mr. Galante organized a return visit and presentation by Mr. Mohammed elFilali. Mr. Filali’s message is one of self motivation through the use of the
Islamic faith. The entire freshman class attended Mr. Filali’s seminar on
February 24, 2010.
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French II students are asked to investigate famous French scientists, writers, etc.
each marking period. They are required to write (in English) a three page paper.
Students in Mrs. McKeown’s French II and French II Honors classes will be
working on these papers and specifically, writing skills. The process of
assembling information, which in interdisciplinary, will be stressed. Students will
be guided through the various steps needed before writing begins.
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Ms. Turner’s Visual and Performing Arts viewed a presentation from a local
set designer who explained to them the steps required to design and build a set.
They then completed their own set designs and model based on a play or movie of
their choice.
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AP statistics will be offered during the 2010 – 2011 academic year. All students
in Algebra II Honors as well as the juniors currently enrolled in Statistics are
encouraged to enroll.
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The National Honor Society, under the direction of Mrs. Maresca, conducted a
Computer Match fundraiser. All the students and staff members in the high
school completed questionnaires, and the results were compiled by an outside
company. The students were them able to purchase their computer match letters
to discover their “perfect match” just in time for Valentine’s Day. The faculty also
enjoyed receiving their match letters.
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The Girls’ Track Team is holding a T-Shirt fundraiser. Under the direction of
Miss Fash, the team will use the money made from the sale not only to purchase
merchandise for the team, but some of the funds will go to the charity they choose
to support this spring.
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Mr. Dembowski is opening the weight room Monday through Thursday for
students that are not in season and need to be ready for spring sports
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On Monday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m., Mr. Necoechea held an “Astronomy Night”
at North Arlington High School in the field behind the school building. Students
viewed the planet Mars through specially designed filters, and at powers of up to
250X. Dark surface markings were visible on the planet surface.
VI.
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Field Trips
Ms. Sanabria accompanied Mrs. Pereira and a number of our NAHS students
and chaperones, 26 in total, on a wonderfully educational trip to Spain and
Portugal.
Guidance Department:
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The counselors met with Mrs. Tomko Personal Finance class to
discuss college financial planning. The topics included
scholarships, FAFSA, financial packages from colleges,
and cost of tuition.
A Junior Class presentation on Thursday, February 25, 2010 by
guidance staff will discuss importance of upcoming
HSPA, scheduling questions, SAT/ACT registration,
and what they should begin doing for college searches at
this time. Individual conferences will follow this
discussion.
Workshops Attended:

Kathy Puorro attended Phase 11 of the 21st Century Curriculum
changes on February 19, 2010. The focus of this workshop
included the changes in Language Art Literacy Curriculum and
strategies to help students.
Other Activities:
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Counselors have started meeting with students to discuss course
selections for the 2010-2011 school year.
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Teachers have provided recommendations in course selections for each
student to the Counseling Department.
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Mrs. Griggs Anti Bullying Student Committee did a presentation for the
third, fourth and fifth grade students at Washington School on
Wednesday, February 24, 2010. The mission statement of the committee
is to raise pupils’ awareness and challenge negative attitudes about
bullying. They also aim to promote involvement in their cause from
members of our school community.
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Four students attended the Elks Youth Leadership Conference at the
Oceans Place Resort in Long Branch on February 5, 6 and 7. This
weekend conference was sponsored by the local North Arlington Elks.
The student enjoyed the event very much and shared with Mrs. Puorro
that the Keynote speakers were outstanding and would like to return next
year. The four students were Virginia Hislop, Megan Namnama, Michael
Antonelli and Breno Paivo.
MONTH: ____February_____
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mathematics
 Miss Neubauer's classes have been working with addition and subtraction of
fractions. They have also been working with ratios and proportions and the
various ways to represent and solve each.
 All of Mrs. Maucione’s math classes have been working on converting percents to
decimals, decimals to percents and percents to angle measures. The students were
given data and constructed a circle graph to represent the data. The students also
used protractors to measure, classify and draw angles. Lastly, the students
worked on similar figures, transformations on a coordinate grid, distance and
midpoint formula and sine, cosine and tangent ratios.
 The students in Miss Mezzina’s Math classes have made it past the mid-point in
this school year. The students were introduced to linear equations. They
explored the slope of a linear graph, point-slope form equations, and slopeintercept form. Scatter plots were also created and interpreted. The linear
equations investigated were then graphed by using the x- and y-intercepts, and
also by the slope and y-intercept. As students wrapped up chapter seven in their
textbooks, they explored linear functions and equations of both parallel and
perpendicular lines.
 Mrs. Macari’s seventh graders mastered the steps and concepts of adding,
subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions—a skill they need to understand
as they progress throughout their math career. As an assessment, the students
wrote poems, raps, etc., to explain each step and solve an example in their rap.
o Mrs. Macari’s eighth graders also interviewed their parents asking
approximately how much different items cost when they were teenagers.
The items included the cost of milk, bread, stamps, etc. Next, students
found out approximately the cost of these items today and then had to find
the percent of change for each item.
 The students in Mrs. Califano’s Math classes need to keep fresh on multiplication
facts, not only to get the correct answer in any of the more involved problem
solving they are required to do, but also to increase the speed that it takes to do all
that is required. In the sixth grade they had partners toss a pair of over-sized
dice, one set red and the other set blue. The sum of the red had to be multiplied by
the sum of the blue, thus practicing up to 12x12. They took turns tossing and
checking the other person’s responses.
o We also practiced the “9’s” trick on their fingers to help remember the 9
times table.
Language Arts
 Mrs. Duff’s sixth grade read an independent book for the third marking period.
The book could be a genre of their choice. The students will present their book
using a teacher supplied rubric. The rubric will incorporate the books theme,
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content and a few of Bloom's Taxonomy questions. All of this information must
be placed on a decorative book jacket presented to the class.
