Brandt's Quarterly Newsletter

INSIDE THIS EDITION

• Principal's Message

The awesome happenings in:

• Kindergarten
• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Fourth Grade
• Fifth Grade
• Science
• CTY
• World Language (Mandarin)
• Physical Education
• Art
• Music

Don't forget to check out the:

• Counselor's Corner

• Nurse's Nook

Hello Brandt School Family -

I hope this message finds you all well as we reach the midpoint of the school year. It's been an eventful journey so far, filled with growth, achievements, and memorable moments. As we pause to reflect on our progress, I am thrilled to share some highlights of our vibrant and thriving school community from the second marking period.

Our commitment to high academic standards remains unwavering, and I'm proud to report that our students continue to excel in their studies. From mastering mathematical concepts to exploring the wonders of literature, our classrooms are buzzing with intellectual curiosity and engagement. Our dedicated teachers have been instrumental in fostering a love for learning and providing tailored support to every student.

In addition to academic success, our focus on social-emotional learning has been paramount in shaping well-rounded individuals. Through various initiatives and programs, we have nurtured empathy, resilience, and self-awareness among our students. From mindfulness practices to collaborative projects promoting empathy and kindness, our school culture thrives. This was fully on display recently as we took part in the Great Kindness Challenge and were awarded the status of Kindness Certified School for the fifth consecutive year. We can show this again through our 100 Days of School Community Service Project to benefit the Hoboken Community Center with our pasta collection.

During the winter months, we've learned about the traditions and celebrations of many cultures comprising our school family. Through our inclusive curriculum, and open dialogue, we celebrate the unique backgrounds and identities that make our school community so vibrant and special. We will continue to celebrate this wonderful diversity during Black History Month and Women's History Month during February and March, respectively.

As we embark on the second half of the school year, let us continue to build upon our successes and tackle new challenges with optimism and resilience.

Keep up the great work.

- Mr. Bartlett

ELA: The second marking period has flown by, and our kindergarteners have continued to grow so much as learners and members of our community! In ELA, students have been working hard on writing complete sentences and using temporal words such as first, next, then, and last to help organize their ideas. We have also learned about nouns, adjectives, and pronouns to strengthen our writing skills. During reading, students are practicing retelling stories in order, identifying the setting, theme, and the important events in a story. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as readers and writers!

Math: In Math, we have been focusing on addition and subtraction, solving word problems, and exploring 2D and now 3D shapes. Students are learning to think critically about numbers and explain their math thinking in different ways.

Social Studies: In Social Studies, we explored the unit question, “What makes me and my family special?” Students learned about what makes their families unique, including their culture and holiday traditions. We also discussed what makes a community and how to show respect and responsibility as good community members. We spent the month of December learning about the different holidays and the traditions that come with them. This month, students learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and are currently participating in The Great Kindness Challenge.

We are so proud of all the progress our students have made this marking period and look forward to continuing our learning together in the months ahead!

ELA: Fifth graders began Marking Period 2 by completing their novel study of the fantasy story Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Students enjoyed the opportunity to engage with such a fantastical novel, analyzing mood, tone, and character development for all the unique characters they met throughout their reading! They were also eager to craft original fantasy stories to show their knowledge of fantasy elements. To end the unit, students participated in an author’s circle to share their published work!

After demonstrating their knowledge on the Coraline assessment, students began their next nonfiction novel study, Abraham Lincoln (10 Days), which goes into detail about 10 crucial days in Abraham Lincoln’s life that shaped his journey. Students learned how the many tragedies Lincoln faced early in his life impacted decisions he made later on in his career, including his presidency and the Civil War.

Math: During marking period 2, students worked on the third math unit of the year, Rectangles, Clocks and Towers. In this unit, fifth graders focused on deepening and extending their understanding of fractions using area models, rotation models and linear models to compare and order fractions. They added and subtracted fractions with unlike denominators and mixed numbers while playing games and solving real world word problems.

After showing their mastery on the unit assessment, students began the third math unit of the year, Rectangles, Clocks, and Tracks. During this unit, fifth graders focused on fraction relationships as well as adding and subtracting fractions. Students refined their strategies for finding the least common multiple to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators.

