MONTH: April 2013
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Jefferson
Kindergarten

Miss McCrea’s Kindergarten learned the importance of caring for the Earth in
their celebration of Earth Day. All living things need air, water and food. As
caretakers of the Earth the children how they can help care for the Earth's
resources. For example, simple actions like turning off the lights when leaving the
room, turning off the faucet when brushing their teeth and learning how to recycle
helped them learn what it means to GO GREEN! The class learned which items
are able to be recycled in North Arlington and practiced sorting items into groups
-- paper products, plastic, glass and metal. The class also helped pick up litter in
the playground are

Mrs. Northrop’s Kindergarten is so excited about reading books that they have
taken charge of the reading carpet. The children are reading their favorite stories
to their classmates. Every child has participated in the KN reader’s storytime.
First Grade

Mrs. Barroqueiro’s and Mrs. Pereira’s classes have been working
conscientiously throughout the month of April. In Reading, both classes finished
Theme 5 “Where We Live” and started Theme 6 “New Places, New Faces.” The
classes have learned all of the long vowel sounds and are continuing to master
them in conjunction with the short vowel sounds. They also worked on
alphabetical order. In Math, the classes finished the chapter on “Solid Figures and
Plane Shapes” and are currently working on “Spatial Sense and Patterns.” The
classes are continuing to work hard and do their best!!!
Second Grade

Students in Mrs. Nolan's second grade class participated in their annual
Pancake Breakfast. Students worked in teams to cook, set up serve, and clean up
their breakfast of pancakes, orange juice, and milk with the help of retired teacher
Mrs. Harte, former Jefferson School aide Mr. Whelpley, and Mrs. Nolan. Prior to
the breakfast, students learned about what makes a balanced meal. Basic food
safety and manners were also discussed. After breakfast, students wrote about
their shared experience.

Mrs. Palermo’s second grade class has embarked on their Flat Stanley
adventure! So far, Flat Stanley has been to North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and
Kearny!!! We can't wait to hear about more of his travels!
Third Grade

The students in Mrs. Korycinski's third grade class have been studying
geometry. They have been involved in many activities to learn and understand
geometric skills and concepts. Smartboard activities have enhanced their
understanding of this critical area of math.

Mrs. Buchanan’s third grade class has been learning about fractions in math.
The students have learned how to make fractions from a whole and a group. They
used fraction bars to understand what fractions look like and how some fractions
could be equal to each other.
The students have also been working diligently in writing. They have recently
learned about essays and the key components that should be included when
writing an essay. The students had a lot of fun writing essays on their favorite
season and sharing them with the class.
Fourth Grade

Mrs. Herrmann’s Fourth Grade studied how to make valid judgments about
writers’ statements in nonfiction books, ads, and articles, learned how to make
generalizations, focused on determining authors’ purpose and perspective for
writing, applied context clues to determine meaning of homographs and learned
how to get information from nonfiction texts using skimming and scanning
methods. In addition, students were engaged in smart board lessons, and various
writing assignments in preparing for the NJASK4. During Social Studies, the
class learned how people from other countries brought great diversity to the
United States through their traditions and backgrounds. In addition, students are
becoming knowledgeable about many famous New Jerseyans, such as painters,
writers, sculptors, poets, and musicians who have contributed to the cultural
heritage of both the state and the nation.

Mrs. Rotondo’s fourth grade class investigated what an electric current is.
Students used D-celled batteries, insulated electrical wire, miniature light bulbs,
switches and masking tape to make a light bulb light up without electricity.
Students recorded and observed various arrangements to get the bulbs to light.
Mrs. Rotondo’s fourth grade class created various types of erupting volcanoes
using ordinary household items. Students engaged in oral presentations of their
projects.
Mrs. Rotondo’s class celebrated Mathematics Awareness Month by incorporating
various Math activities in their daily lives.
Fifth Grade

Mrs. Applegate’s Fifth Grade class spent most of the month preparing for the
NJASK by reviewing various genres of reading, as well as reinforcing various
focus skills studied throughout the year, such as theme, characterization,
inferences, figurative language, cause and effect, etc. Time was spent reviewing
procedures on how to respond to open-ended questions. Students also read
responses to essays, personal narratives, and speculative writing pieces and
utilized the various formulas studied in class to write the different forms of
writing reviewed in class. In Math also, students were given multiple-types of
questions in all major areas for review, reinforcement and skills to be applied to
the various types of questions they will be required to answer on the NJASK

Miss Jacobson’s 5th Grade class was introduced to Geometric Figures. Students
were taught intersecting lines, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, acute angles,
obtuse angles, and right angles. The students learned how to draw angles using a
protractor. Students used the strategy find a pattern to solve word problems. We
are also preparing in Language Arts for the NJ ASK test. We completed Personal
Narratives, Realistic Fiction and Essay writing prompts.

Mrs. Sanchez’s Art Classes continued their folk art unit by learning about
pottery. Students used Model Magic to create their own pottery pieces. The
young artists learned the basic principles of working with clay and viewed
examples of American pottery on the Smart Board.
Art
Music

Mr. Nicolle's music classes at Jefferson - Grade 3-4-5 - worked on songs for
Spring Performance for April 23rd.

Mr. Mullen's General Music Classes have been focusing on folk songs, both
American and international.
The Instrumental Classes have been rehearsing diligently for their upcoming
performances in May.
(May 22-Spring Concert; May 27th-Memorial Day Parade; May 31st- Band Tour)
Comprehensive Health & Physical Education

Mr. Cioffe’s physical education classes have begun a unit involving
baseball/softball. Each grade level has been focusing on the different skills it
takes to perform in the games of baseball/softball. The skills throwing, catching,
and hitting. Each skill will also be used in a mini game that goes with the theme
of baseball/softball.
World Language

Mrs. Baeza’s Kindergarten Spanish students played number games on the
smartboard. One specific number game taught them about bees. They also learned
about community helpers and learned how to say some community helpers in
Spanish. We played charades based on the different community helpers and read a
story about bomberos (firefighters).
Counselor

Ms. Hourihan finished up her classroom lessons with the fifth grade students.
Ms. Hourihan read Confessions of a Former Bully by Trudy Ludwig. Students
learned positive ways to handle harmful teasing and bullying, which can be added
to their “tool box” of coping strategies.

Mrs. Volpe’s Special Education class participated in the Jefferson School
Spring Concert this year. Our 5th grade garden club began their seasonal clean-up
and preparation for planting. The goal is to make Jefferson School both a floral
and vegetable oasis. They will be planting an herb garden this year with basil,
oregano, cilantro, as well as many other seasonal herbs throughout the next
month. The Resource students are working hard towards reaching the goals and
objectives set forth in their individual Education Programs (IEP), at the same time
using a cross curriculum approach to teaching.
ELL

Mrs. Nouravi’s ELL students First graders in Mrs. Nouravi’s ELL class read a
nonfiction reading text about “Amazing Animals” and learned a lot of new
information and facts about different animals. Then they compared and contrasted
different animals based on the new information. In addition, they made a graphic
organizer and wrote the new facts and information in it in order to keep track of
what they had read and learned.
BSI

Mrs. Keogh’s BSI kindergarten math students created graphs by using erasers,
teddies, and shapes. They answered questions about the graphs, such as, “how
many more” of one item there was than another one. Items were “partnered up”
and they noticed the ones with no partners answered the “how many more”
question.