This month Mrs. Boyd's writing class focused on poetry writing. They began with
writing poems for "No Name Calling Week" on bullying. As an activity for a
review of adjectives and verbs, the students wrote Diamante Poems. They were
expected to use a thesaurus to add extended vocabulary to their poems. In
connection with a lesson on prepositions, students wrote preposition poems
describing the directions for doing an activity. For Valentine's Day students had to
research famous love poems and bring one in to share with the class. Next, they
had to write their own love poems.
The Great Debate! During the month of February, Ms. Demetroules's Writing
class took on the controversial topic of School Uniforms in public schools as a
way to practice persuasive writing. The students were instructed to choose a side
(in favor of or opposed), and form convincing arguments. Together as a class they
researched this topic and listed the pros and cons of enforcing uniforms on
children.
February has been a quick but busy month for Mrs. Kowalczyk's writing classes.
The students focused on explanatory writing. Quotes by Abraham Lincoln and
George Washington were discussed and written about in class. The students
worked hard at work preparing for the NJASK in April.
Mrs. Roller's ESL students prepared for the 7th grade class trip to Medieval
Times by doing a unit on Life in the Middle Ages. They also read and discussed
"The Last Battle", a story about King Arthur. In comparing characters such
as Arthur and Mordred, they had ample opportunities to practice using antonyms.
In February Mrs. Coughlin’s grade 8 writing classes learned about some ways to
elaborate when writing their essays. The SmartBoard was used to go online to see
several ways to elaborate sentences and paragraphs. The students were able to see
how boring some writings were and how much more exciting and inviting those
same writings became after even some small elaboration was added. They began
working on the elaboration technique of using anecdotes. The students were
eager to share their own stories as examples to elaborate the areas discussed
before putting those stories on paper.
Mrs. Callahan's 7th grade writing classes continued their unit on persuasive
essays. Topics of some of the essays they wrote were: "Eliminating all after
school activities after 6pm” and “Web-Cams in the Classrooms." In addition, the
students began to explore expository writing by responding to quotes.
o Mrs. Callahan's 6th grade reading classes started reading Because of
Winn-Dixie. In addition to plot and character development, classroom
discussion centered on areas such as: cause and effect and theme
(friendship/sense of belonging).
o Mrs. Callahan's 8th grade reading classes used their classroom novel to
discuss: genre, plot, character development, mood/atmosphere and
conflict.
During the month of February, Mrs. Helms’ 6th & 7th grade reading classes did a
study on the award winning African-American author Mildred Taylor. The 6th
grade read and discussed her novella, The Gold Cadillac. The 7th grade continued
to read and discuss her Newbery Award novel, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.
The 8th grade students read several African-American folklore written by Zora
Neale Hurston.
World Languages
 The sixth graders learned about family members and pets. They also learned the
many rooms in a house or an apartment. They made a collage of these rooms
with use of the Spanish language.
 The seventh and eighth graders learned about the activities they do in school and
after school. In addition to the verbs "to have" and "to be," they have been
introduced to many verbs ending in "ar."
Social Studies
 Greetings from the Land Down Under! During the month of February, Ms.
Demetroules's Social Studies classes studied the continent of Australia (or more
recently referred to as Oceania). The students explored the region of Oceania,
focusing on Australia specifically. They dove into an in-class research project
about the Great Barrier Reef. They collected pictures and information to be used
in a group project reporting on the tourist spot.
 The students in Mrs. Fisher's writing class created children's books. Each book
contained, at least, one prepositional phrase per page. The students could only
write a maximum of two sentences on each page. The book had to have a
problem and a solution. The finished products were extremely creative and
beautifully illustrated.
 This month, Mr. Barber’s Social Studies classes began to look at the Presidents of
the United States. The semester began with the presidency of George Washington.
The class recognized the importance of Washington being the first president and
how his actions would set a precedent for those that followed him in that position.
After Washington, they looked at the four years of John Adams in office. They
discussed the amount of time Adams put into building a stable relationship with
France while all our “friends” to the east were looking for was a bribe, causing the
XYZ Affair. Adams’ time in the Executive Mansion was short-lived, however,
due to the fact he lost the election of 1800 to his vice president, Thomas Jefferson.
The classes looked at Jefferson as President and now understand what John F.
Kennedy meant when he once said, “I think this is the most extraordinary
collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered in the
White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined
alone.”
Science
 The students in Mrs. Rinzivillo’s 6th grade Science classes learned about the life
of an amphibian and a reptile. The students watched a frog dissection video,
completed Brain Pop tasks, answered journal questions, and created a vertebrate
resume to enhance their knowledge of reptiles and amphibians.
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Art
This month Mrs. Galante’s 7th grade Science students studied and researched
earthquakes. With the recent earthquake in Haiti, it was an appropriate time for
this subject. The students were able to understand how earthquakes form, types of
seismic waves, damages, and how they could protect themselves in an actual
earthquake. Understanding the concepts of earthquakes, the students were able to
compare earthquakes from California to the one in Haiti. As a final project, the
students had to design a base-isolated home that would be earthquake safe.
All students in Mr. Haines’ Science classes began work on scientific biographies
and experienced what is involved in developing a scientific biography and had
cross-curricular implications by developing a cohesive written and oral
presentation.
o Mr. Haines’ science classes also began preparation for the ASK8 exam
and the high school Biology exam by utilizing the high school textbooks
in chemistry and biology.
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The 6th graders learned and utilized the elements of art by creating their name
using every element for a letter. Their work was astounding and is on display in
the hallway. They then did a project using the poetry of Shel Silverstein. Each
student wrote and illustrated a poem that they chose from one of his books.
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The 7th graders used the element of line to create intricate line designs. By using
rulers they created a series of evenly spaced lines which appear to bend. This
project has a connection with the historical time frame of Op Art in the 60's.
Music
 Band rehearsals have been working for the past month now on new music for our
spring concert. Individual lessons are continuing with some students completing
their books.
