Superintendent's Monthly Report

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SUPERINTENDENT’S MONTHLY REPORT

Doyle School

Pre K Self-Contained- Ms. Carson

We were so excited to return to school this month! The students missed playing with their friends and in person learning. This month we learned about letters I, J, K and numbers 10-12! Students were able to use their winter sensory bin and we also talked about hibernation! Students matched arctic animals’ shadows and created an art project of a bear sleeping in its den! We are excited to see what February will bring!

Pre-K 4(Inclusion)- Mrs. Hahn

Happy New Year! This month we returned to in person learning and we were extremely excited to see our friends and get back into our classroom routines. We focused on the letters I, J and K and we learned the numbers 10, 11, and 12. We did a mini study on arctic animals and we discussed the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Pre-K 4- Mrs. Rightmyer

We were so excited to return to school this month! The children missed seeing each other and had a lot to catch up on! This month we learned letters I, J and K as well as numbers 10, 11, and 12! We participated in some winter activities and sensory bins where we reinforced the skills we are working on. We also learned about Martin Luther King Jr. this month! We cannot wait to see what fun February will bring!

Pre-K Self Contained - Mrs. Stueben

This month, we were all so happy to be returning to school! The children love seeing and conversing with their friends. We learned letters I, J, and K. We made an I for ice cream cone, J for jellybeans, and a K for kangaroo craft. We also learned numbers 10, 11, and 12. The children used many different sensory bins and play-doh mats to reinforce letters and numbers.

We also learned about arctic animals and created a fun winter sensory bin where the children match the arctic animals to their shadow. We also read many winter books, but our favorite was The Mitten. The children got to make their own “mitten” and we did a retelling with the animals that went inside the mitten. Looking forward to a wonderful February!

Pre-K Self Contained- Ms. Varettoni

Pre-K was extremely excited to return to Doyle this month! We missed our friends and were able to catch up on what we were up to over the holidays.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 1 For academics, we learned about letters I, J, and K as well as the numbers 10, 11, and 12. In addition, we learned about the changes to our environment in the winter and participated in sensory related activities to reinforce academic concepts.

On January 15, we had a special lesson about Martin Luther King Jr. and talked about how we can be kind and compassionate to others. We are looking forward to what February will bring!

Kindergarten (Inclusion)- Ms. Focarino/ Ms. Loonam

This has been an exciting month in kindergarten! The students are beginning to master word families and sight words. This has allowed the students to improve in their reading and writing skills. We are even beginning to explore some word patterns in the classroom. We are really looking forward to continuing our reading skills because it is our favorite thing to do in the classroom. We have started on a new adventure with Jack and Annie in the Magic Tree House Series: The Night of the Ninja. With our adventures of Jack and Annie, we learn so much about where they go. We spent the last week learning about Japan and different rituals that happen in the country. We loved learning about the Japanese Tea Ceremony. We were even able to go on a virtual mission where we pretended to be ninjas! We are looking forward to many new adventures!

In math, we have been adding and subtracting numbers to 10! These have been tough topics, but we are really starting to get the hang of them. We love listening to number stories and creating a picture and number sentence to match the story. We are looking forward to learning numbers 11-20 soon!

Kindergarten- Ms. Goodlin

We have been focusing on many topics in class.

In reading and writing class, we have been reading and writing Magic Tree House stories for Night of the Ninjas. We have learned a lot of background knowledge on these topics through Power Points provided from the Tools of the Mind program.

In our math topics, we have been focusing on stories about separating and using the minus sign in subtraction sentences.

In science, we have been focusing on the weather, seasons and winter animals. We used BrainPop Jr. to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.

In social studies, we have been discussing how to make good choices.

In health class, we have read and discussed the topic of fairness in school and in history. Finally, we have had a few lessons on Raz-Kids for independent reading that focuses on nursery rhymes.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 2 Kindergarten- Ms. Paskas

Happy New Year! I cannot believe we are already finishing up January 2021. This school year is flying by and the children are impressing me every day! We have recently finished our short a word family unit and moved into the short I word families! The children are learning how to read, write, spell, and even rhyme! We have read a total of four Magic Tree House books. We are currently studying and learning all about pirates. Jack and Annie found some treasure on an island and we are eager to see what happens next! After we read, the children are recalling important facts and events that happen to write about. Students are working on drawing a picture, making lines, and adding initial, ending, or medial sounds.

In math, the children started learning addition! We are going to start topic seven next week and introduce subtraction. I am so proud of all the students and their hard work! Keep it up boys and girls!

Kindergarten (Inclusion)- Ms. Sanzari/Mrs. Karabinos

Can you believe we are halfway through kindergarten? These kindergartners returned from winter break ready to learn!

In phonics, we learned the rest of the short a word families and started short I. The students have done a great job reading and writing messages that include short vowel words. They are becoming experts at sounding out their words.

This month we traveled to the beach with the Magic Tree House series. The students enjoy learning about pirates. We met an especially important character in our last book, Morgan La Fey. They are so excited to see what happens in the next book. The students are doing a great job with writing their messages! I love to see how much they progressed since the beginning of the school year.

In math, we have been learning all about addition! We have been creating equations, listening to math stories, and solving word problems! We even learned all about the plus and equal sign! Start to practice addition and subtraction facts up to 10!

Kindergarten- Ms. Zuravner

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 3 Happy New Year! It is unbelievable that we are already into the 2021. The children have learned so much so far, and it is only going up from here! Here is what we have been up to!

Phonics: In phonics, we have officially started word families! We are all done with the short a word families, and are moving on to short i. The kids are having a great time creating new words and using them in other subject areas. Keep practicing your sight words at home!

Reading & Writing: With the help of word families, it is becoming easier for students to read and write! I am seeing more letters in their words and some students are even able to write more than one sentence! Also, we are going to start Raz-Kids, so everyone can read books that are exactly right for them! Remember, it is okay if the word is not spelled correctly when they write, it is important that they write the sounds that they hear.

Math: In math, we have been learning all about addition! We have been creating equations, listening to math stories, and solving word problems! We even learned all about the plus and equal sign! Start to practice addition and subtraction facts up to 10!

Grade 1 Ms. Cortina

We kicked off the year great!

In word study, we learned initial r, l and s blends. We learned ending blends l and n mix. We reached 80 red words this month. We are on a roll!

In reading, we learned all about Martin Luther King Jr. We have been working on summarizing, and describing a character, and sequencing.

In math, we covered Topic 5: Addition and Subtraction Problems and Topic 6: Represent and Interpret Data. We learned how to add three addends and how to determine if equations are true or false. We learned what a tally chart is and how to count tally marks. We learned all about picture graphs as well.

In writer’s workshop, we have been working on how- to writing. Everyone has been doing a great job with this type of writing. We learned how to use transition words in our writing to keep it organized.

Grade 1- Mrs. Jupinka

During our literacy block, we continued our study of “blends’ to include, triple clusters and glued sounds during our phonics sequence. We continue to learn many spelling rules. We have added 85 red words to our word wall. During our readers workshop, the children have been introduced to many ways to read independently as well as with their partners. We have been working with our independent reading bags, read everyday folders which continues to build upon their independence! In math, we continue to work with addition and subtraction strategies most recently using ten frames and tables. The children have also been working on skip counting and are beginning place value. The children look forward to Math Club each Friday when we are in person.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 4 In health, we finished our discussion of germs! This is a perfect topic as we get into the winter cold and flu season. We are beginning dental health and healthy heart month in February. Hoping that everyone continues to stay safe and healthy!

Grade 1- Mrs. Neumuller

Everyone in first grade is excited to welcome a brand new year!

2021 has been eventful and busy as always, as we recognize that we are almost halfway through the school year.

Inspired by new beginnings, we thought and shared ideas about our New Year’s resolutions. Writing longer, more detailed sentences and paying close attention to our capitalization and punctuation were on all our list of things to do this year. First graders are starting to push themselves out of their comfort zones and truly test their reading and writing skills.

We began to work on our how-to series of writing, using sequence words to organize our thoughts. Be sure to ask how to make hot chocolate, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and spaghetti- these students can write you their own recipe!

Mid-month brought discussions on equal rights and how to treat others fairly no matter what. We spent a week focusing on Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a better world for his and all children. Inauguration Day celebrations reminded us that change is always happening. The work of Dr. King continues with us and how we respect and respond to injustice.

We are hoping for some snow in the future as we enjoy the first full month of winter.

In math, we have been using tally marks and picture graphs to survey our favorite winter sports and activities. Using these tools helps us to interpret data of all kinds.

We are saving our scarves, hats, buttons and carrots to finally demonstrate how to build a snowman! Our tools are ready, let us hope the weather cooperates. Either way, we will continue to learn and have fun in first grade!

Grade 1 (Inclusion)- Mrs. Schwartz/Ms. Kenyon

The New Year is off to a great start! The first graders came back from holiday break enthusiastic and ready to learn.

In literacy, we continued our focus on “blends”. We are currently learning new words with both beginning and ending blends. The students are practicing their new word patterns each day and continue to learn new red words each week. It is amazing to see them applying their newly acquired skills when reading and writing.

In writer’s workshop, we have started a new unit which focuses on “how- to writing”. Students have been writing about such things as “How to Make Hot Chocolate” and “How to Build a Snowman”. The students love writing step by step directions using key words such as “first, next, then and finally”. Soon, the students will Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 5 choose topics of their choice to teach classmates how to do something. We are looking forward to sharing our finished pieces with the class. In math, we continued our study of addition and subtraction strategies and have moved onto reading tables with tally marks and analyzing picture graphs. The students have now begun working on skip counting to 120 as well as how to count on a hundred chart.

One of the highlights of the month of January was celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Students enjoyed learning about his life and his important contributions to our country. We read many books based on his life and wrote about our dreams for ourselves, our families and the United States of America.

Self-Contained Grades 2-3- Mrs. Caicedo/Ms. Humphrey

We have been working extremely hard! We have students who attend virtually every day and students who attend in person. Instruction is happening at the same time.

In literacy, we have been working on reviewing red words, phonics, fluency and reading comprehension. In phonics, we have been working on reviewing red words, reviewing short vowel sounds, reviewing new beginning and ending blends, and learning long vowel sounds. We will continue to work on our sounds using the Orton-Gillingham method, which uses a multisensory approach to learning. For reading comprehension, we have been working on sequencing, fantasy and realism, making predictions, fact and opinion, categorizing, and problem/solution. We will continue to work with the students on their reading fluency and appropriate reading level throughout the year.

Our students have completed six math topics! The students learned how to add and subtract within 20, work with equal groups, and how to add and subtract two-digit numbers. Our question of the month is, “How do you write the number in expanded form?”. Every day we have been reviewing how to add and subtract two-digit numbers and continuing to determine if the number is even or odd. At the end of January, we started to learn about coins and money. So far, the students have learned the value of a penny and a nickel. We practice counting by 5’s every day since this will help us add nickels and eventually add up the value of different coins.

Grade 2- Mrs. Albanese

This month was all about turning a new leaf. We are kicking 2020 to the curb! The students came up with some New Year’s resolutions for 2021. Of course, the majority was the hope for Covid-19 to disappear in this new year!

In various subject areas, we observed Martin Luther King, Jr. We read various stories and focused on his speeches and how they shaped what segregation looks like today. We even got a chance to write our own “I Have A Dream” speeches.

In ELA, we also read our first novel, Flat Stanley. The students thought it was so cool to read a novel like the older grades and to work on various activities that are associated with the story.

Science was interesting as we learned about frogs and their sounds. The students were able to identify specific frog sounds and where certain frogs live. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 6 In math, the students became pro’s at solving word problems. We used various addition and subtraction strategies including compensation and partial sums/differences to solve these problems.

In social studies, the students learned about the three branches of government and how these branches implement a checks and balances system to keep our government running smoothly.

In health, we are continuing to learn about balanced, healthy diets. The students have sorted through various foods to determine if they are healthy or unhealthy and have created a day of balanced meals like a chef!

Grade 2 Inclusion- Mrs. Engel/Mrs. Micowski

In reading, we completed our first novel study-Flat Stanley and His Original Adventures. During our novel study students expanded their vocabulary by using context clues to define words in the text. We also applied various comprehension skills to help us understand the story better. Such skills included were identifying story elements, making inferences, summarizing, and identifying problem/solution.