Ms. Maier’s BSI reading / literacy classes focused on the common core
standards to address and develop college and career readiness anchor standards
for reading. The focus of instruction targeted the key ideas and details of the
common core state standards for English language arts and literacy. Students
analyzed how two or more texts addressed similar themes or topics in order to
build knowledge or to compare the approaches the author takes.
Highlights
Roosevelt School
April 2013
Pre-K-Mrs. Mack
This month students in Pre-K learned all about Earth Day. The students learned the
importance of recycling and not polluting our planet. The students colored and cut out
the Earth for a bulletin board display "We Love Our Earth". In their science journals,
students drew pictures on how they could help the earth.
Kindergarten-Mrs. Haag
Mrs. Haag’s Kindergarten class celebrated Earth Day by bringing in recycled items from
home. They used the recycled items to make a unique piece of artwork to decorate the
classroom.
Kindergarten-Mrs. Malanga
Mrs. Malanga’s students are becoming wonderful, eager writers! One day this month the
class listened to Darcy and Gran Don’t Like Babies, by Jane Cutler. After a spirited
discussion about things that they don’t like, the children wrote books listing their dislikes.
Some things mentioned were: peas, bugs, cleaning up, and other people’s birthdays!
First Grade-Mrs. Arena
The first grade children created a poem about feelings. They displayed the poems on
kites that are hung in the classroom for others to read.
First Grade-Mrs. Hennessy
First graders learned how to write contractions, use quotation marks, and how to use
pronouns correctly. We learned about the wonderful creatures of the Rainforest and how
we need to protect them. We also learned how to tell time and how to count money.
Second Grade-Mrs. Phalon
Second graders learned how to measure length using both standard and metric units.
Third Grade-Mrs. Giuffre
During this month students focused on the three different types of writing genre. After
writing many compositions, learning the different types of writing planners, and
numerous class discussions on the topic, students became proficient at identifying the
genres we use in class.
As a culmination to the writing unit, we played a game called “Prompt Detective”.
Students worked in small groups with various writing prompts and had to identify the
writing genre and which planner would be used to write the composition. They all had an
enjoyable time while learning a very important skill for writing.
Fourth Grade-Mrs. Crismale
The fourth grade worked with the fifth grade on a natural disaster science project. They
worked in groups and recorded their research results for their area of interest. Students
worked together and created a power point to present to the class about their natural
disaster. The fourth and fifth graders presented their projects to the class the week of
April 15th. Students enjoyed the process and especially liked working with another grade
level.
Fifth Grade-Mrs. DiTommaso
The fifth grade completed the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S.
Lewis. After each section, students completed a log which helped them keep track of
important events and enriching vocabulary words from the book. Once the book was
completed, students were put into groups and each group selected a scene from the book
and recreated the scene and presented it as a film to the class.
Spanish-Mrs. Baeza
Kindergarten Spanish students played number games on the smart board. One specific
number game taught them about bees. They also learned about community helpers and
learned how to say some community helpers in Spanish. We played charades based on
the different community helpers and read a story about bomberos (firefighters).
Resource-Mrs. McKenna
Students in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Language Arts classes studied various types of
poetry. We worked in small groups and wrote poems.
Music-Mr. Mullen
Mr. Mullen's General Music Classes focused on folk songs, both American and
international.
The Instrumental Classes have been rehearsing diligently for their upcoming
performances in May.
(May 22-Spring Concert; May 27th-Memorial Day Parade; May 31st- Band Tour).
.
Art-Mrs. Sanchez
Mrs. Sanchez’s art classes continued their folk art unit by learning about pottery.
Students used Model Magic to create their own pottery pieces. The young artists learned
the basic principles of working with clay and viewed examples of American pottery on
the Smart Board.
Physical Education-Ms. Vespoli
Ms. Vespoli’s physical education classes explored the world of baseball with the exciting
completion of whiffle ball.
BSI-Mrs. Young
Mrs. Young’s reading students developed their skills in phonics, word decoding,
comprehension and reading fluency. Students continue to develop critical thinking and
inferential reading skills.
Mrs. Young’s math classes learned concepts of measurement, geometry and fractions.
Washington School
Monthly Highlights
April 2013
Pre-K 3 – Ms. Depken
Ms. Depken’s Pre-K 3 class got ready for spring by making all different types of
outdoor crafts. They also took advantage of the warmer weather by going out on the
playground for some exercise. For Earth Day, they utilized their fine motor skills by
making Rice Krispie Treats in the shape of the world to bring home to share with
their families.
Pre-K 3 – Ms. Paserchia
Miss Paserchia’s Pre-K class was mesmerized by the transformation of caterpillars
to butterflies. The students learned all about the butterfly lifecycle. They explored
the topic through hands-on observations. The class watched real-life caterpillars
enter their chrysalides and change into beautiful butterflies! Their knowledge is
butterflying to new heights!
Pre-K a.m. – Mrs. Johnson
Mrs. Johnson's Pre-K class completed a unit about farms this month. They learned
all about animals and jobs on farms, sang songs and played games, and made a class
graph of favorite farm animals. The next unit of study will be about plants, which
fits right in with the study of farms!
Pre-K p.m. – Miss Albonico
Miss Albonico’s Pre-K class spent this month preparing for Earth Day. The
students planted seeds and watched them grow into a beautiful plant. The class
discussed different ways to recycle as well as reuse materials. The students also
learned the letters V, W and X. The class enjoyed learning different songs to go
along with the letters.
K-1 – Mrs. Fasouletos
Mrs. Fasouletos’ kindergarten – first grade class discussed ways they can protect
the Earth. The students made a list of ways to love the Earth – recycle, throw trash
in the garbage, save water and save electricity. They made the Earth out of a heart
and did a recycling activity on the smart board.
Kindergarten – Mrs. Dillon
Mrs. Dillon’s kindergarten class learned about different ways to help the earth. The
students use our classroom-recycling bin daily for recycling their water bottles and
yogurt containers from snack. They planted vegetable seeds. The students recycled
old crayon pieces by using the Crayola Crayon Maker to melt down old crayon
pieces. The new crayons were formed in the shape of animals using a special mold.
Giant Save Our Planet stickers were given to each student for their efforts!
Kindergarten – Mrs. Luciano
Mrs. Luciano’s kindergarten class celebrated Earth Day by creating posters. The
posters highlighted a variety of things they could do to help our planet. The
children drew pictures of themselves recycling, planting trees and helping to clean
up their neighborhood. The children ended their day by creating their own pot that
they filled with soil and seeds. The children will use their science journals to keep a
log of their observations. Everything blooms in kindergarten!
Grade 1 – Ms.Pereira and Mrs. Kosiakowski
Ms. Pereira and Mrs. Kosiakowski’s class celebrated the month of April by writing
about the life cycle of different animals. They also decorated math umbrellas and
completed ABC order flower sheets for the bulletin board April Showers bring May
Flowers.
Grades 2-3 – Miss Palmer
Ms. Palmer’s 2-3 grade class recognized Earth Day in April. The students listed
ways they can help protect our Earth, planted plants, and pledged to help keep the
Earth clean. The class also learned the importance of conserving water, by taking a
class trip to the Meadowlands Environmental Center.
Grade 2 – Miss. Pusaver
Miss Pusaver’s second grade class collected solid figures to count the faces, vertices
& edges on each one. The students also had a blast observing and feeling different
types of soil, rocks and minerals in science!
Grades 2-4 – Mrs. Cutruzzula
Mrs. Cutruzzula’s 2-4 grade class wrote Haiku Poems for spring. It was a great way
for the students to practice breaking words into syllables.
Grade 3 – Ms. Mielke
Ms. Mielke’s third grade class had a great time in the computer lab. They wrote an
acrostic poem entitled “Spring” in Language Arts class. After completing their
poem, each student enjoyed a lesson on how to change fonts and colors in a
document on the smart board! On their laptops, each child typed up their poem
and had fun with shape, size, and color. They created a butterfly to go along with
the “Spring” theme. The projects look wonderful hanging around our classroom!
Grade 3 – Mrs. Phelps
Mrs. Phelps third grade class wrote essays on their favorite movie. Students
depicted WHY the movie they chose was their favorite and supported their opinion
with three reasons. Learners typed their essays in the computer lab and created a
movie poster to go along with their writing. Students were eager to complete this
assignment and share them with each other.
Grade 4 – Ms. Verrier
Ms. Verrier’s fourth graders have been using the EDMODO internet webpage to
respond to their guided reading group stories. After reading and discussing the
book in small groups in class, the students must log-on to EDMODO and respond
critically to the story using comprehension and vocabulary strategies learned in
class. EDMODO is a favorite at home link to twenty-first century learning!
Grade 4 – Mrs. Drozdowski
Mrs. Drozdowski’s fourth grade class worked cooperatively with the first graders
on an Earth Day Project. The students researched different ways to save our planet
using the IPADS. The fourth graders demonstrated how to use Brain Pop and the
students thoroughly enjoyed viewing the video and taking the Earth Day quiz. The
activity was followed by a read aloud and writing activity.
Grade 5 – Mrs. Sauchelli