Comprehensive Health & Physical Education
 This month in physical education the students began the ever anticipated
basketball unit. This also is when the 6th graders participate in Hoops for Heart; a
fundraiser that raises money for The American Heart Association. The 6th
graders get a chance to spend on entire afternoon in the middle school gym
competing in different stations that are all related to basketball and fitness. Some
of the stations include, dribbling while on a scooter, get as many baskets in as you
can in one minute, find and record your heart rate, and an obstacle course. The
students compete in large teams, each homeroom is a team. At the end of the day
the team with the most points is named the winner of Hoops for Heart 2010 and
they are awarded a trophy. Currently, the trophy belongs to Ms. Demetorules'
homeroom and we will see if her group can win it in back to back years.
Computers
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During the month of February the seventh grade Advanced Technology classes
created a polymer by mixing Elmer’s Gule, water, food coloring and Borax. The
mixture of Elmer’s Glue with Borax and water produces a putty-like material
called a polymer. In simplest terms, a polymer is a long chain of molecules. If the
long molecules slide past each other easily, then the substance acts like a liquid
because the molecules flow. If the molecules stick together at a few places along
the strand, then the substance behaves like a rubbery solid called an elastomer.
Borax is the compound that is responsible for hooking the glue’s molecules
together to form the putty-like material. There are several different methods for
making this putty-like material. Some recipes call for liquid starch instead of
Borax soap. Either way, when you make this homemade Silly Putty you are
learning about some of the properties of polymers. The students learned that ice
glaciers work the same way! Ice can stretch or break depending on the amount of
pressure applied. If there is a lot of pressure or a high strain rate, ice will crack or
break causing crevasses in glaciers, when the pressure is lower or the strain rate is
small and constant, ice can bend.
Special Ed (self-contained)
 The students in Ms. Tzakis’ class entered the No Name Calling Poetry
Contest.The seventh graders worked hard to develop their poem; as a result
Matthew Smykowski won! Mrs. Boyd rewarded our entire class for their hard
work.
 The students in Mrs. D. Brown’s 6th Grade Social Studies Class studied the seven
continents. They created a world map and labeled the continents and oceans. The
class will study the geography and culture of each continent. They started with
our first continent, Australia and labeled a map of the continent and discussed the
regions.
 Mrs. C. Brown’s 6th grade Writing class has been working on a project called
"Famous African-American". The students first chose an African-American that
they wanted to know more about. They then read some information on their
chosen achiever and had to describe their childhood/family, major
accomplishments, create an illustration of an important accomplishment, and their
opinion of the person. If the students needed more information they used the
internet as a source. Once all of the students completed the research part of the
project, they then created an acrostic poem using the letters of their chosen
African-American’s name. All of the research, as well as the acrostic poem were
then put into a pamphlet that they personally designed and shared them with their
classmates.
Student Recognitions
The following students recorded straight “A” report cards for the second marking period
at the North Arlington Middle School:
Grade 8
Anna Doherty, Yara Alrabaa, Yarema Hrynak, Ryen Pezzolla, Gabriella Pietroncio, and
Alexandra Soden, Cara Beth Tillou, Amanda Pimentel, Nicole Moncayo, Vaidehi
Pandya.
Grade 7
Devon Keen and Nicholas Awad
Grade 6
Gianna Tetto, Hannah Herrmann, Indy Piccuirro, Maritza Cubelo, Joe O’ Dowd, Victoria
Namnama, and Marvin Caballero.
School Accomplishments
 Mrs. Boyd conducted a school wide writing contest to address “No Name Calling
Week” at the Middle School. The project was very successful in all three grade
levels. It provided a topic quite useful for students to apply their writing skills
towards. Small prizes were then awarded to the top papers for each grade level.
The winners of the contests were;
 ChristIna Valente, Anna Doherty, Dorota Jazwinska, Mathew Smykowski,
Rebecca Agrelo, and Shauna Awad.
Special Programs
 Mr. Haines and Ms. Keeler organized drama actors and began rehearsals for
Mahwah High School’s “Shakespeare Day”
MONTH: FEBRUARY 2010
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: JEFFERSON SCHOOL
Kindergarten
Ms. McCrea’s kindergarten class engaged in the following curricula and instruction
activities:
 Social Studies – Studied children far way (Peru) and how their lifestyle is
different from our own. Identified that season above and below the equator have
opposite seasons. Studied children long ago and the hardship of early immigrants
and Americans
 Science – Concluded our study of the weather. Students became familiar with
different instruments that measure weather, as well as identifying weather that is
characteristic of a specific season.
 Reading – Though the use of thematic literature we learned about playing and
pretending. - Identified and isolated consonants /l/h/w/x and word families – ot
and –op. High frequency words: one, see, what, two. Comprehension skills:
beginning, middle and end, and identifying setting. Writing: Commands.
 Math – Began our study of Time and Money. Practiced counting pennies, nickels,
and telling time to the hour.
 Thematic/Seasonal Activities related to Valentine’s Day, Dental Health and
Weather
Mrs. Northrop’s Kindergarten class engaged in the following curricula and instruction
activities
Character Ed.-- getting along with everyone
Social Studies -- Black History Month, study of George Washington and
Abraham Lincoln,
Science -- Experiments with light and creating shadows, study of groundhog
Math -- Numbers to 100
Language--- High Frequency Words, alphabet, phonics and comprehension,
writing portfolios, word basketball, reading for detail
First Grade
Mrs. Paglucci's and Mrs. Pereira's First Grade Classes worked diligently during the
month of February. Considering it was a short month and snow was clouding our brains,
we managed to work hard and accomplish a substantial amount of curriculum. In
Reading we completed Theme 4 Wild and Wonderful, practicing and applying our
knowledge of r-controlled vowels /ur/er, ir, ur, /el/-le, and long vowel /o/ow, oa. We
discussed the main idea of a story as well as the author's purpose and point of view of a
story. We worked on using he, she, it and they correctly, to recognize and use possessive
nouns and pronouns, and to identify homophones and use them correctly. In Math we
finished Chapter 12 Number Patterns, where we learned to skip count by 2's, 5's, and
10's, count by tens, fives, and twos to identify patterns on a hundred chart, determine
whether a number is odd or even, and develop skill and accuracy in using the problem
solving strategy find a pattern. We are currently finishing up Chapter 13 Addition and
Subtraction facts to 12, where we learned how to make connections between models,
equations, and fact strategies, count by doubles and doubles plus one, finding the sum of
three numbers, and exploring Associative Property of Addition. In Science we are
working on Unit B Plants and Animals Need One Another and A Place to Live, where we
discuss how plants and animals are interdependent and how ecosystems are characterized
by nonliving factors such as climate and landforms and by the living things that inhabit
them. In Social Studies, we discussed our two most influential past presidents, George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln. As always, we toiled rigorously, even with all the
snow!!!