In writer’s workshop, the students have continued working towards completing their “How -To” writing pieces. Students learned how to write a lead that introduced their topic clearly. They listed all the steps from their sequence chain and completed the writing piece with a closing sentence. After students edited and revised their own writing piece, they were ready to publish their final draft.

In math, we have completed Topic 5 and Topic 6. The students have been subtracting within 100 using different strategies. Some of the strategies include subtracting tens and ones on a hundred chart, count back to subtract on an open number line, add up to subtract using an open number line, break apart numbers to subtract, use models to subtract, and subtract using partial differences.

In grammar, the students have been identifying verbs and irregular verbs. We have also learned dictionary skills. Students now know how to read the definition of an entry word. They can also identify guide words at the top of the page. These skills will not only help students understand how to use dictionaries to find the words they need, but it will also enrich their language.

We are using multi-sensory techniques from Orton-Gillingham program to learn how to spell and read words during word study. The students have practiced reading and spelling words with end consonant blends. We have also practiced reading and spelling words with vowel endings (Three Musketeers: ang, ing, ung, & ong).

In science, we continued our unit on animal biodiversity. Students watched a Mystery Science Video to identify patterns in frog calls in order to determine how biodiverse a habitat is. Frogs are a neat example of the biodiversity in North America! In just one habitat, there can be many different frog species. Scientists study frog biodiversity by analyzing the different frog sounds they hear in a habitat--each frog species has a unique call. The variety of frog species in a habitat, depends on the number of resources a habitat has. The more resources, the more types of frogs!

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 7 The students participated in an activity, by listening to recordings of frog calls, create words that will remind them of the sounds, and then use those words to identify frog sounds in different environments. Students listened to a variety of frog calls, then analyzed the sounds from two different habitats to determine which frogs are there. They then constructed an argument from evidence about which habitat is more biodiverse based on the amount of different frog calls.

We have also started our new unit “Works of Water.” This unit helps students develop the idea that water is a powerful force that reshapes the earth’s surface. Students see that water is not just something we drink. In our first activity students developed a model of the earth’s surface and used it to discover an important principle about how rivers work.

Grade 2- Ms. Rodriguez

In math, students used different methods to help them solve addition and subtraction problems, solved two question problems, and selected the operation to solve each question. They reasoned about word problems and used bar diagrams and equations to solve them. They completed the Topic 6 assessment and began Topic 7, which was a continuation of two step word problems. They found unknown numbers in equations that relate four whole numbers. They continue to take their timed two minute math fact tests to help improve their fluency.

In literacy, students started novel studies, beginning with Flat Stanley. They used context clues to figure out meanings of unfamiliar words and made predictions based on previewing a text. Each day, they completed either an online Google form assessment or in class assessment after we read the chapter. Currently, we are reading Chocolate Fever and doing similar activities and assessments after each chapter.

In grammar, students learned about comparative and superlative adjectives. They know how to apply the rules when comparing two or more things. They identified and replaced a noun with a pronoun. Students continue to practice letter formations weekly in handwriting.

In social studies, students described important rules to follow at home and in school. They identified some of the rights they have and explained why we need them. They also described how the Constitution has set up the U.S. government and explained the roles and responsibilities of the President and Congress in the federal government. They explored the importance and relevance of Martin Luther King, Jr. to today’s society and their individual lives, as well as examined the ways in which we remember and honor Dr. King.

Self-Contained Grade 3- Mrs. Gibney

Math:

We have been doing a great job of memorizing our multiplication facts! The students have been making flashcards, taking notes, playing games, singing songs, and creating projects. We are almost done and moving onto division!

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 8 ELA:

While both virtual and in-person, we have completed three Katie Kazoo chapter books! Students have enjoyed the magical world of Katie and her friends, and have discussed prediction, cause and effect, and character development.

They especially enjoyed working on a cereal box book report project.

Grade 3- Mrs. Campagna

My students had a remarkably busy month!

In reading, we started the New Year off with a brand new novel! Along with a new novel…came new comprehension skills and strategies.

Our social studies topic this month explored the wonderful acts of risk takers who helped make our country great.

Everyone’s cursive and keyboarding skills are coming together wonderfully. I am beyond proud of how each student has been able to easily adjust to this roller coaster of a school year.

Have you ever heard of Judy Moody? She is a colorful character whose middle name is Lucky! This month my students went on an adventure with Judy, her brother Stink, and the students at Virginia Dare School in the novel Judy Moody and the Bad Luck Charm. Our new skill and reading strategy this month were cause and Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 9 effect. Students learned that every action has a reaction. We took the time to investigate story details to find out the cause why which one happened. Students also predicted the effect certain story details had on the plot and outcomes of many of Judy’s crazy situations. Along with cause and effect, we investigated how dialogue between characters helps shape their character traits and role in the story. Students continued to work on answering open ended questions using a complete sentence and citing evidence from the story. Our open book assessment skills are at an all-time high as we move into the third marking period. Third marking period will introduce students to fiction and essay writing. Both skills will be practiced and reinforced each week along with our new novel. After our next novel, students will transition into our Informational Text Unit. I am so excited to see the continued success and progress of my students. I am proud of everyone…. Cohort #1, Cohort #2, and my all virtual learners. I know they will keep up their amazing work!

In social studies this month we learned the importance of promoting and practicing good citizenship. We learned to lead by example and be a follower as we strive to make small changes in our world today. Students also learned the value of doing good deeds to be a good role model. They learned that no matter how young they are, it is not too early to start being a valued member of the Wood-Ridge community. Great Americans like Susan B. Anthony, Thurgood Marshall, and Eleanor Roosevelt fought hard for the rights of others. They proved to be great Americans and wonderful role models for my students. We closed the marking period by learning about true American heroes who took risks to make a change in society. Students were amazed at the bravery and citizenship shown by such amazing leaders like Anne Hutchinson, President Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman. In honor of the peaceful Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my students read a book about his kind heart and his dedication to service. He truly taught my students what it means to not judge a book simply by its cover.

We will move into our incredible science units for third and fourth marking periods.

Grade 3 - Mrs. Percontino(MLR)

I continue to enjoy my time with these amazing third graders in the New Year. I must say I am so proud of how they continue to adapt to these unusual circumstances and attend class(whether it be virtual or in school) with a desire to learn new things every day.

Reading: This month we met the beloved character, Judy Moody in the novel Judy Moody and the Bad Charm. My students loved reading about Judy, her brother Stink and all her pals while learning the new skill of cause and effect. For each chapter we looked closely at story details to find out the cause of why something happened. Students also predicted the effect certain story details had on the plot and outcomes of Judy's many crazy adventures in Washington D.C. In addition to cause and effect, we investigated how dialogue between characters helps shape their character traits and role in the story. While looking closely at the dialogue in our novel we also introduced how to effectively use quotation marks.

We also continued to reinforce a previously learned skill of identifying the main idea of a chapter and citing the supporting details. The students also continued to practice answering open ended questions while using complete sentences and finding text evidence from the story.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 10 The students enjoyed this book so much that they were sad when we finished it. They cannot wait to dig into our next novel study. Truthfully as an educator there is nothing more rewarding than igniting a love of reading in the students. I am so excited to see that spark in these third graders.

Social Studies: We started off the month by focusing on what it means to be a good citizen both in school and in our community. We learned about how to lead by example and be good role models in our community and beyond. We also learned about many good role models in our nation’s history who fought for the rights and today freedoms we enjoy such as Susan B. Anthony, Thurgood Marshall and Eleanor Roosevelt. At the end of the marking period the students enjoyed making some connections to our novel study when we read more about Stink’s second favorite president Abraham Lincoln. We also had a chance to make more connections to our book when we learned more about Frederick Douglas whose house Judy Moody visited in her adventure to Washington DC. The students were amazed at the bravery of these two American heroes. Along with Clara Barton, Anne Hutchinson, Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we saw the risks they took to make such impactful changes in our country.

Grade 3- Mrs. Hynes

Math: Our math class completed topics on addition and subtraction strategies and properties. Students completed chapters which had them explore the commutative, associative and identity properties of addition and focused on adding three or more addends. Students also practiced subtracting across zero in their studies this month. As always, students continue to practice mastering their multiplication facts! Social Studies: This month we wrapped up our social studies units with chapters on government and the importance of having rules and laws as well as chapters on American heroes and symbols. The students enjoyed learning interesting facts on traditional American symbols such as the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam as well as researching various American heroes. Students gained a great appreciation for the many advocates that shaped American history.

Grade 3 - Ms. Moccia

This month, math students came back from winter break ready to learn about addition and subtraction with three digit numbers. A new concept we learned this month was rounding. Students learned to round to the nearest ten and nearest hundred. They used what they learned about rounding to help them estimate addition and subtraction equations.

This month in social studies, we worked on Chapter 7. The students learned and recognized the difference between needs and wants. Also, students learned the difference between a consumer and producer, and how they exchange goods. As a class, we watched a BrainPop video on producers and consumers that reinforced what we have previously read in Chapter 7. We have completed our social studies units and will be moving onto science at the start of the third marking period.

Speech Therapist- Ms. Allen

We continue to work hard during speech class in our small group/ individual speech therapy sessions. Speech instruction for all students is working toward complete carryover of accurate sound productions and/or

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 11 improvement of language goals. Therapy sessions are individualized to each child’s needs, and technology of the iPad is being incorporated into therapy sessions as appropriate.

Speech- Ms. Amadeo

We started off the month with a winter craft. The children got to choose whether they wanted to make a mitten, hat, or a snowman. I incorporated each child’s goal into the activity. If a child has language goals, I had them think of words that had to do with winter. If a child has articulation goals, I had the children think of words that had to do with winter that included their speech sounds. We thought of words together as a group and then completed the craft. For children in Pre-k, I targeted goals such as following directions, attending to the task at hand, increasing MLU (I want a snowman!), and requesting items (blue crayon please!). This was a great activity that I could incorporate everyone’s goals so every child could participate. After, I hung them up in my speech room for all the children to admire their good work. They really seemed to love this activity and seeing their work displayed in our speech room!

Occupational Therapy- Mrs. Gaviria(MLR)

During the month of January, students worked toward their occupational therapy goals, focusing on strengthening fine motor skills, increasing core/upper body strength and balance, as well as improving bilateral coordination and bimanual skills. The main craft completed this month for the Pre-k through kindergarten was a “Fluffy Snowflake”, which allowed the students to practice cutting, gluing and fine motor skills using different grasp patterns and resistive tweezers. For grades 1 -3, the students created paper snowflakes by folding paper and cutting different shapes along the edges. “Challengers” and “simplifiers” were provided for corresponding grade and skill level as needed. These crafts addressed fine motor skills, visual/perceptual skills, bilateral/bimanual skills and coordination, hand-eye coordination, and scissor skills. Handwriting goals were addressed using a sequence-driven writing prompt, which required students to write out a 3-5 step sequence to achieve a goal.

Physical Education- Mr. Aranda

Happy New Year! During the month of January, we worked on a unit called Juggle Nutrition for Health. For this module we started learning about MyPlate and the five basic food groups, which consist of: dairy, fruits, grains, protein & vegetables. MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, a graphic depicting a place setting with a plate and glass divided into five food groups. It replaced the USDA’s MyPyramid guide on June 2, 2011, ending 19 years of USDA food pyramid diagrams. MyPlate is displayed on food packaging and used in nutrition education in the United States. MyPlate is based on the recommendations of the dietary guidelines for Americans. To learn about nutrition, we have used resources from Nutrition from The Heart.

Additionally, as part of the Juggle Nutrition for Health module students were also introduced to basic juggling skills. First developing foundational skills such as tossing & catching. Then using those skills as building blocks to move on to more complex skills such as various tossing patterns and going from single to multiple (up to three) simultaneous juggled items. Resources such as videos from the National Circus Project were used to help students learn how to juggle. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 12 As for our fun fitness activity videos for this month have featured themes related to the winter season, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and basic food groups.