Mrs. Sauchelli’s fifth grade class has successfully used Edmodo to enhance learning
across the curriculum and promote technological skills. The students are able to
access assigned reading passages and videos through Edmodo and post responses to
critical thinking questions. This learning tool enables students to offer peer review
and feedback which creates a classroom discussion online. This has encouraged a
collaborative learning environment which the students truly enjoy!
Resource – Mrs. Keegan
Mrs.Keegan's 2nd grade math group worked with geometric shapes. The students
designed and drew their own buildings using the shapes.
BSI- Ms. Iuele
Miss Iuele’s third and fourth grade math students spent the month of April learning
about line relationships and plane figures. Students explored quadrilaterals by
creating quadrilateral family trees. Students discussed the special features of
quadrilaterals and proudly shared their quadrilateral family trees with their
classmates.
BSI- Ms. Wandzilak
Ms. Wandzilak’s language arts students focused on distinguishing between short
and long vowel sounds, as well as relating letter combinations in one and multisyllable words. Students used word builders to create words with a given vowel
sound. For the upper grades, students sorted the words into appropriate columns.
After completing this lesson, students then read a story and highlighted all words
with a specific vowel sound. For the lower grades, students played BINGO with
“Bobby the BINGO Bear.” When a word was pulled, the student segmented the
sounds and blended the sounds to form a whole word. Students then located the
word on their BINGO board. The game was repeatedly played to reinforce skills.
Art – Mrs. Sanchez
Mrs. Sanchez’s art classes continued their folk art unit by learning about pottery.
Students used Model Magic to create their own pottery pieces. The young artists
learned the basic principles of working with clay and viewed examples of American
pottery on the Smart Board
Music – Mr. Mullen
Mr. Mullen's general music classes have been focusing on folk songs, both American
and international.
The Instrumental Classes have been rehearsing diligently for their upcoming
performances in May.
(May 22-Spring Concert; May 27th-Memorial Day Parade; May 31st- Band Tour)
Music – Mr. Nicolle
Mr. Nicolle’s pre- k students continued to work on movement games and songs and
began working on vowel songs, (i.e."Apples and Bananas"). Grade 3 started
Recorder study in earnest; with the students taking them home to practice. Grade 4
students reviewed last year's Recorder lessons with songs being worked on for
individual classroom performance. Grade 5 continued working on notation study,
with a look into basic composing.
Physical Education – Ms. Vespoli
Ms. Vespoli’s P.E. classes are exploring the world of baseball with the exciting
completion of Wiffle Ball.
World Language – Mrs. Baeza
Spanish students in kindergarten played number games on the Smart Board. One
specific number game taught them about bees. They also learned about community
helpers and learned how to say some community helpers in Spanish. We played
charades based on the different community helpers and read a story about
bomberos (firefighters).
Speech -- Mrs. Hornstein
Mrs. Hornstein’s speech and language students have spent the month of April
engaged in assessments to determine current levels of performance and functioning
in regard to their expressive and receptive language development. The students are
making nice strides towards accomplishing their annual goals for this school year.
Nurse – Mrs. DeVenio
All students were given a chance to participate in the Eat Right, Play Hard
Challenge about edible plant parts. The P-K 3- 1st grade colored activity sheets
about plant parts and vegetables. The students in 2nd-5th filled in a record sheet of
the fruits and vegetables they ate for a week and the part of the plant it was from.
They also completed a plant part matching activity sheet. Everyone learned about
these healthy choices. Congratulations to all the participants.
Student Council – Mrs. Mielke and Mrs. Dillon
The Student Council supported Autism Awareness month by collecting 1$ from
each student as a sign of Autism support and awareness.
MONTH:_______April 2013
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mathematics
All the students in Mrs. Arpaio’s math classes prepared for NJ ASK that they took at the
end of the month. We practiced many open ended questions as well as reviewed lessons
that were taught throughout the year. The students answered open ended questions and
as a class we went over the answers and what is needed to score well on open ended
questions. Mrs. Boyd and I combined a project that incorporated Math and Reading. The
students used tangrams to retell a folk tale that they picked for reading. This project
counted as a Math and Reading grade.
Basic Skills Math-- Mrs. Araujo
The students solved equations to determine how much more money was needed to
purchase an item or how much time was needed to finish work. The thought process they
used to make these decisions was the same process used to solve equations. This past
month the students worked on how to solve equations.
Miss Mezzina – 8th Grade Mathematics
During the month of April the students had to work especially diligent to be
successful in class. The classes finished up working on Chapter 9 in their textbooks.
This chapter had an in-depth focus on polynomials; classifying, adding, subtracting, and
finding the degree. They explored monomials and binomials with a focus on multiplying
them using the F.O.I.L. method. Once the pressure of finishing the chapter was
complete, the students then took their fourth and final assessment. This helped to inform
the students on their progress throughout the school year. Finally, they are concluding
the month with proper preparation for success on their upcoming NJ ASK 8 exam.
April Highlight
The students in Mrs. Macari’s math classes have been studying geometry. They learned
how to find the area and perimeter of polygons, volume, and surface area of three
dimensional figures, and angle relationships. The seventh graders also learned how to
find the sum of the interior angles of a polygon, the measure of one interior angle, and the
measure of one exterior angle. In preparation for the NJ Ask, the students have been
practicing examples from Study Island in class and at home.
During the month of April, Ms. Neubauer's math classes have been busy with many new
topics. They learned how to find area, volume, and surface area of a variety of shapes,
using the reference sheet and models to guide them. They also began the rules for
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with integers. In addition, they created
function tables and graphed functions. These were classified as linear or non linear
Language Arts
April Monthly Highlight
Fables, tall tales, myth, legends and fairy tales were the focus this month in Mrs. Boyd’s
reading classes. The students were immersed in a variety of different folk tales and
learned the elements of each type. As a collaborative project with math, the students had
to locate a folk tale from their own cultural background and use tangrams to retell it. To
review for the test, they worked in groups to act out the story lines from each folk tale.
During the month of April, Mrs. Helms’ 8th grade reading students studied Edgar
Allan Poe. As an introduction to Mr. Poe’s life and works, they completed an Edgar
Allan Poe web-hunt on the computers using the website www.poemuseum.org. Cask of
Amontillado, The Tell Tale Heart, and The Raven was some of the classic literature they
studied in class. Finally, students realized that all of the stories and poems that were
written by Poe have made a tremendous impact in American literature.
Mrs. Kowalczyk's classes both Math & Writing had a very busy April. The writing
classes continued to work on narrative and persuasive writing prompts in preparation for
the NJASK. The math classes also worked on NJASK review problems, both multiple
choice and extended response.
April 2013 Highlights for Mrs. Coughlin:
In April, Mrs. Coughlin’s 7th grade reading classes constructed character attribute webs
for some of the main characters of the novel Milkweed. These webs are used to aid
students in understanding characters formation and how they move the plot line of the
story. The 7th grade students were able to see the characters as more realistic which helps
them to become more immersed in the story. This leads to greater overall
comprehension.
Mrs. Callahan's 8th grade writing classes began their unit on Opinion Writing. The
students learned that there is only a slight difference between opinion writing and
persuasive writing. They learned how to effectively plan for this type of essay. Topics
the students wrote about included: "Qualities of a Good Friend" and "Traveling Back in
Time." They also reviewed the various types of writing, corresponding planners and
tools for elaboration, for the NJASK testing.
Mrs. Callahan's 8th grade reading classes completed their unit "Looking Back on
America" by reading Code Talkers. This book was a historical fiction account of the
Navajo Indians efforts as code talkers in World War II. In addition to learning about
various literary terms such as 'allusion', the students also got a brief overlook of the
Pacific campaign during World War II. They learned about places such as Guadacanal,
the Solomon Islands, and Iwo Jima. They also learned that one of the Marines in the
original picture of the American flag being raised over Iwo Jima was a Navajo code
talker.
Mrs. Callahan's 6th grade reading classes spent the month of April preparing for the
NJASK testing. The classes utilized "Standards Solutions" to read and respond to
multiple choice and open ended questions based on narrative and informational text.
Miss Keeler’s 8th Grade Language Arts classes spent the majority of April honing their
language arts skills in preparation for this year’s NJASK 8 test. The skills include
connotation/denotation, text organization, making inferences/drawing conclusions,
author’s purpose/point of view, etc. The students worked both independently and
collaboratively to gain a deeper understanding of how the ability to communicate – to
read and write with understanding and clarity – is essential for daily living. By preparing
for the exam, the students helped to improve their ability to read with understanding and