Mrs. Pereira & Mrs. Paglucci's first grade classes worked diligently to write and
illustrate a class book, entitled “If I Had One Wish.” The book was sent to a publishing
company where it was bound, duplicated and a hard cover was created. This project was
a collaborative effort by all of the first grade students. A tremendous amount of time and
effort went into this book. The students learned a great deal about the publishing process
while they improved their vocabulary and writing skills. Being a young published author
gives our students a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Second Grade
Mrs. Nolan's second grade celebrated the 100th Day of School. Each student
brought to school a collection of 100 objects. They also completed 100 math problems,
cut out 100 words from the newspaper that they could read, and completed packets of 100
activities.
Students also practiced telling time using manipulative clocks.
Ms. Palermo’s second grade class engaged in the following curricula and instruction
activities:
 Science – students learned about natural resources and how people use them
 Reading – students learned about the different resources available to locate
information: atlas, thesaurus, dictionary, encyclopedia and internet
 Math – students are learning to tell time on the hour and half hour, and to tell
time to 15 minutes
Third Grade
Ms. Tokarz’ third grade engaged in the following areas of study:
 Technology-Students reviewed passwords and directions for Think Central,
Harcourt. and Study Island. Students and parents have been given URL’s and
user names for Math, Social Studies, and Reading for on line access. All Names
from the class have been imported and parents have been given information for
their use at home during parent conferences. My new student was added to this.
 Technology-Study Island –New student has been added to this list and given one
two one attention on how to work on this program. Students have been updated in
their work in this area and shown where they should be at this time.
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Grammar Blast-one of the sites for grammar review that students are working on
when time allows inside the classroom. This is done as a quick review during any
free time. We record results.
Character Education- Students have continued working with being caught doing
something good and random rewards are given at any time for a simple use of
proper of “Excuse Me” to “Thank Your”, helping others, etc. Written paragraph
on “No Name Calling Week!”
Dictionary Skills-students are using the new dictionaries they received to do
daily Do Nows that they answer in a full sentences about words that they must
find in their own books to answer. Questions are similar to what are the guide
words for, how many syllables in, what would you do with this, etc. The students
read the question, look up the word and page found, and answer the question
appropriately in a full sentence in their notebook. We check them daily.
Mrs. Keogh’s third grade engaged in the following areas of study:
 Social Studies- students used maps to color regions of the country
 Science- posters were created showing a cut-out of the Earth (crust, mantle, and
core) with labels
 Math- Arrays were cut out and displayed with the multiplication problem related
to the array
 Reading- Students performed a play with pantomiming-read for fluency
 NJASK3- Parent, student booklets were used to write about an activity they do
and math questions were worked out on the board
Fourth Grade
Mrs. Rotondo’s 4th grade class participated in the Scholastic Essay Competition “If
I Were President.” Mrs. Rotondo’s 4th grade class read articles and or mini-books on
famous African-American historians in honor of Black History Month. After the
mini-biographies were discussed, the children created pictures and wrote a response
journal. Mrs. Rotondo’s 4th grade class read and discussed African Americans who
changed the world, integrating interactive websites.
Mrs. Rotondo’s science classes engaged in a hands-on experiment about the rock
cycle. Students modeled the process of the rock cycle and gave an oral presentation
on their investigation and discovery.
4th Grade students are engaged in interactive lessons that are developing and
enhancing their skills in speculative & expository writing prompts in preparation for
the NJ ASK Test.
All fourth grade math and science classes are continuing daily assignments on Study
Island to raise their advancement levels.
Fourth Grade
Mrs. Herrmann’s 4th grade Language Arts Classes read five stories with a variety of
genres. Reading skills taught and reinforced included fact and opinion, theme, and cause
and effect relationships. Students are also engaged in reading for the “Battle of the
Books” program and small groups are working on their reading fluency using Reader’s
theater scripts. In preparation for the NJASK4 in May, students are using the Study Island
program.
Mrs. Herrmann’s 4th grade Social Studies Classes are learning about the three
branches of the United States Government and how New Jersey’s state and local
governments are organized. Students celebrated Black History month by reading and
discussing readers’ theater scripts about Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson. In
addition, students utilized SmartBoard technology to view and engage in activities
highlighting the top ten African-American Inventors in American History.
Mrs. Herrmann’s 4th grade Writing Classes continue to write stories and compositions
using speculative and explanatory writing prompts. In honor of Presidents’ Day students
also read, discussed, and wrote their own biographies on George Washington and
Abraham Lincoln.
Fifth Grade
Miss Jacobson’s 5th Grade Science classes continued to learn about endangered
animals. In small groups, the students read aloud the book There’s Still Time: The
Success of the Endangered Species Act. They outlined the cause of extinction for each
species in the book. The small groups then picked an endangered species of their choice
from the book. Each group created PowerPoint slides on the endangered species. The
groups then presented their slides to the class. Also, the students watched the movie
Earth. This movie captures rare footage of nature’s wildest animals. The students
reflected on how the natural and human causes of extinction were affecting animals and
plants around the world.
Miss Jacobson’s 5th Grade Math classes began to divide by 2-digit divisors.