Social Studies: Our 5th graders began the second marking period with a new social studies unit- Divisions in National Perspectives. During this unit, students learned about the acts, compromises, and events leading up to and ultimately causing the Civil War. They learned about important abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman and analyzed the impact of events such as the Kansas-Nebraska Act and Nat Turner’s Rebellion.

As we look ahead to our next unit, historians will be examining the most significant battles of the Civil War and the impact that each had on the overall course of the war. They will consider the differences in battle strategies for the North and the South as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each heading into battle.

This quarter in first grade, the students completed PLTW module 2, Exploring The Sun, The Moon and The Stars. Students drew pictures of the sun and the moon and added facts for each one. In their student Launch Logs they created a diagram that shows how the moon reflects the light from the sun. Students learned about the 8 phases of the moon. They were able to observe the moon at night and come back to school to describe which phase the moon is in. Along with this, students learned about an important astronaut in History, Neil Armstrong. They were able to identify various facts about Neil Armstrong.

Students also completed the PLTW module, Animated Storytelling. This unit allowed the students to use computer coding skills to create a project on Scratch Jr. They created a four page animation on their tablets. They watched the introductory story and identified the problem to be solved. After creating a project on Scratch Jr. with animations and sounds, students then documented this in their launch logs.

The second graders have been very busy this second quarter of school! In December, we incorporated coding and technology to reinforce our Earth’s processes unit. We reviewed erosion, weathering, and deposition then were able to extend things to include engineering and STEM skills. Students were asked to transfer these processes into a code format using animation with Scratch and Scratch Jr. This provided each student with their own interpretation of how these processes change our Earth’s landscape. They were asked to create a simple animation showing rocks breaking apart during weathering. For erosion, most of them created a dirt, rain, and cliffs animation code. For deposition, some students created cliffs, rain, while depositing piles of dirt, rocks, and leaves. Students included their voices as well as pictures of their faces in the coding examples.

We also designed and built a 3-dimensional gingerbread house using paper and classroom materials. Acting as engineers, we started out with background knowledge listening to a read aloud and reviewing the meaning of STEAM. (Science,technology, engineering, art, and math) From there we planned, constructed, and discussed ways to keep our houses intact. We talked about how valuable Math is to structures in order to build something solid and how specific measurements have to be when building homes or buildings. We made connections to Geometry and how it connects to engineering practices.

This January we learned all about landforms and Earth’s changes by creating a landform Flip Book and completing a reading comprehension activity to go along with it. We looked at all land formations such as, islands, oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, mountains, valleys, glaciers, canyons, and volcanoes. We discussed their differences and learned that most land formations are a result of large scale formations and hazardous weather events. As we read about Earth’s changes, students reviewed that some changes happen slowly, like weathering and erosion, while others happen quickly, like earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods.

Last, we learned all about bodies of water. We looked at facts about oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and waterfalls. We defined oceans as being very large bodies of salt water that covers at least 71% of our planet. Also, it contains many ecosystems like fish and plants that help us survive. We found out that rivers are long bodies of flowing water that move across the land. Rivers often lead to lakes or oceans. We learned that lakes are large areas of water surrounded by land. Lakes usually have fresh water. Next, we studied ponds; that are smaller than lakes and often shallow. Many plants and animals live in ponds. Last, we learned about waterfalls which are places where water flows over a high area, like a cliff or rock, and falls down. To sum up this week's work of concepts and comprehension, we created a layered flap book which stacked each body of water by size, along with one fact about them. It ended up being a great way to organize information as well as show a size correlation between each body of water.

It was another amazing marking period in third grade science! We started the unit by finishing up our STEAM Tank projects by perfecting and fine tuning our inventions and presentations. A favorite part of our marking period though was when we learned about physics in the Project Lead the Way unit, Stability and Motion: Forces and Interactions. In this unit, we learned all about the forces in our lives and how they interact with one another. To better understand what those forces were, we completed a sort and then went over our answers as if we were in the goofiest new game show, Push or Pull! We then learned about the simple machines that can make those doing those forces easier.

The students then got to the most exciting part of the unit, the VEX IQ kits! The VEX IQ kits are a snap together building system that the students used to build the simple machines they learned about as well as how they could combine those simpler machines into one compound machine. Once the students got more understanding of how these machines worked individually, they worked together in groups to design and build a compound machine to help save a zoo animal they read about in the beginning of the unit. To save this animal (which had fallen in a moat) students had to create a device made of two or more simple machines that was able to lift a toy tiger at least two inches off the ground and then move it across the room. It was a fun and active way to close off the marking period!