to think critically about both narrative and informational texts. Additionally, the classes
focused on organizing and clearly expressing their ideas in writing through persuasive,
speculative, and explanatory forms. Related activities included using the NJASK rubric
to evaluate and analyze sample writing responses.
The students in Mrs. Duff's writing class have just completed a lesson on Poetry.
Each student dug into their imaginative resources and created an array of poems.
The poems completed were, Haiku's, Cinquain's Limericks, Acrostics, Free Verse and
Porquia's. Once the students completed their final draft of a poem, they read it aloud in
class and shared their insights along with suggestions if needed. A portion of the
classroom bulletin board has been dedicated to the students’ poetic talents with a
selection of poems displayed for all to read and share
World Languages
April Highlights Mrs. Marchese
The sixth graders learned about speaking with terms in housing and furniture.
The seventh graders learned about the three meals of the day. They learned many food
items and beverages.
The eighth graders learned about el futbol, el beisbol and el baloncesto.
Social Studies
Mr. Barber’s Social Studies classes have begun to look at the causes of the Civil
War. We have looked at Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk as
Presidents and critiqued their time in office. By doing this, we looked at the major events
of their terms and discussed what this meant for the relationship between the North and
South. The classes have also analyzed the Industrial Revolution and how the inventions
of the period changed the world. Finally, the classes looked over these creations and how
they evolved into devices we take for granted daily.
The students in Mrs. Fisher's Social Studies classes were given an opportunity to earn
extra credit points. In groups of three to five, the students had to create a puppet show
based on a Chinese or Japanese folktale. Each group had to create their own puppets and
settings. They also had to memorize scripts. Not only did this project help improve
knowledge of history, it also reinforced lessons taught on folktales.
During the month of April, the students in Ms. Demetroules's classes took a brief look at
the geography, history, and culture of Ancient China. They learned how the different
dynasties shaped China's past. They explored the teachings and philosophy of Confucius
during the Zhou by researching several quotes and applying their meanings to their own
life experiences. The students were introduced to the famous Terracotta Army from the
Qin Dynasty and the Great Wall of China which reached the end of its construction in the
Ming Dynasty. They ended the unit by discussing one of China's greatest achievements the Silk Road established in the Han Dynasty. The students learned how the famous
network of roads connected two vast empires through trade.
Science
Michele Galante
To help the 7th grade students prepare for the NJ ASK test, the science classes did an
OPEN strategy activity. After completing our study of earthquakes and tsunamis, the
students viewed a DVD from National Geographic called “Tsunamis: Killer Waves” The
students had to give an opinion if they believed a tsunamis would hit the Atlantic
coastline. Using the information in the video, they had to prove their opinions from
specific information contained in the documentary, relate evidence to news or personal
knowledge, and give opinions from lessons in the class. This assignment helped the
students prepare for the state test and review information they learned in class.
In the month of April in Ms. Nolan’s sixth grade science classes, started a new unit on
magnetism and electricity. They explored currents and charges through a variety of
experiments, including building circuits in order to test objects to determine if they are
conductors or insulators. The students have also been testing the properties of electric
charges by building up charges on balloons and determining what will stick to them. The
students also created a magnetism fact wall for reference.
Mr. Haines' science and writing classes spent the month of April preparing for the
NJASK8 exams. The students visited the NJDOE website and worked on practice
samples of the New York State Regents, GEPA and ASK8 exams. In addition, the
students prepared by first taking then reviewing and evaluating the New York State
Regents exam from 2011, reviewed each question, and worked as a class to determine the
correct response.
Art
Mrs. Branco
The 6th Grade had a lesson on the art of the Anasazi Native American tribe of the four
corners area of the desert southwest. They wrote a short paragraph of their “life” as a
member of a tribe. The students then translated the story into pictograms of the Anasazi.
The students transferred their images onto a rock they brought in to school. These rocks
now decorate the flower beds in the front of the Middle School.
The 7th Grade worked on their mask project. They plastered, designed and decorated
masks of their faces. The students have put 3 weeks of work into their masks. The
project is a favorite here at the Middle School.
The 8th Grade worked on minimalist/hard edge paintings using watercolors. The students
used stencils to create a series of overlapping shapes, then used a “color story” to create a
minimalistic work of art. They created watercolor paintings that are very precise and
neat. This is a representation of the art era of Hard Edge/Minimalist paintings of the
1960’s and 1970’s. The students did an amazing job on these works of art.
I want to recognize and congratulate Meghavi Pandya, Daniel Antunes, and Rachel
Josloff for their awards earned at the George Miller Art Show. The students have done
amazing work for me this year and I cannot wait for them to take Art in the High School.
Music
April Monthly Highlights - April 2013 - Mr. Nicolle
Grade 6 - completed the cycle with a project called "The Classic Shake", based on the
"The Harlem Shake". We made a video of the shake with music of Bach, Beethoven and
Mozart, but the "rocked up" version: "A Fifth of Beethoven:" (disco version); "Rock Me
Amadeus" (German Hip Hop); Invention in F Major (ala Wendy Carlos' "Switched on
Bach".
Grade 7 - completed the cycle with an in-class performance of the operetta "The Pirates
of Penzance" which included singing and pirates.
Grade 8 - completed the cycle with the annual (in cycle) NAMSie awards and a
presentation ceremony which we video recorded.
Comprehensive Health & Physical Education
April was an exciting month for the students in middle school Physical Education
classes. For half the students in the school it meant the last week of Physical Education
class for the year. They finished off the year, with a week-long Cooperative Games &
Cardiovascular Endurance Unit. The students had fun getting their heart rate up and
learning how to treat one another with respect while doing so.
For the other half of the students, April meant the return to Physical Education after a
marking period of Spanish Class. The students were also given the opportunity to
participate in a Cooperative Games & Cardiovascular Endurance Unit. These students
will be participating this marking period in; Flag Football, Softball, Ultimate Frisbee, and
Outdoor Soccer.
Computers
During the month of April Mr. Guanci used Study Island with his 8th grade class to help
get them ready for NJASK. The students were allowed to use online calculators and
other resources to answer the sometimes difficult questions. The students also worked
together to solve problems collaboratively. Many of the students remembered some of
the questions from last year’s NJASK. By taking these online assessments, it will also
help prepare them for the future state tests which will be performed on computers.
Special Ed
Ms. Whalen's students had an exciting month in science. They planted and are taking
care of Forget Me Nots seeds. They are growing slowly, but they are healthy.
The students are also growing lima bean plants. They started them in paper towel, and
then after they grew, they potted them in soil. They are growing very quickly, and are
very healthy too. Last, but not least, they are observing the life cycle of a butterfly.
Right now the caterpillars are very large and about ready to become chrysalides. The
students are very excited to see what will happen next.
Mrs. D. Brown’s Social Studies Class has been studying Ancient China. The class
completed a web quest on Ancient Chinese Calligraphy at
http://library.thinkquest.org/3614/intro.htm. The students read the article and practiced
the seven strokes of calligraphy. The class combined two characters to create a new word
using a calligraphy chart. In addition, they also discovered the animal that represents the
year they were born on the Chinese calendar. This web quest was an informative way to
compare our system of writing with the Chinese system of writing.
APRIL Highlights 2013 Ms. Tzakis
The students explored the Industrial Revolution and how it shaped our nation. Graphic
organizers were used to take notes on the new advances in technology and the effects of
each on society. The students logged onto History.com and worked on a web quest that
brought the inventors and inventions to life. They also compared the Lowell System to
the Rhode Island system, which system was most beneficial in the running of mills?
Ms. Candio Sekel - 6th grade Science
This month, we started a new book titled Electricity and Magnetism. Last week, the
students participated in a Conductors and Insulators lab activity. The purpose of the lab
was to find out what types of materials made good conductors of electricity and which
made better insulators. Materials included a paper clip, nail, penny, pencil, aluminum
foil, and battery, as well as some others. The students placed each of the individual test
items between wires in the open circuit. Then, they touched both ends of the wire to an
object. By using a light bulb connected to the wires in addition to the tested items, the
students were able to tell the difference between a conductor and insulator by seeing if
the light bulb turned on. If the materials caused the bulb to light, the item proved to be a
conductor. If the bulb did not light, the material was an insulator. The students recorded
all of their findings in a graph and answered questions regarding their observations to
conclude the activity.
North Arlington High School
April 2013 Report
Curriculum and Instruction and Implementation of Objectives:
English Department