Art- Mrs. Jeffery

Pre-K artists pretended to be chefs in a restaurant and sculpted a variety of foods. They explored their fine motor skills with play-doh by learning how to roll meatballs, how to form and shape spaghetti, how to sculpt and flatten a hotdog and hotdog bun, and how to create a chocolate chip cookie! They also created a variety of foods from their own imaginations with their play-doh and verbally shared their favorite foods with the class. Pre-K students also learned how to draw a variety of weather patterns. We discussed the types of weather there are and followed a step-by-step guided drawing on how to draw them. Pre-K students have begun discussing their shape series drawings. They began by learning about circles and how to draw them. We discussed a variety of things that are circles and learned how to draw mickey mouse out of circles. Pre-K artists then colored in their Mickey’s using different colored circles.

Kindergarten artists listened to the story The Mitten by Jan Brett. They discussed that the word symmetrical means that whatever is on one side, is the same on the other side. It is like a mirror picture of something. They then drew and designed symmetrical mittens. Students learned about the artwork of Roy Lichtenstein and how his artwork looked like cartoons. He also only used the 3 primary colors in his artwork - red, blue, and yellow. They discussed how when these colors are mixed, they form a new color or secondary color. Students learned how to draw Mickey Mouse. They colored the inside of their Mickey’s with primary colors and the outside of their Mickey’s with secondary colors. Kindergarten students also learned how to draw a self-portrait. Lastly, they pretended to be illustrators and created illustrations for the book “Where the Wild Things Are”. Students drew their own wild things by following a step-by-step drawing then added their own unique details! They created a name and setting for their wild things.

First grade artists learned how to create the illusion of texture in their artwork by drawing fuzzy bears in sweaters. They followed a guided drawing to draw their bears then added their own unique details. First grade artists learned how to draw a 3-dimensional form by following a guided drawing to create a cup of hot chocolate. Artists decorated and designed their cups using a variety of patterns and shapes. Students also explored the color wheel and created a complementary color wheel. They listened to the story Mouse Paint and discussed different color pairs. They learned these color pairs are called complementary colors because they complement each other. Using guided drawing directions, students drew mice and colored them in using the appropriate color pairs.

Second grade artists learned how to draw polar bears and designed a landscape for them to live in. They also explored the work of Disney artist Mary Blair and drew their own Disney castles and attractions. They read the story “Pocketful of Colors” about Mary’s life and learned how to layer shapes on top of each other to create dimension. Second grade artists also created gnomes and llamas as symbols of hope and good health for the new year! They followed guided drawing directions to create their gnomes and llamas then created a background landscape for them. They came up with fun and unique names for their gnomes and llamas and came up with wishes for the new year!

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 13

Third grade artists created gnomes as symbols of hope and good health for the new year! They followed guided drawing directions to create their gnomes. They drew their own unique backgrounds for their gnomes to live in. Lastly, they discussed and drew patterns on their gnome’s hat. They also made a wish for their gnome to bring them good luck within the new year! Students also learned how to create the illusion of texture in their artwork by drawing fuzzy bears in sweaters. They followed a guided drawing to draw their bears then added their own unique details. Third grade artists also explored drawing gemstones. They looked at photographs of a variety of gemstones and used geometric shapes to draw them. They added lines in different angles to create the illusion of them being 3-Dimensional.

Music- Mr. LaBelle

Second and third grade students started off by reviewing musical instruments and the families they belong to. Students also worked on identifying and counting rhythms in varied meters. Students worked on singing scales and reading notes on the music staff as well.

On recorders, students worked on Hot Cross Buns and Merrily We Roll Along as part of the Recorder Karate curriculum.

First grade students worked on learning lyrics, rhythms, and melody. Students sang scales and practiced proper breathing techniques for singing. Students also worked on composing by changing different elements of the songs such as tempo, key, and lyrics.

Kindergarten and Pre-K worked on keeping a steady beat by clapping and moving to represent the music and what they hear. This was done with songs such as Sing a Little Song, The Five Little Ducklings, and The Body Song.

World language/ESL- Mrs. Lorenzo

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 14 Intermediate School

Grade 4 – Barrows

English Language Arts We are well into our Non-fiction unit for Reader’s Workshop. Both classes are having a great time reading books about real topics that they can connect to their everyday lives. This month, the students started learning about main idea. Using various resources, students learned what main idea is, how to identify the main idea and supporting details in a passage, and how readers can use main idea to help them better understand a text. Students watched BrainPop videos and practiced this skill by reading multiple non-fiction texts. Students learned how to utilize the “boxes and bullets” strategy to help them find the main idea of a passage. Students also became “text detectives” by participating in a “Main Idea Mystery Picture” activity. This can be a challenging skill, but it is very important for students to learn the importance of main idea, and how to identify the main idea of a text. In addition to main idea, students have begun learning how to write informative/expository texts. Using the writing process, students will write about a topic of their choice. Their finished product will be a five- paragraph article that includes an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Students will also add text features, like photographs, graphs, diagrams, and text boxes, to their finished articles. The students’ writing skills are developing wonderfully, and I am proud of their progress.

Social Studies Students continued learning about the American Revolution. Previously, students learned about Britain’s thirteen original colonies, and why many colonists wanted to fight for their independence from Great Britain. In January, students learned about the Declaration of Independence and completed an assessment on previous lessons. In February, students will continue to learn about the American Revolution and Revolutionary War, specifically important battles that occurred in New Jersey.

Grade 4 – Ciliotta

4th Grade Mathematics Fourth grade students worked on developing their multiplication skills and we spent some time in January multiplying greater numbers. During the remainder of January students spent their time learning how to estimate and master their division skills. We have been working on long division and have used these skills to plan a birthday party and complete a division project. In the upcoming months we will focus on dividing greater numbers by two digit divisors before moving on to fractions. I am also happy to report that students are making great strides in IXL and to date have completed 15,105 questions collectively and have mastered 424 skills. Great accomplishment by all.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 15

4th Grade Language Arts During the month of January, our class began working on text structures to increase reading comprehension. Through reading centers, activities, and reading passages, students practiced identifying the text structures. They have become experts on Description and are currently working on Sequence.

4th Social Studies During the month of December, students continued Chapter 2: Early Peoples and discussed how the varied geography of NewJersey affects how people live and work. We have been focusing on Lenape.

4th Science Energy Everywhere! Unit 1 focused on ways that energy can be converted. During the month of January our focus has been learning about Nonrenewable and Renewable energy sources. Students have completed virtual activities, watched Edpuzzles and have read about fossil fuels. As a culminating project, students will be creating brochures to showcase what they have learned about energy. How do we use waves to communicate? will be our focus question for topic 3.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 16 Students hard at work collaborating with their virtual partners in break out rooms to solve long division Math problems.

Grade 4 – Johnson

Math 1 – Our class has been working on Topic 5 involving long division. We have been dividing 3-4 digit numbers by 1-digit divisors. We have spent a great deal of time understanding and learning how to interpret the remainders in these types of problems. The children have been working on task cards and using various computer programs to help reinforce the skills we are working on. We have also continued to work with multistep problems that require the students to use a variety of math skills. From division we will move onto working with factors and multiples as our first step towards fractions.

Science - Our return from winter break has found us learning about the properties and patterns of waves and how waves carry energy. We found that a Slinky was a great way to see how certain waves move. We will spend more time learning about light energy and the electromagnetic spectrum. This topic will allow us to complete some other activities to help the children understand light and how we see.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 17

Some Science Fun

Grade 4 – Lanfranchi

4th Grade Mathematics Fourth grade students worked on developing their multiplication skills and we spent some time in January multiplying greater numbers. Students began working on Topic 5: Use Strategies and Properties to Divide by 1 Digit Numbers. Students began this topic by using mental math to find quotients. Students practiced finding quotients by using the box method. During the remainder of January students spent their time learning how to estimate and master their division skills. We have been working on long division and have used these skills to plan a birthday party and complete a division project. In the upcoming months we will focus on dividing greater numbers by two digit divisors before moving on to fractions.

Our class continues to practice basic facts through various activities and learning centers. Students also continue to practice their foundational math skills by completing lessons on Imagine Math and IXL. Our class continues to practice basic facts through various activities and learning centers. Students also continue to practice their foundational math skills by completing lessons on IXL.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 18 4th Social Studies During the month of December, students continued Chapter 2: Early Peoples and discussed how the varied geography of NewJersey affects how people live and work. We have been focusing on Lenape.

4th Science

Energy Everywhere! Unit 1 focused on ways that energy can be converted. During the month of January our focus has been learning about Nonrenewable and Renewable energy sources. Students have completed virtual activities, watched Edpuzzles and have read about fossil fuels. As a culminating project, students will be creating brochures to showcase what they have learned about energy. How do we use waves to communicate? will be our focus question for topic 3. Our class has been using our online textbook and Science AZ to research this topic.

Grade 4 – Lotwich

Grade 4 – Romoff

The fourth grade students have been working very hard on furthering their math skills. We have worked on division skills in January. Students have learned how to divide 2-, 3-, and 4-digit numbers by a 1-digit number and many students have taken the challenge of working with 5- and 6-digit numbers. Division word problems Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 19 have also been a major focus this month where the students need to understand what the quotient and remainders mean. The more practice the children do, the better they understand the nuances of the situations and questions.

The students learned about transverse and longitudinal waves and are able to identify the different parts of waves. Students also learned how waves show high and low pitch based on the frequency of the wavelength and high and low volume based on the amplitude of the wavelength. Children also learned about circular and plane waves. Students also learned about superposition, which occurs when the energy of different waves overlap each other. Students enjoyed watching superposition in action through videos and were able to create their own superposition waves with an interactive website.

Grade 5 – Diaz

English Language Arts Students continue to work through the non-fiction unit of study. Students focused on cause and effect and fact and opinion. Students read several passages and watched various videos to identify examples of cause and effect relationships. To conclude this topic, students created their own cause and effect comic that consisted of six panels. Students will begin their next writing piece which will be a letter to a friend describing what their life is like in Colonial America. Students will use information from our current unit of study in social studies and conduct additional research to draft their letters.

Social Studies Students are currently studying early American colonization. Students have begun the study of Colonial America. They have studied the geography, climate, economy, and the socialization of the colonies. Students have also focused on life in the colonies and how it differed by region. They have also become experts in the naming of the 13 Colonies and locating them correctly on a map. Students continue to use virtual interactive BrainPop episodes and Liberty’s Kids to reinforce new concepts and engage in cognitive activity through educational cartoons.

Grade 5 – Hamerling

Math

This month, students have been doing a lot of work with fractions. First, students reviewed how to convert mixed numbers and improper fractions which is a skill that would be needed as the topic continued. From there, students learned how to estimate, add, and subtract fractions. Once students mastered these skills, the same skills were then used to do the same with mixed numbers. Finally, students have begun learning how to multiply a fraction by a whole number and multiply two fractions. Finally, students continue to use Xtramath to review basic multiplication and division facts, as well as STMath.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 20 Science

As a culminating activity, students had the opportunity to research an ecosystem and create a food web to illustrate producers and consumers who interact with each other in those areas. They created a poster, answered questions to demonstrate their understanding of the concept, and wrote a summary about their poster. Students were able to participate in a really exciting lab - dissecting owl pellets!! The class discussed how owl pellets are the parts of an animal that an owl eats which they can not digest. Because of this, the pellet is regurgitated and that is what students were able to observe and examine. We found skulls, jaw bones, and other smaller bones belonging to the animals the owl had eaten. In the end, students used illustrations to determine what animal(s) they discovered. Currently, we have begun discussing Earth’s Systems and talking about the four layers of the Earth, as well as the geosphere.

Grade 5 – Muscle

ELA: Students continue to work through the non-fiction unit of study. Students focused on cause and effect and fact and opinion. Students read several passages and watched various videos to identify examples of cause and effect relationships. To conclude this topic, students created their own cause and effect comic that consisted of six panels. Students will begin their next writing piece which will be a letter to a friend describing what their life is like in Colonial America. Students will use information from our current unit of study in social studies and conduct additional research to draft their letters.