The classes continued to practice dividing decimals by whole numbers. Students learned
that they can write the decimal point of the quotient above the decimal point of the
dividend, and then divide normally. Students checked their answers by multiplying. The
classes practiced solving word problems by choosing the appropriate operation;
multiplication, division, subtraction or addition. The classes learned to change a fraction
to a decimal by using division. We are also preparing for the NJ ASK test. Students will
work on open-ended word problems from the Harcourt NJ ASK Test Prep workbook
Students continued to successfully access their reading texts from home. Emphasis was
placed on the focus skills of main idea and detail, making inferences, point of view,
robust vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies. Students read selections from
Theme Four topics which focused on “Dare to be Great” reading selections. Leveled
readers were used by students to reinforce skills from their text. The SmartBoard was
frequently used to review stories, workbook pages, and play vocabulary games. All
students successfully completed the Reading portion of Study Island and took the post
tests. Students began reading books for the Battle of the Books and began to complete
memory joggers.
Mrs. Applegate’s 5th grade Social Studies classes continued to study about the settling
of the thirteen original English colonies. Students studied and analyzed the various social,
economic, religious, and political factors in motivating these settlements. Map work was
also completed as a component of the colonial English settlement in America. As a class,
students talked about the Haiti earthquake and some students made posters about Haiti’s
history and economics. Students also played interactive games about the colonies using
the SmartBoard. Students also researched notable black history figures and completed
written reports on them.
Mrs. Applegate’s 5th grade writing class finished all assignments in Study Island.
Writing Workshop selections focused on writing essays and expository writing. Timed
writings were done in preparation for NJ Ask. Students continued to work on grammar
activities related to adjectives, articles and possessive pronouns.
Art
Ms. Cronk’s art classes Pre K-5 celebrated Valentine’s Day and Black History Month!
Students learned about many famous African Americans and their contributions to
society. The artists also created handcrafted Valentine’s Day gifts for their families.
Music
Mr.Mullen's instrumental students performed at a "Parent Night" on Feb.18th with
Dr.Stringham.
This was a "breaking of the ice" for the first year players to play in public (300 people in
attendance). Everyone did a great job.
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Mr. Nicolle reports
 Grade K - Working with movement games, most recently "Bumpin' Up & Down
in my Little Red Wagon" which also helps to identify tools in which to repair the
wagon.
 Grade 1 - Using the song "The Corner Grocery Store" to use the concepts of
rhyming and syllables to create additional lyrics for the song.
 Grade 2 - Continuing to work on the concepts of musical notation and rhythm.
 Grade 3 - Continuing to view "Mary Poppins" in preparation for producing our
own in-class play on the movie.
 Grade 4 - Have assigned reports on national anthems to particular countries that
the children's family have originated from, which are due March 1. The purpose
of this is to stress the importance of music in the life of a nation, and how it
historically relates to that nation.
 Grade 5 - Have assigned reports on The Beatles as a group, or an individual
Beatle, in conjuction with the study of the musical group and how it has
influenced popular music when they first came to the notice of the world nearly
50 years ago.
Speech
Mrs. Hale’s students receiving speech and language services have made progress
towards mastery of the goals set forth in their Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Goals
have been addressed in the context of the general curriculum and/or NJCCS when
appropriate.
Comprehensive Health & Physical Education
Nurse Linda has a few reminders:
 If you are a parent of a 5th grader, you may have received a vaccination notice if
your child is in need of Tdap or Menactra in order to begin 6th grade. These
vaccinations should be given at the child’s 11th birthday. If you have any
questions please call the nurse. When the vaccinations are given, please provide
documentation.
 Parents- please remind your child that if they get hurt or are not feeling well in
gym or recess, they should come to the nurse AT THAT TIME, and not wait until
they are back in their classroom.
 Local dentist Dr. Tella will be visiting in March to review dental care with all
classes.
 Spring is coming and with it the arrival of seasonal allergies! If your child will is
in need of medication/inhaler in school, contact the nurse now for the proper
paperwork.
 Check the school notes website in April for information on seasonal allergies and
how it might affect children in school.
Mr. Cioffi’s Physical Education Classes
 Grades K-2 has begun developing their skills in the game of basketball. They
have been practicing their dribbling, passing, and shooting
 Grade 3: Preparing for Jump Rope for Heart
 Grades 4-5: Have begun their Olympic events. This events will run through
January and most of February
Computers
Teachers and students continue to use the computer lab and the laptop modules
for computer assisted instruction and for Study Island.
Basic Skills
Mrs. Korycinski’s and Mrs. Young’s reading groups are using setting and
context clues to enhance comprehension skills and answer critical thinking questions.
Students are continuing to learn new vocabulary words and are practicing reading
fluency.
Mrs. Korycinski’s math classes are learning time, money and long division.
Each grade level is working on strategies to use when solving math word problems. The
students must identify and state the steps they will use to solve the problems.
Special Ed
Mrs. Volpe’s Special Education Class will be celebrating Black History Month by
reading about and discussing people such as; W.E.B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, Jesse
Owens, and Satchel Paige. The goal of the Resources class is to have all students reach
their individual goals and objectives set forth in their individual Education Programs
(IEP).
Workshop Attendance
 Mrs. Hale attended an out-of-district conference entitled Current, Best Strategies
to Help Speech-Language Pathologist Enhance Student Literacy.
 Mrs. Keogh attended a BCEA-Grant writing workshop- 2 hours Jan. 20, 2010
 Mrs. Palermo facilitated the recent grade level meeting
Student Recognitions
Each month one child is selected from each class as the Student of the Month.
The decision process is a difficult one as many students regularly demonstrate extraordinary effort, cooperation, kindness, a positive work ethic and learning attitude. North
Arlington’s Jefferson School teaching family is pleased to proclaim the following
children as Students of the Month of February 2010: Anthony Bradley, Madison Inzinna,
Elena Yared, Claudia Fernandes, Tommie-Angelique Heiser, Nicholas Jorda, Ishani
Shah, Madeline Carlo, Jessica Graci, Nicole Gac, Alex Lago, Erick Estrada, Valentyn
Boyko, Kyle Camacho, Stephanie Zhang, Morgan Kapalin.