Mrs. Albuquerque’s English IV Honors and Regular students continued
reading and evaluating Shakespeare’s Hamlet focusing on Hamlet’s soliloquy “To
be or not to be…” All of the seniors completed a poetry project where they
emulated Shakespeare’s writing style and language in that same soliloquy. In
addition, seniors completed a multi-media project with Prezis and power points on
the Renaissance period. Students were assessed with rubrics focusing on 21st
century technology skills and public speaking skills.

Mrs. Albuquerque’s Journalism students composed new articles and completed
videos for PSA using Movie Maker.

In Mrs. Burns' English 3 Students have focused on modernism covering authors
like Zora Neale Hurston, William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway. Students are
currently reading the classic novel The Great Gatsby. This month has been spent
gearing up for the debates, topics include the government monitoring what a
person is eating or drinking and the abuse of illegal drugs being treated as a
matter of public health, not of criminal justice.

In Mrs. Burns' English 3 Honors Students have focused on modernism covering
The Harlem Renaissance, The Symbolist poets, and authors like Hemingway and
Miller. Students are currently reading the classic novel The Grapes of Wrath. This
month has been spent gearing up for the debates, topics include the government
monitoring what a person is eating or drinking; the abuse of illegal drugs being
treated as a matter of public health, not of criminal justice; and DNA testing to
free innocent men and women who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes.

In Mrs. Burns' English 2: Students have started their study of Mythology,
working on the Legend of King Arthur. Students have also been working on their
sophomore term papers reviewing in text citations, focusing on effective note
taking, and introducing the concept of the counterclaim or concession paragraph.

In Mrs. Burns' Propaganda of Genocide and Oppression Students have been
researching different dictators of the 20th century and now are giving oral
presentations of their work.

Mrs. Hughes’ English I began the Renaissance Unit and their study of Romeo
and Juliet. The students have been reading and acting out excerpts from the play
Romeo and Juliet and completed “body biographies” of main characters to delve
into the character’s personalities and impact to others. They also wrote poems
regarding these characters. In addition, students completed their semi-independent
study of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Students paired up and
performed skits of certain scenes. Mrs. Hughes’ English I Honors also began
their study of Renaissance England and Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet.
By donning costumes and making props, the students acted out certain central
scenes of the play to further their understanding of Shakespeare’s life. The
Honors class kept a running diary of major characters. In addition, students
completed their independent study of a choice novel from the Freshmen Reading
List. Both Mrs. Hughes’ English I and Honors English I students kept
reviewing for the PARCC by completing timed online assessments and analyzing
data to formulate an argumentative essay.

Mrs. Hughes’ Advanced Placement English IV completed the Bedford Poetry
Unit. Students were quizzed each week on the 84 poetry terms, culminating in an
end of the unit test on all terms. In addition, students complete weekly
explications of the poems using the STIDSFAST method and formulated the
findings into several free response essays. Topics for the weekly poems are taken
from the AP list from the College Board. Furthermore, students completed their
final thesis paper, concentrating on 20 poems with a central theme. Finally,
students completed their 15th formal writing assessment based on the AP
Literature and Language Free Response questions, their 7th Independent Critical
Analysis of a Literary Work, and their 8th Reading Assignment with the selection,
Night by Elie Wiesel. For the last week of April and the first week of May,
students will be taking timed AP sample tests both inside and outside of school
(via Edmodo and Study Island) as preparation for the AP exam on May 9th.

Mrs. Hughes’ Freshmen Classes are currently working on the rudiments of the
Freshmen Research Paper. Students utilized the media center and reviewed the
following databases: Elibrary, Ebsco, and World Book Online. All students are
utilizing turnitin.com, easybib.com, and citationmachine.net for their research.

Ms. Ingannamorte’s English IV class has completed research papers and
Renaissance power points. They are now reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet after
exploring the life and times Shakespeare lived, performed, and wrote in.

Ms. Ingannamorte’s Creative Writing Class is in the process of writing fairy
tales and children’s stories. They will illustrate as well as author the stories. Ms.
Ingannamorte’s Sociology Class is studying and analyzing social stratification.
The class is comparing open and caste systems globally.

Ms. Shaver’s English I: English I classes are in the midst of completing an inclass performance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Students studied the
background of theater in the Elizabethan age as well as Shakespeare’s own life. In
tandem with this curriculum, students are working on completing historical fiction
thesis papers – complete with proper MLA citations and a complete works cited
list. Students are mastering the use of online research tools available through the
school’s subscription to Gale’s online suite of resources.