SS: Students are currently studying early American colonization. Students have begun the study of Colonial America. They have studied the geography, climate, economy, and the socialization of the colonies. Students have also focused on life in the colonies and how it differed by region. They have also become experts in the naming of the 13 Colonies and locating them correctly on a map. Students continue to use virtual interactive BrainPop episodes and Liberty’s Kids to reinforce new concepts and engage in cognitive activity through educational cartoons.

Grade 5 – Oppido

Math: Since we have returned from winter break, we finished Topic 7, which consisted of adding and subtracting mixed numbers. I reminded the students how to write mixed numbers and improper fractions to get their brains Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 21 back into school mode, and then be began adding and subtracting the mixed numbers. The students did a very good job when it came to having to borrow from the whole when the top fraction was smaller than the one on the bottom. I am very proud of their hard work while we continue to go further and further into the math curriculum. We have finished up this topic and have since moved on to Topic 8: Applying Understanding of Multiplication to Multiply Fractions. We have only worked on a few lessons, but the students are pleasantly surprising me on how well they have been able to use concepts that I have already taught them, such as simplifying fractions, and turning improper fractions into mixed numbers. This month we have also taken the STAR Test as well as dedicated a few Fridays to working in breakout rooms, which consist of a few students in a Google Meeting working together. It’s the next best thing to working in small groups in the classroom.

Science Classes: In Science, our class in the beginning of the month, was working on the unit of Ecosystems. Both classes did an amazing job on their Food Web projects. Toward the middle of the month, we began the discussion of dissecting an owl pellet. Both classes had the amazing opportunity of dissecting an owl pellet. Although it was a little different than years past, the children all had the chance to dissect an owl pellet at home while following my direction via the computer. Once they wrote their observations down, they immediately started pulling away the hairs and fur to see what was inside. The students found all different types of bones. They used the materials I provided to determine what animals were eaten and also completed a mini lab report as well. The students all thought it was going to be “gross and yucky” to do, but they had a blast once they started!

When they were finished with the dissection lab, we said good bye to the Ecosystem Unit and have since then moved into the unit on Earth’s Systems. Here is where we have already started talking about the Earth’s four systems. The first system we have focused on was the Geosphere where the class was shown the different layers of the Earth.

Grade 5 – Palmieri

Math: Students continue to work on computations with fractions. Students are currently working on multiplying fractions and whole numbers. In addition, students worked on solving real world problems. Students continue to use IXL, Splashlearn and XtraMath to reinforce basic skills as well as newly taught skills. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 22 Science: Students recently studied food chains and food webs. . As an extension activity, students dissected an owl pellet. Students observed the pellets and recorded what the owl has eaten based on the substances found in the pellet. Students focused on the owl's meals and place in the food web. Students then began working on Topic 3: Earth’s Systems. Students will focus on the elements of the four spheres by reading from the text and watching various videos that discuss the Earth’s systems.

Grade 6 – Borrelli

English- In the month of January the students have worked extensively with non-fiction articles. Topics such as bullying, Harlem Renaissance, SpaceX, adopt not shop, and sugary foods have been read and discussed. Students then answered multiple choice questions on Google Forms and open-ended answers on each of the selections. The opened ended work was free from options or judgement. This will allow them to practice independent reading of content area subjects and topics that often prove more difficult to do independently.

We have begun reading our second novel of the year, Bud, Not Buddy. This unit was kicked off with a Visual Literacy Slide Show. This is a historical fiction novel that is set during the Great Depression. It follows the story of a young African American orphan as he struggles to survive. We are having many interesting discussions on issues involving race, poverty, and this important time in America’s history. The unit will culminate in an essay comparing Bud, Not Buddy with another one of Christopher Paul Curtis’ works entitled Elijiah of Buxton.

Social Studies –We have started our fourth chapter of the year, Ancient India. Students are working on an ABC Slide Show project on Hinduism and Buddhism. When learning about Hinduism and Buddhism, there are many key vocabulary words that can be difficult to remember. To help with this, students are creating an ABC Slideshow related to the key terms of Hinduism and Buddhism. Each slide of the slideshow will be for a different letter of the alphabet.

Grade 6 – Carroll

Mrs. Carroll’s 6th Grade Math The class was exposed to Integers this month. The students learned what and integer is and how to find its opposite and its absolute value. Students learned how to compare and order integers. Students then learned

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 23 how to plot or identify the value of an integer on a numberline. Students were exposed to rational numbers. They learned about halves both positive and negative. Students were exposed to all four quadrants on the coordinate grid. Students learned how to plot or identify a point on the coordinate grid. Students used geoboards for plotting practice. Then students were exposed to the relationship between an x and a y coordinate. They were exposed to solving and graphing equations on a coordinate plane. The students have been using IXL to further extend their practice of skills they are learning in class. Students are also using centers that focus on fluency of the four basic operations and extension activities on the weekly topics. The class has also continued to use ST Math.

Mrs. Carroll’s 6th Grade ELA This month the students have been reading a variety of science and social studies articles. Students learned how to annotate a text to find the topic, topic sentence, and supporting details for a nonfiction text. Along with the teacher’s guidance, students learned how to outline/summarize a nonfiction text. They learned how to use text features to aid in comprehension. Students learned mini lessons on objective vs nonobjective statements, text structure, author claims, and infographics. Students completed multiple choice and open ended assessments on each article.

The class began their second novel of the year: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis. Students began by researching The Great Depression, the time period of the historical fiction novel. Students watched videos in Brainpop: Great Depression, and Great Depression Causes. Students read articles, on The Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and the Stock Market. Bud, Not Buddy follows the story of a young African American orphan as he struggles to survive. The class is having guided reading conversations on social issues pertaining to the times of the novel such as race and poverty. Students then began to build their vocabulary, especially of time period terminology. While reading the novel, students focused on character traits and the setting, both where and when the story takes place. Do Now activities have focused on grammar, usage, and mechanics editing of sentences.

Mrs. Carroll’s 6th Grade Science This month students learned about plate tectonics. Students learned about Alfred Wegener and his theory of continental drift. Students learned about the supercontinente Pangea. The class learned about the three types of plate boundaries. Students learned about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis, how scientists measure them, and how they can predict when one might occur. Students learned about the types of volcanoes, where they are located, adn their life cycle. The class watched brainpops on plate tectonics, ocean floor, earthquake, tsunamis and volcanoes.

Mrs. Carroll’s 6th Grade Social Studies The class started the unit on Ancient India this month. Students watched videos on ancient India to launch the unit. Then they were exposed to key terminology for the unit. Students read about the geography of ancient India, the barriers, and the rivers. Students learned about the two religions of ancient India: Hinduism and Buddhism. The class read about rulers Chandragupta and Asoka. The class read nonfiction articles on Hinduism, Buddle and King Asoka.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 24 Grade 6 – Koernig

Math: The students explored the world of integers and rational numbers this month. They learned how to plot rational numbers on a numberline, how to find the absolute value of a number, and how to plot points on a coordinate plane! Aside from this unit, we also took time to discuss Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The students completed a follow up activity which was Martin’s Life and Accomplishments in Math. For example, they calculated the distance of an average person walking to work over the course of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Science: In science we’ve concluded our topic on Plate Tectonics. The students enjoyed exploring the Ring of Fire, and hot spot volcanoes such as Hawaii. They also had fun completing a webquest which took them on a journey through the Earth’s lithosphere!

Grade 6 – Negro

While winter break left us feeling energized and refreshed, things continued to be atypical in sixth grade! Virtual learning continued on through mid-January due to various members of our class in quarantine (including me!), but we all did our best. In science, students learned about plate tectonics and scientist Alfred Wegener. We discussed scary natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes and how they are made less scary by scientists and emergency personnel who are prepared for them. We have been reading I Survived: The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

In math, students learned about inequalities. They solved inequalities and graphed their solutions. HP students learned “The Golden Rule” of inequalities as well. Students moved on to studying integers and the

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 25 coordinate plane. They completed a webquest to discover how Rene Descartes influenced the world of mathematics. Students completed the winter round of Star testing and have demonstrated impressive growth.

Speech –Pittaro

Speech-Language therapy took place virtually and/or in the speech-therapy room. Students participated in group and/or individual sessions which were tailored to each child’s individual needs.

Throughout the month of January students were very productive in speech activities and started the new year strong. This month’s theme was the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. Students working on expressive language goals increased their lexicon through articles related to MLK Jr. While students working on receptive language goals worked on their comprehension and memory skills. Additionally, students improved their sequencing and recall goals through the many significant events of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students also worked on improving their articulation through oral readings.

Most of the goals worked on included mastering a particular sound such as /s/ /z/ /th/ /r/ /l/ /sh/and /ch/, increasing vocabulary, comprehension, and inferencing skills.

Art – C. Sterba

Grade 4 Art- Students started working on artwork based off of the style of Marc Chagall. In the style of his memory based paintings, the students created sketches of memories they have, then using different symbolic colors and images attempted to show how they felt in that moment..

Grade 5 Art – Students are working on creating their own super heroes as they learn how a professional company does the same. They have studied proportion and color, then are beginning work on their conceptual designs for their own character.

Grade 6 Art- Students used the Suminagashi prints they created, producing some interesting marbled paper designs to use as the covers of handmade books.

Media – Diaz

Library/Media Center – Diaz The Wood-Ridge Intermediate School library program consists of weekly scheduled classes for students in grades four through six for marking periods one and two. Students in these grades receive a library grade at the end of each marking period. Grades 4-6 library and digital literacy skills are reinforced, along with digital media studies. Also at each level, research assignments are completed with an emphasis on curriculum connections in science, social studies, math and the arts. These connections are made throughout the year by Ms. Diaz working collaboratively with the classroom and subject area teachers.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 26 January 2021 started out with students virtually working on their Makerspace projects. All grades designed and engineered different items. Grade 4 created pencil pouches out of duct tape, Grade 5 worked on marble mazes and Grade 6 created functional shoes.

Music – Sterba, J.

Each month in all music classes and grades we focus on a patriotic song. Our patriotic song for January was “Yankee Doodle” To honor Martin Luther King Jr. day we learned about spirituals and listened “Take My Hand Precious Lord” sung by Mahalia Jackson (the queen of soul, singer of the same song at MLK’s funeral) & Beyonce .

Music Classes

Standards Music composition is governed by prescribed rules and forms that apply to both improvised and scored music. 1.3.5.B.3 Improvise and score simple melodies over given harmonic structures using traditional instruments and/or computer programs. Decoding musical scores requires understanding of notation systems, the elements of music, and basic compositional concepts. 1.3.5.B.4 Decode how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance in musical compositions.

Students in music classes composed music intended for use in video games using the music composing software entitled “Beep Box” Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 27 Video game music composition has come a long way since 8-bit games. Early video game composers wrote chiptune music for the programmable sound generator (PSG) sound chips in classic arcade machines, home video game consoles, and personal computers. Today's processor-intensive games—many of which are streamed over the internet—can accommodate considerable sonic complexity. As a video game composer, you have four key ways to maximize that creative potential:

1.Treat the game like an interactive film.

2.Play the game yourself

3.Write each piece of music as a cue, not a composition

4.Study the greats

Compositions What follows are some selections of music from each grade level

Fourth grade John Velecela - no title - https://tinyurl.com/y2qdoucp Mikayla Crews - “Glitch” - https://tinyurl.com/y4k68plg Jacob Brzeski - “Emotional beets” - https://tinyurl.com/y4k68plg

Fifth graders Myles Simmonds - no title - https://tinyurl.com/yyg4vdmd Jack Cordes - “Lift Off” - https://tinyurl.com/y58tgmso Isabela Garcia - “The Race - https://tinyurl.com/y4ka9m8r

Sixth graders Ella Benjamin - “Lost in a Haunted Video Game”- https://tinyurl.com/y6ly3uta Domenic Bellini - “The boss battle” -https://tinyurl.com/y4ydfh8a Aleena Khiljee - no title - https://tinyurl.com/y6oe68td

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS We currently have 8 students taking virtual music lessons. The majority of students taking lessons are percussion/drum students, with the exception of 1 trombone player and 1 flute player. Students are all doing extremely well and attending lessons regularly. I am very proud of their progress.