School Accomplishments
-History’s Alive: Houdini presented by the Jefferson School PTO
-Students participated in Nation Wear Red Day sponsored by the
American Heart Association and gained an awareness of heart health
-Otto the Auto traffic safety program sponsored by AAA
-100th Day of School celebration
-Guest Reader: Retired 1st grade teacher Mrs. Joyce Barker read the story Recess
at 20 Degrees Below Zero, detailing school recess in Alaska
Special Programs
Student Council members
 Continued recycling and collection of flip tops
 Sent a check for $835. to Save the Children –Haiti Fund Foundation from
proceeds collected from “Help for Haiti” week and bake sale.
 Sponsored a “Career Day” for all students to wear clothing reflecting what
they would like to be when they become adults
Peer Mediation
 Meetings were held with various groups who had selected books and
activities related to bullying, peer pressure, and activities related to
friendship and honesty. Students presented their activities to other peer
mediators for practice .activities and their stories and activities will be
presented to all classes within the next month.
Field Trips
Jefferson School continues to make use of the Meadowlands Environmental
Center on a regular basis. Grade 3 will journey there on April 6th, 2010 and grade 2 will
visit the facility on April 8th.
MONTH:
FEBRUARY, 2010
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:
ROOSEVELT
Pre-K
 Mrs. Mack’s Pre-K students listened to several versions of the story The Mitten
by Jan Brett and other authors. Students retold the story to each other using
flannel board pieces and compared and contrasted the characters in the stories.
 Mrs. Mack’s Parent Participation:
- Mrs. Arce, Angel’s mom, read a story to the class.
- Mrs. Mehta, Mohnish’s mom, read a story and did a Valentine craft with
the children.
- Mrs. Paglucci, Vincent’s mom and Mrs. Vieira, Alexa’s mom, assisted
during the Valentine Day celebration. Each child was given a brownie
and was able to decorate it with several different toppings and then of
course ate their delicious creation.
Kindergarten
 Mrs. Malanga’s Kindergarteners learned about the letter and sound of B/b.
Children are using visual thinking skills in math to match three dimensional
objects with their outlines. Combining these two concepts, the children had their
own bodies traced by Ms. Jaume’s fourth grade students! The kindergartners
decorated their “bodies” to look just like themselves.
First Grade
 Mrs. DiTommaso’s First Graders are learning to recognize the main idea of a
story and remember the details of a story. Mrs. DiTommaso read A Bad Case of
Striped by David Shannon. After the story was read, there was a class discussion
of the main idea and then we detailed the events. Through class discussion, the
class described the main idea of this story as when you tell the truth you feel
better and that being yourself is most important when you are making new
friends. With Mrs. DiTommaso’s help, the class sequenced detailed events and
made a book report using a graphic organizer showing the main event and all the
important details. Students then drew a picture on the front cover resembling
themselves if they are feeling badly about something.
 Mrs. Arena’s First Graders listened to an old Chinese story about Tikki Tikki
Tembo. The teacher guided a discussion regarding traditions in different families.
They also learned about the Chinese New Year and what this is the Year of the
Tiger. The class then created lanterns for the Chinese New Year.
Second Grade
 Mrs. Phalon’s Second Graders have learned :
Math - to count mixed sets of coins to a dollar. Students have also learned to
make change.
Reading/ LA – to continue to work cooperatively in flexible reading groups.
Science – are learning about the solar system.
Third Grade
 Mrs. Giuffre’s Grade 3 students are reading biographies on famous people and
will write book reports. Later, they are going to dress up as the person they wrote
about and give an oral presentation.
Fourth Grade
 Ms. Jaume’s, for her Grade 4 students, has expanded their preparation for
standardized testing by incorporating “NJ ASK MATH RELAYS’ into their
Thursday routine. Students rotate individually at the blackboard to solve
diversified math problems. Each member completes one step of a problem. The
“anchor” checks their team’s work and makes corrections if necessary. A sense
of satisfaction and camaraderie has been an added bonus.
Fifth Grade
 Mrs. Badiola’s Fifth Grade investigated the common characteristics of plants.
By examining plant parts carefully, using hand lenses, the students gained
understanding that all common plants have specific trait and adaptations to help
them survive in their environments.
Art
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ESL
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BSI
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Mrs. Cronk’s Art classes Pre-K-5 celebrated Valentine’s Day and Black History
Month! Students learned about many famous African Americans and their
contributions to society. The artists also created handcrafted Valentine’s Day
gifts for their families.
Mrs. Stringham reports:
 Kindergarten students continue to enjoy using the SmartBoard to practice
their writing of various letters / consonants of the week.
 Grade 1 students in both ESL and Reading Support classes continue to
develop their vocabulary by using the Smartboard in interactive reading
games and using/writing the words in context sentences.
 Grade 2 students enjoyed learning about different musical instruments after
reading about a story based on music. Students viewed instruments of interest
(from the Internet) on the SmartBoard and heard the sounds of these
instruments. Using descriptive adjectives, students wrote about the
instruments.
 Grades 3- 5 students continue to develop their writing skills based on writing
prompts/assignments from classroom teachers.
Mrs. Wei reports that BSI Reading Students are using Think Central on the
SmartBoard to further their reading comprehension skills, practice vocabulary,
and focus skill for each lesson. Students are also enhancing their listening skills
by following along with the story as they hear it.
World Language
 Mrs. Gonzalez’ Grade 5 students are getting ready for Middle School Spanish.
Students are learning rules of Spanish grammar, such as gender and number
agreement of articles, nouns and adjectives. Mrs. Gonzalez is helping her
students build a strong foundation for future and more challenging Spanish
classes.
Comprehensive Health & Physical Education
 Mr. Cioffi’s gym students in grades K-2 have begun developing their basketball
skills. They have been practicing their dribbling, passing, and shooting. In third
grade students are beginning preparations for Jump Rope for Heart. Grades 4 –
students have are in the midst of their Olympic events. This will be completed
during the month of February.
Special Ed
 Mrs. McKenna’s students in Grades 2 – 5 have been working with money.
Students have been using newspaper circulars to shop after being given a budget.