Ms. Shaver’s English II: English II students are continuing their study of
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Students are decoding the language of
Shakespeare while also noting his classic themes that still resonate today. In
tandem with this curriculum, students are working on completing research thesis
papers – complete with proper MLA citations and a complete works cited list.
Students are mastering the use of online research tools available through the
school’s subscription to Gale’s online suite of resources.

Tracey Turner Turano’s English II class and Tracey Turner Turano’s
English II Honors completed their drama unit and made short films as a
culminating project. We have also begun studying different fairytales from
around the world. Students compared and contrasted and discussed how the
stories changed depending on the audience they were trying to reach. The class
then worked together to create their own fairytale adaptations. They had the
option of modernize their story, changing the location, writing a sequel, or
combining more than one fairytale.

Tracey Turner Turano’s English III Classes continued to prepare for junior
debates. Students prepared weekly with their group by researching, discussing,
and holding practice debates. Groups were prepared to argue both sides of their
topics and a coin was flipped to determine which team would be arguing each
side. Students also wrote a short research essay defending the opposite of their
debate side. Each class was also given a new novel to read independently.
Social Studies Department

Mr. Coughlin’s Global Studies Class did an activity where students were broken
up into different ‘countries’ to simulate the domino effect of the assassination of
Franz Ferdinand that led to World War I.

Mr. Coughlin’s US History II Class used primary sources to examine the impact
of the Great Depression on ordinary individuals.

Mr. Coughlin’s Global Studies Honors Class used a simulation in which the
class was broken up into two ‘countries,’ France and Prussia, given technical and
military information, and made preparations to try and win the Franco-Prussian
War.

Mrs. Kusher’s US II classes who are studying the Great Depression period
analyzed the causes of the Dust Bowl. Using a map, we determined the parts of
the country which were most affected. Students watched a video clip about the
hardships that the Lowe family endured during this time period. As follow-up,
the students read a primary source entitled “Letter from a Dust Bowl Survivor”.




Mrs. Kusher’s U.S. II H’s class used the smart board and the districts on line
subscription to The Record to learn how to read the stock page of the newspaper.
In addition, while learning about the stock market crash, students discussed the
drastic drop in the market on 4/23/2013 in response to the hoax that there were
explosions at the White House injuring the President. Students discussed the
types of situations that can cause the stock market to go up or down. Finally, as
follow-up to the stock market discussion, students read a primary source reading
entitled “The Stock Market”. This reading was about the reactions of various
people in society to Black Tuesday.
Mrs. O’Brien Romer’s U.S. History I class learned about the New Deal and the
Great Depression. The students analyzed a number of primary sources, paintings,
photographs, and music from this era. Images from Dorothea Lange and a letter
from a Dust Bowl survivor allowed students to experience the devastation the
drought caused in the Midwest.
Mrs. O’Brien Romer’s AP U.S. History class studied World War II during the
month of April. Students analyzed maps regarding Japan’s military strategy in
the Pacific and propaganda from the time period, including such iconic images
like Rosie the Riveter. Evaluating these sources prepares the students for the
College Board exam they will take in May.
Ms. Smith’s United States History I students learned about the Great
Depression, and its effect on average, everyday Americans. The class discussed
the politics and policies that created this disaster and the presidential failures that
made it worse.

Ms. Smith’s United States History I Honors students learned about the age of
prohibition and the bootleggers who defined a generation. The class discussed the
booming economy of the 1920s and the economic problems on the horizon.

Ms. Smith’s AP European History students prepared for the upcoming exam by
writing DBQ responses analyzing the factors that contributed to the instability of
the Weimar Republic in the period 1918-1933.

Mr. Galante’s USII period 9 class is participating in “The Stock Market
Game”. In relation to our study of the Roaring Twenties, Black Tuesday, and the
New Deal-the students were each given an imaginary $1000.00 in which to by a
certain number of stock of a company of their choosing. They may select a stock
from the NYSE or NASDAQ. They may sell their stock every Friday if they so
choose. Based on the purchase price of the stock and potential trading of stocks,
which ever student makes the most profit off of their original $1000.00
investment will earn an “A” for the fourth market period.
World Languages Department

Mrs. de Diego’s Spanish II classes have been working on clothing the clothing
vocabulary. They prepared a Fashion Show and presented it in the class.

Mrs. de Diego’s Spanish IV classes are learning about the Contemporary History
of Spain and the Spanish Civil War, they discussed different topics about
Francisco Franco’s reign and dictatorship and they watched the move
“Butterflies” about the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.

Mrs. de Diego’s Spanish III classes are learning about three past tenses and
created stories using them, they completed different activities in class that helped
them understand how to use these three tenses together.

Mrs. Murad used the SMARTboard and gave Powerpoint presentations in her
Spanish classes to teach and review lessons on vocabulary and grammar.

Mrs. Murad’s Spanish II Honors class put on a fashion show as a culmination
of chapter 7A.
The students in Mrs. Murad’s Spanish I classes wrote skits in class. They had
to invite their partner to an activity or an event. The partner had to decline the
invitation stating that he/she could not go and explain why and then offer an
alternative.

Math Department

Mrs. Afonso’s Algebra 2B class has completed the unit of conic sections,
graphing and equations. They are working on a project “Conics of the RealWorld”. Students must find examples, write a narrative, graph, and derive the
equation of their explorations. Students present material to class.

Mrs. Afonso’s Algebra classes are applying procedures to simplify polynomial
expressions. Students will apply problem-solving strategies to find area of figures
using polynomial expressions.

Mrs. Afonso’s AHSA class awaits their spring AHSA results.

Mr. Dembowski’s Algebra 1 class has been working with monomials,
binomials, trinomials, and polynomials. Students are learning how to add,
subtract, multiply and divide polynomials. They are also applying polynomials to
different geometric shapes to further understand perimeter and area.

Mr. Dembowski and the Geometry Honors classes have been learning about
different transformations including rotations, translations, reflections, and
dilations. With their new knowledge of transformations they were able to create a
tessellation. The class also learned about fractals and how they shape the world
through an educational video by NOVA.

Mr. Dembowski and the Geometry class have been learning about different
transformations including rotations, translations, reflections, and dilations. With
their new knowledge of transformations they were able to create a tessellation.

Mr. Dembowski and the HSPA math class are now focusing on Sat review
material to raise scores. Students are learning how to manage their time correctly
as well as how to take an educated guess. Students are reviewing old material as
well as exploring new material that will be present on the SAT’s.

Mrs. Maresca’s Algebra 2 classes participated in a discovery lesson based on a
scene from the movie High School Musical. The students were given a situation
in which couples formed relationships, broke up, and formed new relationships,
thereby creating an exponential model. This model became the introduction to a
unit on exponential functions, including practical applications of compound
interest and depreciation.

Mrs. Maresca’s Honors Precalculus classes were introduced to rational
polynomial functions through the use of TI-89 graphing calculators. The students
were required to find the x- and y-intercepts of the graphs of the functions, as well
as determine where the functions had multiple zeros, and ultimately analyze the
basic shapes of the functions
Science Department

Ms. Rosen’s Environmental Science Classes are participating in an ongoing
effort to raise awareness for recycling in school and at home; through the
collection and organization of discarded paper. Students recorded and then
analyzed their personal water use. Students’ than discussed ways in which they
could reduce their own water use.