Journalism Club - Diaz

The journalism club is in the middle of creating their next edition which will be posted to the WRIS website soon. Keep checking back there for the latest release.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 28 Art Club – Carroll / Muscle

January 13, 2021 We started the year off right by taking a virtual field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. First students watched a video of riding on a bus going through the LIncoln Tunnel. We had to virtually get to the museum. Once we “arrived” we took a look at the view of Central Park from the museum. We learned about the history of the museum pass. Students used the link https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/ to visit the museum. We had an option to search for art based on looking around the map, choosing location and time on th3e timeline, or watching videos about art. We then encouraged students to sketch their favorite piece of art they found in the museum.

January 20, 2021 In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day this week, students created images of hope. Students started the session learning about images/symbols of hope. Then students learned about the history of the olive branch and the dove in art. Then they watched a tutorial on how to draw a dove holding an olive branch. They were encouraged to add more symbols of hope to their image.

STEM Club – Oppido / Palmieri

The fourth grade STEM Club members met on January 12th and 26th this month. The first meeting the group completed the Egg Challenge. They were given a list of materials that they were able to use and the challenge was to create a contraption that would protect an egg when dropped from any height given. The students were given some time to make their contraption and then they were asked to start dropping it from different heights. I had them start with dropping it from their waists, then their faces, then above their heads. I then had them start dropping it from heights of their choice. Luckily, it was a beautiful day and many of the children went outside and starting dropping it from different heights outside. The members had a blast with this and even had their family helping them with this task. It was a joy to watch!

The second meeting wasn’t as exciting as the first sadly. They had gone “Fishing for Ice Cubes’ and unfortunately, a few of them were unsuccessful no matter what they tried. They were given their materials needed and I gave them step by step directions of what to do. The secret was dependent upon how much salt was sprinkled on the string/ice cube, that determined whether the string would indeed stick to it, hence the going fishing concept. Overall, the members seemed happy and enjoyed the challenge, however, this would not be a project I would do again moving forward,

Student Council - Negro

Thursday, January 14th: We discussed the possibility of volunteering to make Valentine cards for patients who receive food deliveries from Grace Healthcare Services. Members voted to invite the whole school to participate in this effort. Students made posters and wrote press releases regarding our upcoming “Jersey Day” on 1/26 and 1/27.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 29 Wednesday, January 27th: Students discussed Spirit Day ideas for February, and decided on Crazy Hair Day. Students liked the idea of mismatched shoe day and twin day but thought those ideas would be better saved for the spring when more students would be attending school in person. Students created Valentine’s Day cards for Grace Healthcare Services.

Vocal Ensemble (Chorus) – Manolakakis

Club/Activity

January – WR Jr/Sr HS – Vocal Ensemble 2021

Meeting Date(s) All meetings are held in Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/lookup/cmemievidj on

Wednesdays 2:55 – 3:45pm. January: 6, 13, 20, 27 ,Agenda The full agenda from this month is found with lesson plans for the day on Google Classroom “Stream”. Please scroll down to find the lessons. This is treated as a weekly class where students learn vocal technique and have time to solo for each other. In addition, they are encouraged to participate in Seesaw assignments. There they can sing a solo of their choice for up to 2 mins and I can send them written and oral feedback. Their recording goes into their individual virtual folder where they can track their growth. Please see the pictures below. Vocal Ensemble (after school choir) WRIS grades 4-6 Class code cphuy63 Meet link https://meet.google.com/lookup/cmemievidj

Activities/Fund-Raisers/Field Trips December: All assignments are posted on Google Classroom

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 30 Here are some examples of attendees work:

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 31 WRJRSRHS

Ted Colarusso Medical Terminology Students continue learning “The Language of Medicine.” Memorization, props, worksheets, reading X-ray, CT scans and videos of actual surgeries, each followed by class discussion are important to the classwork as always. Students expand their knowledge of medical language by expanding into body organ systems. They have just completed their work on chapters 5 and 6 which focus on the terminology, problems and functions of the human “Digestive System”. Discussion is a major part of the course. Students are using the terms in medical conversations as often as possible. Students continue to experience surgical procedures and be exposed to the language used by medical specialists.

Anatomy & Physiology The Anatomy & Physiology students have completed the circulatory system, examining the anatomical structures of the myocardium wall, heart chambers, heart valves and major blood vessels, lungs, pharynx and larynx. A heart and blood vessel group practicum was conducted in a virtual setting. The culminating lesson of the unit was a lab demonstration where students were given the opportunity to learn how blood pressure readings were taken, the proper technique in taking a reading, and using the stethoscopes to listen to the heart sounds during rest, relaxation and exercise.

Honors Biology / Biology The students in Mr. Colarusso’s Biology classes have just finished up their study of cell energy processes (photosynthesis, cellular respiration and fermentation) and are now studying the cell reproductive cycle and the events of Mitosis. Students examined both plant and animal cells in various states of cell division using microscopes images from a microscope that has internet broadcasting technology. The topics of meiosis and Mendelian genetics will be covered in the beginning of the third marking period.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 32

AP Biology Students are completing their studies of cellular reproduction, along with the mechanisms of mitosis versus meiotic cell division. The AP students (via virtual lab) measured the rate of reproduction in dividing cells within onion root tips and whitefish blastulas, calculating approximate time spent in each stage of reproduction. AP Biology students have the opportunity to explore and interpret the electro-cardiac pathway by using an EKG device that translates electrical impulses generated by the heart muscle into a wave pattern generated by the use of capturing data from a virtual EKG device. Students will then delve into Mendelian Genetics, calculating phenotypic and genotypic ratios of offspring and control mechanisms of the cell reproductive cycle. They will perform a Genetics-based virtual lab by breeding Drosophila and calculating offspring trait ratios, as well as a virtual lab using Gel Electrophoresis to separate DNA fragments cut by restrictase enzymes.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 33 Keri Parry Physics, Honors Physics, and Tech. Ed 08 In physics, students answered the essential questions of physics for chapter 3 that connects tension force, mass, and acceleration in a circle through whole class demonstrations streamed from Google Classroom, drawing free body diagrams in a graphic organizer, and solving problems by applying previously learned ideas and the notes in the graphic organizer. The students also completed an online lab with video data collected from Mr. Hassinger and Mrs. Parry. The honors physics students completed all the objectives of the physics students, yet learned an additional topic on universal gravitation and how this idea connects multiple physics topics together.

The Tech Ed students demonstrated understanding about how to use Google Sheets through applied, real-world- based projects and shared their learning through a self-made tutorial presentation. Furthermore, they learned about Google Forms, which generates surveys and online quizzes in the Google suite. The students also created Google sites about the Wood-Ridge community.

Student-created Google site home page from Tech. Ed. 08

Screenshot of part of the online physics lab with the video links included

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 34 Jacqueline Sanzari 8th Grade Science During the month of January students in the 8th grade completed their focused on the study of work, motion and energy. Students completed a variety of online labs to understand how to calculate both work, power, kinetic energy and potential energy. At the end of the section students practiced identifying energy transfers and energy transformations. In the month of February we will continued our energy focus moving to the study of thermal and nuclear energy. 7th Grade Life Science During the month of January students in 7th grade Life Science completed their study of body systems focusing on how energy is gained and used in the body to perform daily tasks. The 7th graders really enjoyed experimenting with iodine to starch test different foods they eat before physical activities. Student then began their exploration into the behaviors of plants and animals. Students first focus was on how traits are passed from parent to offspring. Punnett Squares were the focus of study as we started our new topics. Students are looking forward to building alien models while practicing Punnett Squares.

Suri Ganti Science 7 After Winter Break, we dove right into our new unit of studying the body systems! Students learned the basic overview of the body systems and the idea of homeostasis - our body’s way of maintaining stability despite our changing environment. Students took on the undaunted task of virtually collaborating on learning and becoming experts on a particular body system. As a class, we also focused on the unique role of Stress on our human bodies. We looked to see how Stress can affect so many organs in our body, and that long-term continual Stress has harmful effects. Lastly, we ended with two summative assessments on body systems: a test and a presentation on a body system.

Biology After Winter Break, we dove right into the Cellular Division and Growth of human cells. Students learned and distinguished the basics of cell division in both our human cells - mitosis - and bacteria cells - binary fission. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 35 Cellular division directly connects to Cancer - which is uncontrolled cell division. Students sketched normal cellular division and then used this analyze and distinguish normal and cancerous cells. After a summative assessment on cell division, we switched gears to our Genetics Unit. We grounded our Genetics unit in questions about how we look similar yet different to our own families -- and how genetics is the answer.

Zoology Students started the month picking back up with Intelligence. We watched and read several pieces of media related to Animal Intelligence. Students engaged in a discussion on the limitations of human research, Behaviorism and the importance Animal Intelligence. Students culminated the topic in a research & personal essay on Animal Intelligence, honing in on several key animals who exhibit high intelligence. We then switched gears to our very last unit - the “zoo” in “zoology.” We looked at the history and structure of zoos, the positives and negatives of zoos, and the intersection of animal intelligence with animal rights in zoos. Students ended the course with creating a highly relevant task of sharing information about animal intelligence, rights, captivity, facts, and endangerment in a social media form.

Jonathan Hassinger Physics This month in Physics students concluded our study of Energy, doing the online Energy lab. Our next, and final chapter of Mechanics will be Momentum and collisions. Chemistry This month in Chemistry, students concluded their study of Covalent Compounds and Bonds. Students will then be using this information to study our next chapter on Intermolecular Forces. Nature of Science This month students in this class have concluded out notes on scientific processes and methods including their observation project and the experimental design project. This will be the last week of this class.

Doubravka Hausner AP Chemistry In AP Chemistry students completed the unit of Kinetics which included Kinetics virtual lab. Students are moving to the next unit, Equilibrium and LeChatelier’s principle. As the AP exam slowly approaches students are practicing more Free-response AP exam problems. Students are also viewing posted AP videos on the College board website. Honors Chemistry In Honors Chemistry classes, students learned about intermolecular forces. By now they are able to identify which force is holding which molecule together based on the molecule’s structure that they have learnt in a previous unit. Chemistry In Chemistry classes, students learned how covalent molecules bond. They constructed models of various covalent molecules online based on their knowledge of VSEPR theory. Students enjoyed this activity and agreed that it was a great way to imagine the 3D shape of the molecules. Forensics In Forensics students completed a dental Impression lab which was a valuable summary of the Impression evidence unit. Students are currently learning about trace evidence - hair, paint and soil. In this chapter students will perform a hair lab activity when they will observe their hair and compare it to other classmates' hair (all Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 36 done virtually). They then create a compare-contrast chart and explain how the hair can be used as evidence at the crime scene and what methods are available for a hair analysis. Impression evidence students work pictures:

English Department

Pete Forman English III 11th Grade As we finish up our unit on American poetry and the poetry of Emily Dickinson, American literature courses will next be examining the transcendental philosophy of Walt Whitman in his majors works "Leaves for Grass" and "Song of Myself". A focus on writing will continue in class with practice college admission essays over the next few weeks. 11th Grade Honors Honors courses continue to develop their websites adding in the course material from Emily Dickinson and Henry David Thoreau. Next, students will work in groups to analyze the work "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman. Video supplements will be provided to assist students in understanding the relationship between the Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 37 biography of Whitman and the historical context of his American literary works. A focus on writing will continue in class with practice college admission essays over the next few weeks.

Christine Green AP English Students are reading novels in preparation for the test in May. Upon completion, they are responsible for both verbal and written analysis of the literary work. They are completing analysis of poetry and literary passages to prepare for the test. Writing is under timed conditions based on response to a prompt. English IV Honors Students are reading assigned literary selections outside class. They are reading novels and plays. Both verbal and written analysis is completed in class. The class has just completed Unit 5 in the text. which is the "Romantic Period" in British Literature. English IV College Prep Students are writing formal and also creative essays in class based on prompts. They have just completed a "Formal Position " paper based on an assigned reading. The classes are completing all units in the textbook and are responsible for reading and analysis of poems, essays and literary passages.