Students have also enjoyed using coupons to receive discounts as well as various
manipulatives.
 Mrs. Whalen’s Grades 4 & 5 students have been working hard memorizing
their multiplication facts. In grammar, students have been learning about
pronouns. The Manifest Destiny and the Mexican War have been the focus of
social studies lessons. This month, Mrs. Whalen‘s students have been discussing
and performing acts of kindness.
Nurse
 Mrs. Terletzky, Roosevelt School Nurse, reports the following:
 Screenings - height, weight, blood pressure and audios - documented into
health charts - referrals given when necessary.
 Reviewing medical information relating to a recently diagnosed hemophiliac.
Beginning to develop an Individualized Healthcare Plan. Organized a
presentation for staff with a nurse and social worker from the Hemophilia
Treatment Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
 Preparation for Dr. Varcoe’s dental screenings. Dental charts organized.
Notification given to both staff and parents.
 Reviewing / revising immunization requirements to be posted for upcoming
PK / K registration.
 Organized Wear Red Day for awareness of women’s heart disease. Grade 5
students’ in Mrs. Badiola’s class made and wore red hearts as a sign of their
support. The Bergen County Department of Health Services was informed
and will be sending Roosevelt School a “Certificate of Recognition” for
promoting this event.
 Previewing DVD’ s and searching websites relating to the heart and nutrition
to present to Grade 3.
 Continuous communication with parents and physicians for students with
serious medical conditions.
School Accomplishments
 Roosevelt School Parents sponsored a SweetHearts Dance to which all female
students, (PreK – grade 5) and their dads, step dads, or significant others were
invited. One hundred ten children and dads attended. Their fees paid for the
girls’ wristlet corsage, a photo of each dad with his child, a DJ who had children
and dads dancing and playing games, and finger foods and cakes to eat. Calls and
emails indicate a good time was had by all.
Special Programs
 Ellen White, Beth Israel Hemophilia Center Outreach Program, spoke to staff
regarding childhood hemophilia. Staff met with Ellen White during their lunch
hour to learn more about this medical problem afflicting one of our Roosevelt
School families.
 Mrs. Badiola‘s Fifth Grade has begun the Battle of the Books. Mrs. Parke
kicked off the battle on February 4, 2010; the fifth grade is reading six books:
Shoeless Joe and Me, by Dan Gutman; Rules, by Cynthia Lord; Keeper of the
Kingdom, by H.F. Ralles; Atemis Fowl, by Eoin Cofer; Who Was Abraham
Lincoln, Jay Janet B. Piscal; and Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and
Avid Oliver Relin. As usual, Mrs. Parke managed to enthuse the students about
reading.
MONTHLY HIGHLIGHTS
MONTH: February 2010
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: WASHINGTON
Pre-Kindergarten
Mrs. Johnson’s – Pre-K class

Mrs. Johnson's Pre-k class has been working on the letters o, p, and q,
rhyming, numbers through 12, and patterns. We've also completed a couple
of science activities about the air all around us. The children enjoyed
painting and making crafts for Valentine's Day. We had conferences with
the parents and gave out the progress reports. It's great to meet all the
parents, and there is always so much to discuss that there's never enough
time! We've had more parent visitations with our Star Student program,
and they brought great crafts for the children.
Pre-Kindergarten
Mrs. Luciano’s – Pre-K class
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We discussed the mail process at the post office. We have been working on
our addresses.
The children made Valentine’s mail and delivered it to their friend in the
classroom.
We discussed the word symmetry and painted on one side of a heart and
observed how both painted sides of the heart were the same.
We read a variety of Gingerbread “boy”, “man”, “girl” and “baby” stories
and compared the events of the story.
February Student of the Month – Omar Majdoub
Kindergarten
Mrs. Haag’s – Kindergarten class
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Reading - We learned to read the words: you, look, one, see, what, two, up,
down, we. We also learned the letters Ll, Hh, Ww, and Xx
Math - We celebrated the 100th day of school by counting to 100 and
bringing in our collections of 100 items. We also learned to count to 100 by
2s, 5s, and 10s.
Social Studies - We talked about two special presidents: George
Washington, our first president and the person that our school is named
after; and Abraham Lincoln, who was important because he helped to free
the slaves.
Science - We continued to talk about different types of mammals, birds, fish,
reptiles, and insects. Our homework assignment was to research one animal
in each family and then we made a classroom display depicting all the
animals we found.
Kindergarten
Miss Pusaver’s – Kindergarten class

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Miss Pusaver’s kindergarten is counting to 100 by 2s, 5s, and 10s in Math. In
Reading, we learned that some sentences end with a question mark or an
exclamation point. After reading the story, David’s Drawings, the students
worked collaboratively in groups to create their own drawings by taking
turns to add something to the picture.
We enjoyed our visit with the Cat in the Hat on February 1st! The
kindergarten also made Popsicle stick puzzles and hand print Valentines in
celebration of the holiday!
First Grade
Mrs. Dillon’s – First grade classes
 In February, the first grade learned about numbers to 100. We celebrated
the 100th day of school on February 12th. They made side by side pictures of
what they look like now and what they think they will look like when they are
100 years old. We read a biography about Tomas Rivera and how he worked
hard to make his dreams come true.
 Science we learned how people need animals and plants. We discussed how
we get products from plants and animals and grouped them accordingly.
First Grade
Mrs. Crismale’s – First grade class

Mrs. Crismale's first grade class has been busy discovering George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln and what life was like in those times. We
also celebrated Read Across America with a day of reading the students
favorite books to the class and telling why these were their favorite books.
Second Grade
Ms. Mielke’s - Second grade class

This month the second graders have been working very hard learning about
our famous presidents. After reading about George Washington and
Abraham Lincoln, the children wrote speeches for President's Day. They
brainstormed ideas about what they would do if they were president. After
writing their speeches in language arts class, they read them to other classes
in the building as a culminating activity.

They have also been working hard on their cursive writing and counting
money in math class. They are looking forward to telling time next week.