Ms. Rosen’s Exploring Science Classes investigated the different phyla of
vertebrates by creating PowerPoint presentations about assigned classes of
vertebrates to teach each other about the economic, medical, and resources uses
for each class. Students also web-quested jawless fish and the characteristics that
all vertebrates share

Mrs. Abdel Messih Biology Classes. The students have simulated DNA
replication, RNA transcription and proteins synthesis processes by constructing
snorks out of the snork DNA model they were given. Also, the youngsters have
analyzed the amino acid sequence of cytochrome C and hemoglobin to determine
the evolutionary relationships among several species. In addition, the students
have worked on MCSA and North Carolina EOC practice Tests.

Mrs. Abdel Messih Chemistry Classes. Students have used the lab materials to
explore the behavior of solid copper in an aqueous solution of silver nitrate. Also, the
youngsters have used the whiteboards in electronegativity and percent composition
activities.

Mrs. Abdel Messih Exploring Science Classes. Students have worked on primate
structures and DNA Fingerprinting Activities.

Mr. Mott’s Chemistry Class has been performing various computations and
conversions of moles, molecular weight, percent composition and oxidation
numbers though use of formula’s and charts in the textbook. In addition they have
been practicing nomenclature of compounds. The students performed several labs
one in which they extracted silver from silver nitrate using a copper wire. They
were able to calculate the moles of each element and the products result.

Mr. Mott’s AP Biology performed a genetics lab and completed the breeding of
fruit flies as well as examining their second generation of Fast plants. The
resulting generations were examined for reliability and probability. The students
also examined the human body and the various systems. They performed a lab on
fitness measuring blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiration rate after a variety of
activities. The results were all examined and analyzed. They continued with
animal behavior where providing various stimulants they observed the behavior of
different organisms. None were hurt during the experiment. Lastly as part of
preparation for the AP Exam the students have created study groups and are
taking practice tests in which we analysis the results and examine test taking
strategies.

Mr. Mott’s Anatomy and Physiology class has completed the study of the
skeletal system. Students colored various plates to demonstrate and assist in the
memorization of their location. They were able to observe the bones on the human
skeleton. Some students developed and performed songs to help remember the
bones. The students have now begun the study of the various systems and the
diseases that can affect them. Each student is researching a specific system,
writing a term paper on the system and presenting their findings to the class.

Mr. Necoechea’s Honors Chemistry Classes are currently investigating
properties of solutions that depend upon the number of particles present
(colligative properties). They have had a thorough introduction to concentration
units, and have completed a lab activity in which they measured the boiling point
elevation constant of water using ethylene glycol as a solute. This activity was
also notable in that it applied statistical concepts of correlation and regression to
the boiling point elevation analysis, which overlapped substantially with what
many students are currently studying in Algebra II.

Mr. Necoechea’s Exploring Science classes have completed the tutorial sections
of “Universe Adventure” and have also completed a PhET simulation of planetary
motion. The planetary motion simulation also served as a review and application
of concepts of universal gravitation that were investigated towards the end of the
Freshman Physics curriculum.

Mr. Necoechea’s Physics II classes are constructing a room-sized (19 m)
timeline with both visual and verbal descriptions of important events since the
creation of the universe. They have also completed another scale activity in
which various dimensions in the universe and in personal experience are related to
the speed of light, and to how far light travels in various time periods.

Mr. Rapp’s Chemistry classes performed an experiment in which they
determined the mole ratio between the participants in a chemical reaction. The
students also constructed molecular model displays for various chemical
reactions.

Mr. Robinson’s Physics 1 Honors classes have completed their initial study of
energy, including analyzing situations requiring multi-step problem solving and
working extensively with bar charts as a representation. They have begun their
investigation into circular motion using a variety of hands-on experiments to
develop relationships between different physical quantities in uniform circular
motion.

Mr. Robinson’s Physics 1 classes have completed their initial study of energy,
including analyzing situations requiring multi-step problem solving and working
extensively with bar charts as a representation. They have begun their
investigation into circular motion using a variety of hands-on experiments to
develop relationships between different physical quantities in uniform circular
motion.

Mr. Maloupis’ Physics 1 is investigating momentum. Using a variety of
physical tools, bouncing balls, bowling balls, momentum carts and other tools, the
students are examining the effects of collisions on an objects motion. Leading to
the idea of conservation of momentum and impulse.

Mr. Maloupis’ Honors Physics is investigating momentum. Using a variety of
physical tools, bouncing balls, bowling balls, momentum carts and other tools, the
students are examining the effects of collisions on an objects motion, leading to
the idea of conservation of momentum and impulse.
Business Education
●
Mrs. Tomko’s Financial Literacy students have completed a unit on Identity
Theft and have begun a unit on Banks and Banking Services. Students are
learning how to choose a bank, identifying parts of a check, properly writing a
check, making a deposit, keeping a checking account register, and reconciling a
bank account.
●
Mrs. Tomko’s Personal Finance students have completed personal tax return
preparation and have begun a unit on budgeting and consumer spending. Students
are preparing budgets for a wedding including all aspects (income and expense) of
a formal wedding.
●
Mrs. Tomko’s Computer Applications students have been working in Excel.
Students have been using advanced function formulas, sorting, filtering, setting
conditional formats and using cell comments to enhance a worksheet.
●
Ms. Giampaolo’s Computer Applications students are finishing up advanced
formulas, sorting and filtering, and using conditional formatting to rearrange excel
spreadsheets.
●
Ms. Giampaolo’s Accounting I students have learned the “ins and outs” of petty
cash. They are now starting on their payroll chapter where they will be
deciphering the difference between being an employee and being an independent
contractor.
●
Ms. Giampaolo's Financial Literacy students have just started their lesson on
banking and bank fraud. The students are learning the different parts of a check,
how to prepare bank reconciliations and how to keep track of their check
registers.
Family & Consumer Science
● Ms. Dempsey’s Culinary Arts I & II students have been learning about special
topics in nutrition. All students picked a health condition and did a presentation
on it. The presentation included information about the health condition and how
someone would have to change their lifestyle and diet.
● Ms. Dempsey’s Child Development I & II students had to write a children's
book that was age appropriate for the preschoolers. The book had to have a theme,
lesson, and moral to the story. Students presented the books to their peers and will
now be incorporating their books into their last lessons for the year.
Art
● Ms. DuJack’s Art Studio and Exploratory classes have prepared for and
participated in the George Miller Art Show where several works were honored
with scholarships from participating sponsors. Anastasia Rhem, Kiana Ortega
and Amy Lin were top award winners and Gerry Galvin’s work was honored as a
contest entry into the House of Representatives competition. The art work has
been on display the entire month in the library. Students have recently completed
projects in pointillism design and scratchboard. Many students also participated
in our Viking Planner Contest design and used editing skills on the computer to
create their final entry. Three balls were also painted for sports awards as per
Dave Hutchinson’s request (2 footballs and 1 basketball for Coach Walsh.)
● Mrs. Branco’s Art Studio & Visual Art classes have completed a project using
oil pastels, turpenoid (a school safe turpentine), bristol board and impressionists
works of art. The students first drew out their work of art, they then used layers
of oil pastels to get the same feel as brushstrokes in the original works of art. The
students then used turpenoid, and q-tips to “brush” the layers of pastels which
create the illusion of oil paint. The works of art are amazing the beautifully
rendered and will be on display in the main hallway. The students are now
learning about art history, there has been a slide show and the students will be
covering a chapter in the ART Talk text book with a general art history section.
This will culminate in a written test with slide identification.
Music Department
● Mr. Kastner’s Instrumental Music classes are preparing for their concert with
final polishing and perfection of their assigned parts. Selected students
participated in the GM Art Show as well as the spring musical.
Virtual High School/Media
● Mrs. Bratowicz helped English grade 10 students with research for thesis papers
and 9th graders with historical fiction research papers. The roster for 2013-2014
VHS school year was finalized.
Physical Education Department
● Physical/Health/Driver Education Department continues to implement lessons
which relate to the students. The Department uses Physical Education to
influence skills and activities that promote lifelong fitness. The Department uses
Health to inform and reinforce the necessary information for students to make
educated decisions about their own health, relationships and fitness. The
Department uses Driver Education to introduce the most current laws as well as
prepare students with the information necessary to pass the Knowledge and Road
Tests of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. All of the Health classes
have implemented the use of technology in their lesson plans. Students are being
exposed to e-mail, Edmodo and interactive lessons with Smartboards. Career
Planning has also been implemented into the Junior Health Curriculum.
● Dan Farinola, Paul Marcantuono, Eileen Scalia and Samantha Rosado’s
Physical Education classes: The students were able to play outdoor activities
since the weather has been warm. Outdoor activities included Basketball, Frisbee,
Softball, Soccer, Softball, Tennis skills, Running the mile and Walking. During
April our indoor activities were comprised of a season of Volleyball, Basketball,
Soccer, and Wiffleball. All classes had the option of using the weight room
where the Viking Workout Program is being implemented. Students also have the
option of using their own workout program or a specific sport workout program
as long as they log their lifting weights and repetitions onto a workout sheet.
● Eileen Scalia’s Freshman Health classes: Students have created a professional
e-mail address and Edmodo accounts. The Edmodo accounts are used for
uploading resources, classwork assignments and also homework. Students
completed chapters on healthy behaviors, risk taking and the male and female
reproduction systems. Group activities, partner work, videos and power point
presentations were incorporated into the lessons. Students were engaged in
activities which focused on resisting peer pressure and practicing refusal skills to
help them make healthy decisions regarding sexual health.
● Paul Marcantuono and Brianna Ryan’s Senior Health classes: Students have
created a professional e-mail address and Edmodo accounts. The Edmodo
accounts are used at least once a week in school computer labs. Students are also
researching a project on pregnancy and how it affects your well-being and health
domains. Students have watched the Miracle of Life and answered questions on
the video followed by a class discussion on pregnancy.
Guidance Department