Valerie Hunter English I Students learned the persuasive techniques logos, ethos, and pathos, and analyzed their use in advertisements and editorials. They also read and analyzed Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech while studying his use of rhetorical devices such as repetition, restatement, and analogy, and practiced the correct usage of colons and semicolons. English I Honors Students learned the persuasive techniques logos, ethos, and pathos, and analyzed their use in editorials. They also read and analyzed Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech while studying his use of rhetorical devices such as repetition, restatement, and analogy, and discussed and wrote about Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel Persepolis. English 8B English 8B students completed a scavenger hunt on the Purdue OWL site to learn about MLA, and then did a research project on a topic of their choice, which included using the library databases, compiling a works cited page, creating a slideshow of their research, and presenting their findings to the class.

Rebecca Landes 7th Grade ELA Grade 7 Language Arts students started to read The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton,which is set in the 1960s and chronicles the lives of two opposing groups: the Socs and the Greasers. They are enjoying this novel tremendously! The students are learning new vocabulary from the novel as well as Wordly Wise Book 7. They defined and completed original sentences based on these words. The students also played “Quizlet Live” to study for their vocabulary quizzes. Assessments have included chapter quizzes, guided reading questions, small- group discussions, homework, and participation. The students finished writing essays on Appearance, as well as a letter to Ponyboy and Johnny, two characters from The Outsiders.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 38 RC 7th Grade ELA Grade 7 resource students just finished the book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. They completed a webquest on the author, and a slide presentation on Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS), the condition that the main character, Auggie, suffers from. The students are learning new vocabulary from the novel as well as Wordly Wise Book 7. They defined and completed original sentences based on these words. The students also played “Quizlet Live” to study for their vocabulary quizzes. Assessments have included chapter quizzes, guided reading questions, small-group discussions, homework, and participation. RC 9th Grade ELA Grade 9 resource students finished Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson. We are now reading The Contender, by Robert Lipsyte. The novel is about a young man who grows up in Harlem who wants to be a boxer. The students are learning new vocabulary from the novel as well as Wordly Wise Book 9. They defined and completed original sentences based on these words. The students also played “Quizlet Live” to study for their vocabulary quizzes. Assessments have included chapter quizzes, guided reading questions, small-group discussions, homework, and participation.

Matt Bogert English 7 Throughout January, students completed the reading of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. . Students continue to be tested on their knowledge of the novels and vocabulary used throughout. Students have begun reading the novel The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Students will continue to work on their reading comprehension and development of writing skills. English 7 Honors The Honors class has completed reading their second novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. Students have also completed their second of three dialectical journals for English class during the Second Marking Period. Students will continue developing their reading comprehension and writing skills while reading The Call of the Wild by Jack London.

Robert Berger English 8 B Students continued studying the water crisis in Sudan. They finished reading a Long Walk to the Water, and completed a webquest and reviewed a documentary on Salva Dut. They also have completed watching The Lost Boy of Sudan which documents those individuals that experienced the war in Sudan as they came to America as refugees. We are finishing with a project, students can choose either a slideshow or a friendly letter to advocate for the Sudanese people.

Melissa Papp English Language Arts, Grade 8 After having completed analysis of Lord of the Flies including discussion of themes and allegorical implications to World War II, the students assessed their understanding formally and through writing Additionally, they employed online resources through the Zaner-Bloser Strategies for Writers series to improve their research paper rough drafts while peer editing and revising. English Language Arts, Grade 8 Honors During January, the eighth grade honors students have completed their study of Lord of the Flies including themes of survival, civilization versus savagery, and good versus evil and are nearing completion of the unit. In addition to text based writing tasks, students progressed toward completion of independent research projects Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 39 where they seek to prove that Lord of the Flies is an accurate allegory, analyzing and applying a variety of sources to argumentative writing through Zaner-Bloser’s Strategies for Writers series. Finally, they also have continued to practice and apply grammar and new vocabulary into their daily writing. Journalism Journalism students have explored effective interview strategies, examples, and ethics to complete their final edition of Devil's Advocate as well as a scenario based ethics r[oject.

Kim Millar English II & English II (H) The English II Honors class has just begun an interdisciplinary unit on the progression of women’s rights in America. They will be reading various feminist literary works including Kate Chopin’s ironic short story, The Story of an Hour, Dorothy Parker’s, The Waltz and a collection of poems to evaluate how each is a representation of the society in which it was written. The Honors class will develop a research paper that cross references the literary works of Kate Chopin and feminist author Betty Friedan to show how statements made in Betty Friedan’s nonfiction literary work, The Feminine Mystique, reflect the life of Edna Pontellier, the fictional character in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening.

AP English Language and Composition The AP Language and Composition class is starting a comprehensive study of British and American Romanticism. They are evaluating the literature of the era, focusing on how historical events and the beliefs of the era influenced the literature. Students will be reading Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein, which is supposed to serve as a lesson to those who experimented during The Age of Reason society to not mess with science/nature. They will be writing a general argument essay in preparation for the upcoming AP Exam- Who is the real “monster” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the creature or the creator, Victor Frankenstein? Upon completion of the unit, students will be able to identify the characteristics of Romanticism, assess the differences between American and British Romanticism and identify characteristics of each in the literature of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley, and Keats, Thoreau, Emerson, Irving, etc in addition to recognizing characteristics that are unique to each author.

Colleen Kozibroda English 8 Resource In English 8, students are focusing on writing and speaking skills after completing their unit on Langston Hughes, reading the short story “Thank You, Ma’am.” Students focused on the following three standards specifically to enhance their writing and speaking skills: 1) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience, 2) Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking and 3) Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Students also demonstrated comprehension skills through reviewing, responding, interpreting, inferencing, and connecting to this story through discussion and guided reading questions.n Students could define and differentiate between implied and stated theme, recognize character motives, and respond to character actions. English II Resource In English II, students are reading the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. As they read, students identify recurring themes in the novel: friendship, loneliness, the American Dream, and racism. They are analyzing character development and their interaction throughout the novel. Students are also identifying

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 40 literary elements within the novel: imagery, foreshadow, plot, juxtaposition. Writing skills are being enhanced daily as well. English III Resource Students are continuing to read and analyze various poems by Emily Dickinson; at the completion of this unit students should be able to describe the life of Emily Dickinson, explain how her life influenced her poetry, and be able to analyze a variety of her poems. Through Daily Do Now’s on Google Classroom, students are engaging daily in the writing process and improving their overall writing skills. English IV Resource In English IV, students are currently working on the Essential Question: “How does literature shape and reflect the society during the time in which it was written?” through the novel Frankenstein. Through this novel, students are gaining an in depth understanding of the basic story and themes of Frankenstein; they are exploring the major themes of the story and making connections between the story of Frankenstein and their knowledge of its historical context and/or the modern world via their own lives.Students increased their vocabulary by being exposed to and learning new words and concepts introduced during the story and have been assessed on these terms prior to reading the novel.

Math Department

Gabe Ben-Nun Algebra 2 Students finished the unit on quadratic functions and complex numbers. They are doing a review of the unit on Khan Academy. Algebra 2 H Students finished the unit on polynomial functions and started the rational functions unit, College Math Students finished Analytic geometry and started with basic Trigonometry.

Carla Linfante Resource Room Algebra 1 This month students finished learning about functions. They learned how to represent different relations (mapping diagram, tables, ordered pairs, and graphs), how to determine if a relation is a function, and how to evaluate functions from graphs, tables and equations. They will use what they have learned in this unit as they continue studying linear functions next month. In addition to their learning, students took their second Star Test this month as a way to demonstrate their growth this year.

Marc Fazio Algebra 1 Students completed lessons on Linear Equations and Functions. We ended the marking period with review and major assessment Geometry In January, Geometry students worked on solving for similar triangles using a variety of methods. Business Math Graphs and Statistics related to salaries were the topics in January. Students spend the end of the month calculating prices based on percent of the cost.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 41 Robert Berger Resource Algebra II Students have continued to work on reviewing systems of equations and moved onto working with quadratics in chapter 4. They have learned to model with quadratics, use the vertex form, and will be exploring factoring, foiling, and solving basic factored trinomials. Students continue to work on Khan Academy and Delta Math for remediation and review of skills. Students continue to take bi weekly pop quizzes on review material to keep skills fresh. Resource Geometry Throughout the month students worked on Triangle congruence, exploring right triangle congruence, corresponding parts of congruent triangles and overlapping triangles. Students ended the month by taking a test on Chapter 4 triangle congruence. Students continue to work on Khan Academy and Delta Math for remediation and review of skills. Students continue to take weekly pop quizzes on review material to keep skills fresh.

Jim Santangelo AP Calculus AB Students learned how to find the derivatives of trig functions, logarithmic functions, and exponential functions, while applying the chain rule to all of these processes. They are now analyzing the behaviors of functions using differentiation. The students also started completing Free Response questions in class. They were introduced to the rubrics set by the College Board for these questions and we discussed methods and trends in the types of questions from past AP Exams. Algebra IA Students finished an introductory unit on functions. They are now studying linear functions. They will be assigned their second project of the year at the end of the unit. This project involves the concept of data analysis and lines of best fit. Congratulations to Olivia Sancilio and Zoe Herishen for having the stock portfolio with the largest percent increase. As a reward, the two students were awarded 10 bonus points for the assignment. Congratulations to all students in the class who outperformed my portfolio. These students received five bonus points on the assignment for doing so. Pre-Algebra Students finished a unit on functions and solving systems of equations using different methods. Concepts were reinforced through using Quizizz. Students continued to be assessed using Edulastic. Moving forward, the students will be discussing laws of exponents and scientific notation.

Ryan Burger Math 7 During the first week of January, we continued two step equations, divided into two parts, combining like terms and using distributive property. Solved two step equations with rational numbers and real world problems. Quizzed on two step equations and started multi-step equations with combining like terms. During the second week of classes we continued multi-step equations with distributive property as well as using both combining like terms and distributive property in one problem. We quizzed on multi step equations, test review and tested on equations. During the third week of classes, we continued inequalities, graphing and writing. We also solved one-step inequalities and two step inequalities using distributive and combining like terms. Worked on real world problems as well. Quizzed on inequalities also. During the fourth week of classes, we solved multi- step inequalities using combining terms and distributive property. Took a multi-step inequality quiz and then reviewed inequalities and tested.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 42 Kristine Schoenig Math 8 The 8th graders have been working on graphing the equation of a line, finding slope, comparing slope, proportional relationships, linear equations, and writing the equation of a line. Students worked hard on using equations to graph. They also used ordered pairs to find the slope and determine if the relationships were proportional. Students did an escape room to test their knowledge of these topics. Algebra 1 The students have worked on writing the equation of a line. We looked at 3 different types of equations, slope- intercept form, standard form and point-slope form. They learned how to convert from one equation to the next. We also discussed parallel and perpendicular lines and their graphs. Additionally we graphed the equation of an inequality.

Lisa Ames Geometry Students started chapter 9 and studied transformations - reflections, dilations, rotations, and dilations using their prior knowledge of the coordinate plane. They constructed logos by transforming their favorite symbols. We ended January reviewing for midterms and completing the winter STAR benchmark test. In addition, students completed weekly Khan Academy or Delta Math lessons on topics we discussed in class as well as algebra review. Geometry Honors We worked on chapter 9 where students studied transformations - reflections, dilations, rotations, and dilations using their prior knowledge of the coordinate plane. Students completed a transformations project where they found logos with each type of transformation and made their own. Students completed Khan Academy and Delta Math lessons aligned to what we were learning in class. AP Statistics January revolved around probability in our AP Statistics class. We started by reviewing basic probability concepts and how to determine if events are independent or dependent. We applied the addition rule and multiplication rule to various real world applications. Students then learned how to construct probability distributions and calculate expected values and variance/standard deviation of a probability distribution. Students completed MyMath assignments as well as Khan Academy lessons to supplement their instruction. Statistics Students spent January studying probability including the basic types of probability and how to apply the addition and multiplication rules. We also looked at conditional probabilities and discussed how Venn Diagrams and tables can help us calculate them. Another probability topic we went over was the difference between independent and dependent events as well as mutually exclusive events. We continued our study of probability by learning about the differences between and/or probabilities in addition to permutations and combinations. Students completed questions on Khan Academy and MathXL to supplement what they learned in class.