Third Grade
Miss Maier’s – Third grade class
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Math –Using Money
Counting bills and coins
Comparing money amounts
Making change
Understanding economics, debt, credit and personal spending and finances
Social Studies – Communities and Geograhy
People change and adapt to their surroundings
Identify living and nonliving natural resources
Understand the importance of renewable and nonrenewable resources
Describe the significant characteristics of an effective citizen and participate
in ways to influence public policy
Science – Earth’s Resources
Identify different kinds of resources: nonrenewable, renewable,
inexhaustible
Focus on conserving and preserving nonrenewable resources
Consider ways to develop new energy resources from inexhaustible resources
Literacy - Theme 3 – As We Grow
Robust Vocabulary
Writing: Friendly Letter
Focus Skills: Plot, Author’s Purpose
Grammar: Possessive nouns, singular and plural nouns, subject and object
pronouns, pronoun-antecedent agreement
Fourth Grade
Ms. Verrier’s – Fourth grade class
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Writing: "Hershey Kiss" How- to essays. The class wrote a descriptive essay
on how - to eat a Hershey Kiss. After publishing their work, the class read
their work to the other classes in the school and gave out Hershey Kisses in
honor of Valentine's Day.
Science : Hands on Investigation: the class investigated "Breathing Rates".
The class measured and recorded data for their individual breathing rates
after sitting still, marching, and running in place for one minute each. After,
they graphed the data to compare and draw conclusions about which activity
caused breathing rates to increase. (cross curricular learning-science, health
& phys.ed., math)
Black History Month: Every Friday, the class has chosen a person of interest
to learn more about. We used the 'Brain Pop' website and searched other
internet reference sources for information.
Fifth Grade
Ms. Lonergan – Fifth grade class

Besides celebrating Super Bowl, the fifth grade kicked off the 2010 Battle of
the Books. One selection titled, Who Was Abraham Lincoln? - made the
national holiday more meaningful than usual.
Pre-K 3
Mrs. Porfido’s – Pre-K3 class
o We celebrated the 100th day of school with Mrs. Fasouletos’
Kindergarten/First Grade Class.
1. We counted 100 snack items
2. We counted 100 Jelly Beans and glued them on to a poster of the
number 100
3. We counted 100 Fruit Loops and laced them to make a necklace.
4. We traced our feet and made 100 foot prints. We followed the
footprints to a special 100th day of school party
5. We made a book consisting of different actions we completed 100
times
o Clapping
o Tapping
o Flapping
o Snapping
Pre-K-4/5
Mrs. Fasouletos – Pre-K4/5
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This month the students in Mrs. Fasouletos’ K-1 self contained class learned
several new sounds in Reading, i, t, and d. We also reviewed previously
learned sounds. In handwriting, we worked on the letters Bb, Pp and Rr, the
students really enjoyed our projects for those letters. We wrote our letters in
sand and sugar, made blue bubble paint prints for letter Bb and made pizzas
for letter Pp.
In social skills this month the students continued to work on play skills. We
enjoy our social skills group. We distinguish between the right and wrong
way to utilize these skills and we role play and practice these skills both in
the classroom and during our specials.
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We celebrated our 100th day of school this month with Miss Jennie’s
Preschool Class.
We counted 100 jelly beans and glued them onto oaktag.
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We counted 100 fruit loops and strung them onto yarn to make a necklace.

We ate a 100 day snack consisting of 10 of each of the following: M&M’s,
Skittles, Marshmallows, Pretzels, Jelly beans, Chips, mini Oreo cookies,
cheerios, goldfish, and Sweethearts.

We even made a book where we had to clap, stamp, flap and snap 100 times.
Kindergarten and First Grade
Mrs. Kosiakowski’s – Kindergarten class and First Grade

Mrs. Kosiakowski's class read a book and colored a picture about the Native
Americans. We especially learned that the Haida Indians carved large tree
trunks into beautiful totem poles to depict their family history. Sometimes a
pole was placed in front of their large wooden house with an opening for the
doorway. Many Northwest Coast Indians still live in their homeland and
continue to carve totem poles and bowls.
Second and Third Grade
Mrs. Cutruzzula’s – Second and Third Grade class

Mrs. Cutruzzula’s Third Grade Class completed a graphing project in Math.
The children each sorted a box of Valentine Conversation Hearts by color.
The students created a tally table for their hearts based on color. Each child
used the data from their tally table to fill in a pictograph with colorful hearts.
The children compared their graphs with each other noting differences in
total number of hearts in a box and number of hearts per color. It was a
sweet learning experience.
Physical Education
Mrs. Scalia’s – Gym Class

The 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students are “GOING FOR THE GOLD” in our
own Washington School Winter Olympics. Each class is quizzed on Olympic
events and facts and earns points for the correct answer. Classes can also
earn points for showing good sportsmanship and respecting each other. The
3rd grade is currently in the lead with 12 points. The “Gold” medal winning
class will be treated with a free activity physical education class.
Art
Ms. Cronk’s – Art Class

Ms. Cronk’s art classes Pre K-5 celebrated Valentine’s Day and Black
History Month! Students learned about many famous African Americans
and their contributions to society. The artists also created handcrafted
Valentine’s Day gifts for their families.
Nurse
Ms. DeVenio
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North Arlington Health Department audit took place on 2/4/10 Clarification
of immunizations letters sent home as needed follow-up with those parents and
NAHD.
National Wear RED Day for woman’s heart health awareness was 2/5/10.
Your guide to a Healthy Heart was distributed to all staff and parents of 3rd,
4th, and 5th graders. 4th and 5th graders were given a worksheet on the
hearts blood flow.
A flyer from the CDC Act Now to Protect Against the Flu was sent home to
all parents
Various worksheets about Dental Health were given to students in all grades.
February is Child Dental Health month. Notification letters about Dr.
Varcoe coming to do dental screenings on 1st and 5th grades were sent home
to them as well as new students.
Parent conferences continue as needed.
Annual screenings continue with referrals sent home when needed.
Hoping everyone is having a Healthy and Safe Winter!