Counselors met with Case Managers of the Child Study Team to discuss
scheduling recommendations for the classified students.

Course Selections and scheduling requests were entered into Real Time.

Student who had incompletes on their report cards have been addressed.

Counselors met with students who have poor grades and are in danger of failing
for the year.

Lists of potential failures/retentions/summer school students have been created.

Senior scholarship applications were sent out for consideration for local
scholarships.

Final transcript requests for seniors have been requested.

Master schedule building for the 2013-2014 school year was continued.

Organization and preparation for upcoming End of Course Biology exam.

Collaboration with department supervisor for Master Schedule building.

Organization and Preparation for upcoming Advanced Placement testing.

Bi-monthly INRS meetings have been attended by all counselors with both new
and ongoing cases.

Students who requested Virtual High School for next year where identified and
prepared for their upcoming expectations.

Stanford 10 test was used to identify students who may need remediation for next
year.

AP tests pre admission proctoring was completed for all students taking the tests
in May.
Workshops Attended: (title, date, site, participant, summary)

Mr. Spaccavento is serving on the NGSS NJDOE adoption committee, he
attended the second of four planned meetings on 4/19 of the Next Generation
Science Standards Adoption Committee Meeting, led by Michael Heinz, Science
Coordinator/MSP Program Officer for the NJ DOE held at Middlesex County
College. The Committee is charged with making a recommendation to the State
BOE on adoption of the NGSS. Future meeting are planned for 5/10 and 6/10.

Mr. Spaccavento in his role as NJ Section Representative attended the NJAAPT
executive board meeting on April 30th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Rutgers
University.

Mr. Robinson is involved with Rutgers University in developing assessment
techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of physics teachers in a research project
in conjunction with the National Science Foundation and other Universities across
the country. This includes having one of his classes recorded each day along with
extensive meetings at Rutgers to review the class video’s to develop and practice
using the evaluation criteria that are being developed at Rutgers.

Science staff attended the Danielson shared best practices on April 22. Teacher
presented methods that they use to educate students in their class room, including
the reversed classroom method.

Mrs. Afonso presented best-practices to the faculty at the April 22nd meeting.
She showed video clips of “Mona Lisa’s Smile” and related it to the Danielson
Model.

Diane Shaver and Sharon O’Brien Romer attended the Professional
Development Committee planning meeting on 4/24/13.

Kathy Puorro attended the SNAP Conference on April 24, 2013. The workshop
included presentations on the following topics:
o
o
o
o

Narcotics use of Highs School Students
The Juvenile Court System Process
Lock Down Procedures
Anti-Bullying Initiative
Kathy Puorro and Ann Silverio attended a Real Time Webinar which
addressed the new portion of Real time on Graduation Requirements.
Student Recognition:

Joanna Seca in Mr. Dembowski Algebra 1 class continues to maintain excellent
grades while balancing a full schedule of sports, clubs, and activities.

Mr. Galante recommended Briana Cappuccino for the Character with
Character recognition award. Mr. Galante had Brianna as a student her
freshman year. As a sophomore Brianna assists Mr. Galante in lunch room
clean up. Brianna received the award for April.

Ms. Giampaolo would like to recognize Christina Haag to her dedication to the
drama club and this upcoming musical.

Mrs. Branco would like to recognize Rebecca Filgueras for her hard work and
dedication to the drama club production!

Ms. DuJack would like to recognize Anastasia Rhem and Kiana Ortega for all of
their help and dedication to the Art Dept. throughout the year.
Accomplishments: (including activities)

Mr. Dembowski and the North Arlington Drama club have been working
together have a successful play this season. The Play is 9 to 5 and will be held in
the high school April 26th, 27th, and 28th.

Mrs. Maresca's Honors Precalculus classes ventured outdoors on a beautiful
day in April to calculate the heights of inaccessible objects around the high school
property. Using the clinometers created by the students, measurements were
taken to find the angle of inclination. Basing their calculations on trigonometric
formulas the students were able to compute the heights of trees, buildings, utility
poles, and various other very tall objects. The students work will be submitted in
the form of a final project titled "Trigonometree" (since they calculated the
heights of trees.)

Diane Shaver completed WIDA testing for ESL students.

Mrs. Branco and Ms. Giampaolo directed the musical “9 to 5” which received
great reviews!

Ms. DuJack distributed information and collected entrants for the Viking planner.
Special Programs (Debates, etc)

On Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m., Mr. Necoechea held an astronomy night
outside the high school. The object of study was Jupiter and its Galilean satellites
(3 were visible).

Mr. Maloupis is attending Phase 3 of the Rutgers Alternate route program.

Mr. Dembowski and his math class have used youtube.com to relate current
sections of math to real world problems through movie clips. Classes also use
math songs and raps as a learning tool for new material.

Mr. Dembowski and his geometry honors class have been using geometers
sketchpad to show the different trig functions in right triangles.

Ms. DuJack’s and Mrs. Branco’s students participated in the George Miller Art
Show. Mr. Kastner and several music students performed at the reception
following the Art Show.
Press Releases:
Field Trips:

Mrs. Maresca, advisor of the National Honor Society, accompanied 41 members
to the Museum of Natural History in New York City on Thursday, April 18. The
students explored many exhibits including dinosaurs and primitive animals,
African mammals, and halls of ancient peoples.