Social Studies Department Gianna Catalana US History I The class continued with the unit of Reconstruction and Westernization. Students completed a unit test, which assessed their ability to read and understand documents as well as their knowledge of the era of Reconstruction and Westernization. The class then started a new unit on the Industrial Age and Gilded Age. Students kicked off the unit by researching specific inventions of the time period and the impact of that invention on their lives Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 43 today. Students then began learning about the Railroad industry and certain business tycoons of the time period. The class then watched the Wizard of Oz and will have to write an explanatory essay describing how the movie represents the time period of the Gilded Age and Populism. The 1960’s Students have continued exploring the 1960’s, specifically 1968. The class watched a documentary called 1968: the year that changed America that highlighted the different events from each season of that year and how they had an impact on America. Students had to pick a specific event from the year and research that event and write an essay stating how that event was the most important thing that happened in the year of 1968. From there the class started looking at the counterculture movement and the black panthers. Students analyzed documents that stated how the counterculture began, what came before it, what caused it, and then what came after. Students watched a documentary about Woodstock and how the concert stood for much more than just the musical aspect of it. The class then had to research the Black Panthers and write an essay stating how they impacted the civil rights movement and the 60’s as a whole. Unsolved Mysteries in History The class has continued to research and discover different mysteries in history. The students started a new unit on Amelia Earhart and her disappearance. The class had to explore different theories surrounding the mystery, trying to figure out what really happened to Amelia Earhart. Students were assessed by writing a research paper surrounding the topic of Amelia. Next, the class explored the assassination of JFK. Students had to look at the evidence surrounding the person convicted of the crime and decide if they believe Lee Harvey Oswald did it or not. The class also explored other options of who could have commited the crime or if there were any accomplices involved. Students have also completed their research papers on this topic. Students have started their final projects in which they get to choose any mystery they want, they will have to investigate it and come up with a hypothesis on what they think actually happened. They will be creating a presentation that they will present to the class.

Mallory Garvin World History and World History Honors The month of January was the start of Imperialism in World History. During the time of Imperialism we look at the impact on the continent of Africa, then India and China to see how European imperialism impacted those nations to this day. The ramifications of this time period are still felt all over the world. We were able to watch Black Panther and analyze the connections the comic makes to imperialism and civil rights. On top of all of that we were able to discuss the inauguration and the capital riots that took place on January 6th. AP Government and Politics During December AP Government learned about the role of the Bureaucracy and why it functions- or doesn’t function- as it does. It is certainly not the most riveting topic but it is important as bureaucratic agencies dictate much of our day to day activities. We were also able to watch and discuss the inauguration and the storming of the capital that took place on January 6th.

Kimberly Forsyth 7th Grade This month we spend a significant amount of time learning about the start of European exploration into the “New World” by leading countries such as Spain and Portugal. Students traced the routes of famous explorers and examined the impact of exploration from the perspectives of Aztec and Inca cultures as well as the perspective of Spanish conquistadors. We connected previous lessons on the slave trade across the Middle East into Africa with the start of the Atlantic slave trade from Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 44 U.S. History II This month we started our chapter titled “World War Looms.” We extensively studied each of the dictators that rose to power during the 1920s and 1930s and analyzed their backgrounds, political aspirations, speaking styles, and tactics used to gain or seize power. From there, students were able to trace the unraveling of each nation’s political structure and how these leaders were able to get a foothold in their respective countries. Using that information, we focused on Adolf Hitler’s plan of military expansionism and how the deals he made allowed him to conquer a good portion of Eastern Europe before western intervention.

Stephanie Gaven US History I Honors USI Honors students spent January collaboratively analyzing government policies and other factors that promoted innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrialization in the United States. They “virtually” presented about the inventions or developments of the turn-of-the century that changed our lives forever. We are ending the month with a persuasive DBQ essay that asks us to determine if Andrew Carnegie should be considered a hero. Stephanie Gaven/Justine Thimmel US I History We also had a meaningful month as we analyzed how the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800’s impacted American businesses and workers. They researched and created a presentation about the inventions or developments of the turn-of-the century that changed our lives forever. We are ending the month with a persuasive DBQ essay that asks us to decide if the entrepreneurs of the Gilded Age such as Carnegie, Vanderbilt and Rockefeller are “Captains of Industry” or “Robber Barons.” Public Speaking and Debate In January students finished the course as they improved upon their interpersonal communication skills as they prepared for the college or job interviews. They generated a resume, researched and prepared follow-up answers to commonly asked questions and conducted the interview “virtually.” They ended the course by “reporting” about a current event using “Screencastify Submit.”

Victor Minnocci APUSH The class began the month exploring the Grant administration. Topics included the corruption and reforms in the post-Civil War Era. The depression of the 1870s and political parties and partisans. The Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction. This led into the railroad boom and early efforts at government regulations on business. The rise of the capitalist class. The industrial age was explored, the steel, railroad and financial businesses. The beginning of the labor movement and the rise and fall of the Populist party. Honors U.S. History II The class began the month completing the chapter on WWII. This led into the Cold War begins. Postwar prosperity the administration of President Truman. The origins of the Cold War. Who was to blame for the Cold War? The U.N. and the postwar world. Communism and containment, the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and Nato. The Berlin Airlift, Revolution in China, and the arms race. Anti-communist activities at home, McCathyism and the Korean War. The class will be starting the Postwar boom next week. Current Issues The classes investigated current events nationally and internationally. Topics included the riot at the Capital, the Trump impeachment. The inauguration, the Biden agenda concerning the Covid-19 vaccination. The classes also completed New Your Times current event projects. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 45 Emma Rose Melde Social Studies 7th Grade Students in 7th grade Social Studies analyzed the positive and negative effects of exploration in North America. They discovered that a variety of European countries laid claim to land in North America and were surprised to realize that their influence still affects those locations today! The students also virtually explored the impact exploration had on the slave trade leading to the “Triangular Trade” network between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Using a hyperdoc assignment, students analyzed data, video resources, and images of triangular trade and the Middle Passage experience endured by millions of enslaved Africans. Students will connect these early North American explorations to the development of the 13 english colonies. 8th Grade Students in 8th grade Social Studies learned about the Indian Removal Act of 1830. They compared the experiences of a variety of Native American tribes and the effect this law had on them and the United States as a whole in the 1800s. They were able to describe the forced journey of thousands of Native Americans to “Indian Territory” in the west and developed an understanding of “The Trail of Tears,” the name given this march. Furthermore, Honors students defended the Native tribes, or at least the Native rights to their homeland, when they gave speeches in “Congress'' opposing the Indian Removal Act. Students wrote speeches from the point of view of a member of Congress who opposed the Indian Removal Act because we had learned that, although approved by the President, it was hotly debated in Congress before its passage. Students spoke passionately to their fellow Congress members (or fellow classmates), urging them to oppose this law too using reason, emotion, and fact.

Students will continue to study the movement of groups westward in our country’s history as we start to uncover the expansion of the United States, the Texas Revolution, and the California Gold Rush.

World Language

Joseph Mojkowski Spanish II • assignments related to extracurricular activities theme • built off of knowledge of adjective agreement to compare activities • compared and contrasted the verbs conocer and saber • built off of knowledge of present tense verbs to now use hace w/ time expressions to say how long we have been doing things for

Spanish III • Class activities, group and written assessments related to sporting competitions • imperfect past tense and usages • Written test related to differentiating between usages of past tenses and camping and competitions situations Spanish IV • Investigation into different usages of the subjunctive mood in Spanish and how to distinguish between when to use different subjunctive and indicative tenses focusing adjective clauses and whether referring to a defined, definite subject or an undefined, hypothetical subject Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 46 • Incorporation of more conjunctions that necessitate the use of subjunctive tenses • Environmental conservation projects • Introduction of Art Thematic Unit with first artist; El Greco AP Spanish • Factors That Impact the Quality of Life Unit - reading and listening comprehension exercises, interpersonal and presentational speaking and writing activities

Tess Iannacco Italian Italian III and IV These classes continued to learn about morning routine and hygiene. They used this newly acquired vocabulary to describe how one feels. They learned the morning routines of Italians, their approach to botanical beauty products , and how Italians use parts of the body in idiomatic expressions such as: r t un tipo in gamba, una persona alla mano, costa un occhio della testa etc. In the language structure, these classes The Italian I classes learned about popular leisure activities in Italy. We learned new vocabulary related to it; how to pronounce gli, gn/ and sc sounds. We learned Italian proverbs and researched English proverbs and their provenance linguistically: i.e. their connections to culture, way of life, communities, traditions, observations. The Italian families love to go to the seashore, in the mountains and take long walks in nature. They also love to go to the cinema. Students learned about the respect the Italian society has for nature and we compared/contrast our life here in the US with theirs.

Italian II This class continued to learn about shopping, talk about food and discuss grocery shopping. They learned new vocabulary related to this theme. They viewed videos of supermarkets in Italy and learned where Italians prefer to shop. For the language structure, they have begun to learn to use the past tense with avere and the difference between conoscere and sapere. learned reflexive verbs, the ci and ne adverbs and reciprocal/reflexive verbs in the passato prossimo.

Angela Daniele Spanish I

• Learned about the verb Gustar and how to use it correctly • Learned how to express and to ask about personal likes and dislikes • Made illustrations about likes and dislikes • Learned some Infinitives and how to use them with Gustar • Created illustrations with Infinitives • Learned about the cultural holiday events of the Spanish-speaking countries and accompanying vocabulary • Spanish For Travelers

• Learned new vocabulary daily with several written and oral activities • Learned how to express some Actividades in Spanish • Created illustrations with Infinitives • Learned how to express Infinitives when YO and TÚ are the subject Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 47 • Learned about the cultural holiday events of the Spanish-speaking countries and accompanying vocabulary

Spanish-Italian Conversation

• Learned how to express and recited the Numbers 0-20 in Italian • Learned how to Greetings, Salutations, and how to ask and express how someone is in Italian • Wrote dialogs with Greetings, Salutations, and how to ask and express how someone is in Italian • Learned the days of the week and the months of the year in Italian • Learned how to express when your birthday is in Italian • Learned about the cultural holiday events of Italy with accompanying vocabulary.

Physical Education

Andrea Marino Grades 8 Physical Education Students have been working on THIS OR THAT exercise videos and answering questions related to the exercises that they are completing in each lesson. Grade 9 Health Students have been understanding the Health Triangle through the movies For Keeps, and various transgender related videos. Birth and Pregnancy were introduced and discussed. Options that may be considered for teens and adults who encounter unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. Empathy, Sympathy, Passion and Concern for the transgender population. How people respond and react to people who are “different” from the social norm stereotypes.

Chris Lange 12th Grade Health Education In Health Education Students learned CPR. Students learned before care and how to check an injured person. Students learned their role in the EMS system. Students learned About environmental emergencies. Students learned about heat related illnesses, and cold related illnesses, what to look for, what to do, and what to do until help arrives. Students gave presentations in emergencies. 10th Grade Driver Education. Students learned the New Jersey Driver's license system. Students learned the effects of alcohol, drinking and driving, designated driver, drugs and driving and healthy driving. Students learned about driver privilege, Intoxicated Driving Resource Center, moving violations, point chart, motor vehicle violations. Students learned about sharing the road including pedestrians, trucks, buses and motorcycles. Students learned about purchasing vehicles and vehicle inspection. 8th Grade Physical Education Physical Education students participated using the PLT4M program. The students were introduced to the movement fundamentals of human life, health and athletic performance. Each week students were introduced to core work, isometric holds, proper sit ups, mobility concepts and recovery. Students were remote from home.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 48

9th Grade Health Education. Health education students were introduced to Taking Charge of Their Health. Students learned about understanding stress and how stress can affect you in both positive and negative ways. Students learned about managing stress and skills to reduce the amount and impact of stress on their lives.

Theory of Coaching The students were introduced to the Art and Science of Coaching. The course introduced a positive coaching philosophy and the principles of coaching. The students watched video presentations on Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and Vince Lombardi.. The video presentations were followed by lecture, class discussion, lecture, online research and assignments. Students designed a sports play and explained the tactics and techniques behind it. Students designed a Strength and Conditioning Program for the sport of their choosing.

Joe Belger (Physical Education 7 & Driver Education 10) Grade 10 Driver’s Education promotes respect and encourages observance of traffic laws and traffic safety responsibilities of driver education and citizens; reducing traffic violations; reducing traffic-related injuries, deaths, and economic losses; and motivating the development of traffic-related competencies through education, including but not limited to, NJ traffic laws, risk management, driver attitudes and courtesy skills.

Students will actively learn the necessary content required to pass the NJ driving test, learn how to drive responsibly, and how to react to a variety of situations while on the road. Through class participation, quizzes, research, & projects students will explore the correct ways to react in different situations that may arise while on the road and/or operating a car.

Students have their last class this week and are all aware of their new test date for 2/11 @ 1pm for the Driver Education Permit Exam. I have reviewed for about a week with practice tests from various sources, and reviewed our materials with students. All practice tests are available to review publicly via google classroom to review before 2/11/21

• Topics o Driving Safety Methods o Emotions while Driving o Managing Risk o Planning/Anticipating Risk o Physical/Mental conditions that effect Driving o Alcohol/Drugs while Driving o Vehicle Safety Maintenance o Signs, Signals, Markings, Driving Etiquette o Rules & Regulations o NJ State Permit Exam

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 49 Physical Education 7 • Virtual students have been utilizing the workout program called PLT4M. These videos are meant to be mimicked by students at home, it provides students with modifications to at-home workouts. These programs are specifically designed for what that individual student is looking for in their work out. We have been utilizing about 30 workouts (30 class sessions) in theMastering Mobility 301 course. I allowed students to choose their own program, as the PLT4M tracks and logs the amount of time spent on each individual workout for participation grades. • Prepping for Health 7

Lucia DiNapoli Physical Education Physical Education classes continue to work towards their ideal fitness levels through our PLT4M.com program. Health 11 Our Juniors have wrapped up the Marking Period with the discussing Pregnancy, Childbirth, Contraception and STD’s. We discussed the stages of pregnancy, the development of a baby from conception to birth and the students watched the video pertaining to the subject. For our final project, the students will create a spreadsheet and a power-point presentation on the various STD’s. Health 12 The Seniors have discussed and researched the different types of First Aid Procedures and presented to the class on the following topics: • Sudden Illness • Injuries to Muscles, Bones & Joints • Severe Bleeding • Hot & Cold Emergencies • Burns • Splinting

Joe Vaccaro Grade 7 Physical Education Students continued with class on the field/Track due to the current Pandemic and school requirements. In addition, we added a regular light cardio vascular workout each day to the weekly schedule. The remote students are still working on the virtual exercises provided via the PE department, and expected to record their workouts accurately and in a timely fashion. Hybrid students have started to have way through this month but have adjusted so far to the unique schedule. The second marking period started in the middle of the month and school was also moved to complete remote learning for the last 2 weeks of the month. Grade 8 Physical Education Students continued with class on the field/Track due to the current Pandemic and school requirements. In addition, we added a regular light cardio vascular workout each day to the weekly schedule. The remote students are still working on the virtual exercises provided via the PE department, and expected to record their workouts accurately and in a timely fashion. Hybrid students have started to have a way through this month but have adjusted so far to the unique schedule. The second marking period started in the middle of the month and school was also moved to complete remote learning for the last 2 weeks of the month.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 50 Driver’s Education Students were given their final review prior to taking the state exam. Further students received instructions for what to do once they pass the state exam, and what to do if they didn’t. Students completed the NJ State permit exam. Students received instructions on what expect when returning to PE. We have also explained to the students that are virtual, that they will need to take the state permit exam at the MVC this school year due to the current COVID pandemic.

Grade 12 Physical Education & CPR started on 11/16: 12 Grade Health - As a class we continued to utilize the textbook and DVD to elaborate on other emergency situations and how to respond to them. Further we discussed in detail and through class activities how to determine if person requires first aid or further medical assistance. We reviewed The Emergency action steps (Check-Call-Care), when to administer CPR and/or an AED, and various other emergency situations (snake bite, hypothermia, trauma, etc.)

Sean Rutherford TV Production: Students in TV Production have started and completed their Podcast Videos. Students picked an approved topic and conducted a Podcast Interview/Discussion virtually with their group/partner. Students used a variety of different formats to complete their assignment; Google Meet, Zoom, and FaceTime. The students had a wonderful time with this topic and project. They thoroughly enjoyed their discussions and debates on camera, as did the class when we watched/critiqued them.

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Their final project is to create a product review or sales pitch video on a product they use in everyday life.

Web 2.0/Keyboarding Applications: Students have finished the entirety of the Google Suite applications. Students have now moved into Blogging. Students applied their skills of Google Suite and Blogging with listening to and creating Podcasts. We used NPR’s “How I Built This” hosted by Guy Raz, to listen to the story of Jerry Murrell, creator of 5 Guys Burgers & Fries. The students were extremely blown away with his story and how he was able to create such a great restaurant and franchise.

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Robotics

Students have wrapped up their marking period with me finalizing some of their robot builds in person and virtually performing programming online. Student’s worked with the “One Hour Of Coding” from RoboMind Academy. The students worked with basic programming in order to have to robot pick up the gem.

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 53 Debra Beck Financial Literacy The students explored different aspects of renting and owning a home. The students learned about risks and rewards of investing money. The class researched an investment. They learned about the laws and responsibilities for paying and filing taxes. Finally, the students learned about the different types and costs of insurance that are available and necessary to have as an adult. Intro to Business The students investigated the role of human resources in a business. They learned about an accountant's role in a business. As a final project the students created a business plan for a food truck. This plan incorporated many of the topics the class learned about for the semester. Accounting The students learned how to use profitability and liquidity ratios to analyze the financial health of a business. The students learned about how to close the temporary accounts and update permanent accounts in order to prepare for a new financial year.

Catherine Bethon Art

Art Explore - Students worked on smaller scale projects of the Zentangles and Optical Illusion Art. Work has been completed through the students sketchbook and the supplies they have at home. On my end a live feed of daily demonstrations were given through a docking camera while monitoring questions and student work via computer screen.

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Painting - Students worked on the project “Why are They Famous?” which is a combination of artistic research and critique of a master artist. Students also have the opportunity to recreate one of the paintings, from their chosen artist, by dressing up and reenacting the painting. The final project is a combination of the found and created work put into an aesthetically pleasing presentation aiming to capture the attention of their peers.

Studio - This small group of upperclassmen worked on multimedia artwork inspired by celebration days for the month of January. Winnie the Pooh Day inspired a student to create a set of nail art with the delicate details of the characters from the beloved stories. Another student, inspired by national tin can day, recycled a tin can into a beautiful lantern. She asked her dad for the use of his heavy duty tools to create her piece. In another week of assignments a student turned his love of legos into his art assignment and even used an old fish bowl to create the environment his artwork lived in. These projects, though only found from materials in the home, really showcase how much the students have grown in the past years of promoting the success of their ideas. It’s rewarding as an educator to finally see how creative a student can be when you open their eyes to all the different kinds of artwork in the world.

Graphic Design - Your digital footprint reflects who you are as a person, business, and organization. For so many of us we spend a great deal of time on multiple sites whether it’s social media, marketplaces, or on- demand services. These sites or apps are all created by graphic artists and not only is there an aesthetic rationale behind every shape and color but there is also scientific research for each element as well. For the graphic students we reviewed much of what students have put together for the semester and then thought about how that applies to the web. As a class we looked at the top high school websites and discussed what was successful about them. We turned our attention to our own schools site and what upgrades the students would like to see. Public schools though we don’t recruit students, should still have a captivating page. When visiting a page there should be an ease of finding information and top searched information. Students mostly favored the user friendly platform Wix in creating their websites. Below are some links for the work created thus far. https://justinrosario.wixsite.com/website Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 55 https://alyssamazur.wixsite.com/wrhs https://bella18750.wixsite.com/my-site-1 https://jeremyfriedman9.wixsite.com/my-site https://leahreiter.wixsite.com/my-site

Intro to Art - Finishing their first large Still Life, students are being reminded to look back at their portfolios and notice the great leaps taken in their artistic ability. Taken step by step this course lays the groundwork for students to be prepared for enrolling into the more advanced art course in WRHS. Intro to Art is an eye opening course that shows how much thought goes into the creation of serious artwork.

Chris Sterba Grades 9-12 Intro to Art The students have completed their Color as Value project. They started by getting a photograph of an animal. Using the grid drawing method, they drew this image onto a sheet of 12x18 sulfite paper, using a video to help them with their grid drawings. Afterwards they use proper color-pencil techniques (with many video resources) to replace the values of the original image with an analogous color pallet. Then they wrapped up the course with a project about Color Harmonies. They picked a photograph that they took (or you have permission to use) to use as the subject of their artwork. Next they used the grid drawing method to resize the image and the light table to trace your drawing onto 6 x 9 sulfite paper. They needed a total of six copies of the drawing. Afterwards they used color pencil to color each drawing with one of the six color harmonies we studied in class. They finished their projects by mounting these drawings together on one 18 x 24 sulfite page.

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Melissa Manolakakis

Choir (7-12) During January, my students continued using Google Classroom, Seesaw, and Tonesavvy as our platforms for Choir Class. Students continue to be assessed through Tonesavvy.com on their individual accounts about Identifications of Treble /Bass notes, Rhythms, Interval (Unison, 3rds & 5th), and Key signatures. Each level builds on another. In addition, they are learning how to sight-sing with correct pitches and rhythms in solfege. All work is documented in Tonesavvy.com and on Seesaw (their virtual folder) They are doing a wonderful job.

Theatre, Art, and Film For this month we watched “Disney Shorts” in Netflix. Students watched 12 shorts: “John Henry”, “Lorenzo”, “Little Match Girl”, “How to Hook Up Your Home Theater”, “Tic Toc Tail”, “Prep and Landing”, “Ballad of Nessie”, “Tangled Ever After”, “Paper Man”, “Get a Horse”, “Feast”, and “Frozen Fever”. Students learned

Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 57 aspects of all various and Animation time periods. We watched 2 shorts a day, and at the end of each film students completed a series of questions and wrote a film review. We are finishing up and since we have some time, we will be watching “Social Dilemma” in Netflix. This is a documentary on the effects of social media and our smartphones. I feel that it is important to discuss and also watch the importance of documentaries.

Toni Baumgartner Band

American Popular Music • Woody Guthrie song comparison • Jazz music • Swing music • Big Bands • Harlem clubs • Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Fletcher Henderson

8th Grade Band Class (Semester class) • Basics: New notes, new rhythms, tied notes, time signatures 4/4 & 2/4, playing a round • Mark Tree • Sweetly Sings the Donkey • Crusader’s March • Maryann

Senior High School Band Class • Notes, rhythms, blending, intonation, singing/playing \ • Superior Bands: keys of Bb, Eb, F, Ab Warm ups, harmonic minors • Sabre Dance • Black Panther • Tick Tock • What I Am Listening To Assignment

Music Technology • Innovators in Modern Recording • NJ Artist presentation • Analog VS Digital • Sound Engineering 101 • Jobs in the recording studio/ industry

Eileen Layman Media Center The Wood-Ridge Jr/Sr High School Media Center is an active, participating council member of the BELS School Library Consortium. Students have the ability to borrow books from any of the participating school libraries. During COVID-19, certain borrowing restrictions are in place. Superintendent’s Monthly Report January, 2021 58 CIRCULATION: ebooks: 9 books Interlibrary loans - Borrowed: 3 audio books

Grade 7 Database Research - Mrs. Layman

Cavendish Square Digital Database Seventh grade students have chosen their own topics in relation to Cell Biology. The Database Research class collaborated with the grade 7 Life Science teachers on research topics. Many students wished to do a deep dive into topics that were introduced in their science class. The subscription based Cavendish Square Digital Database, offered students grade level research, a Media Gallery of images, citation help and links to related research. The lesson culminated in a short research paper.

CultureGrams Database Students in grade 7 discussed what culture meant. Students talked about food, language, recreation and clothing from other countries. Students learned that the subscription database offerings ranged from written research, the music of the National Anthems, flags, slideshows, videos and recipes. Additional links converted currency, showed the amount of travel time from Washington D.C to other capital cities and time differences. The varied cultural differences intrigued the students to do further research.

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