MATH: During Quarter 2, CTY Math students continued to shine as they deepened their understanding of the structure, expectations, and rigor of this advanced course. Across all grade levels, students engaged in challenging mathematical concepts that emphasized critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and clear mathematical communication. Through a combination of whole-group instruction, small-group activities, hands-on learning, and projects, students demonstrated perseverance and a growing confidence in their mathematical abilities.

Grade 5:
Grade 5 students made tremendous growth in their mathematical thinking and skills. They demonstrated a strong understanding of integer operations, including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers. Students clearly communicated their reasoning by showing step-by-step solutions using words, models, and visual representations. Additionally, they practiced locating and placing integers and other rational numbers on both horizontal and vertical number lines.

Grade 4:
Grade 4 students developed their understanding of algebraic expressions by solving for unknown variables. They strengthened their reasoning skills by using visual models, substitution strategies, and step-by-step problem-solving approaches. Through consistent practice, students gained a deeper understanding of how variables function within mathematical expressions and how they represent unknown values.

Grade 3:
Grade 3 students expanded their knowledge of factors, multiples, and divisibility rules. They practiced identifying numerical patterns, applying problem-solving strategies, and clearly explaining their thinking. Through discussion and hands-on activities, students continued building strong number sense and confidence as they tackled increasingly complex problems.

Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth - Verbal Programming: This past marking period saw second through fifth grade Verbal CTY students create various types of presentations to showcase the outstanding work they put in to complete their CTY courses during the first marking period. Second and third grade students drafted and revised digital portfolios while fourth and fifth graders chose from a variety of presentation choices. Some chose to craft digital portfolios while others designed presentations around pieces of poetry they’d written for their courses. Still others wrote scenes in which the main characters from two different course books meet for the first time. Finally, some students illustrated themes from their courses’ novels. After rehearsing their presentations, students triumphantly delivered them to some very proud parents.

Creative Problem Solving Module: In January, students who qualified for either Verbal CTY or Math CTY began the new Creative Problem Solving Module, which is designed to foster creative thinking and peer collaboration through hands-on projects involving real-world and imaginative challenges. In the first of four units, second grade students used what they learned about space to design feasible, permanent space colonies. Meanwhile, third grade students applied what they learned about simple machines to design “Rube Goldberg machines” that accomplish the most common of tasks in the most uncommon, roundabout ways. Fourth grade students used the engineering design process to conceive of and draw up plans for their own original toys. Super cool, right? After learning about sustainability and its importance, fifth grade students set out to save the world by building physical models of uber-sustainable cities. The good news is there’s plenty more fun in store for the kids' third marking period!

Over the course of the second marking period, art students worked on many amazing projects. We began by creating artwork for the memory book cover contest. Students submitted drawings of Brandt school, school pride, and everything they love about Hoboken. They worked extremely hard, showed incredible creativity & produced truly beautiful pieces.

Next, we added some holiday fun by hosting an ugly sweater contest. Students & teachers designed their very own ugly holiday sweaters using paint, glitter, decorations, stickers & markers. Winners were announced & all of the sweaters were proudly displayed throughout the school for everyone to enjoy.

After Winter break, students learned about artist Wassily Kandinsky & his concentric circles & love of music, as well as Zentangle patterns, lines & designs. They applied these techniques while creating city skyline artworks, adding concentric circles in the sky to resemble fireworks.

We are looking forward to creating many more wonderful art projects in the coming months.

K-2: Throughout the second marking period, our young Brandt learners continued to add musical concepts to their toolbox of learning. Starting off with Kindergarten, our young music learners worked on the topics of note values to understand the concept of rhythm.

For our 1st graders, one of the highlights for the 1st Marking Period was learning about the famous composer Piotr Tchaikovsky and his most famous piece during the winter season, The Nutcracker. In addition, our first graders had the opportunity to learn a traditional Russian Dance, which helps them understand culture in music.

Lastly, our 2nd Graders continued working on their class compositions as well as sight reading music learning the notes on the lines and spaces of the treble clef staff.

Our young Brandt musicians have learned a lot over the course of this marking period and we look forward to seeing more great things in music!

Third Grade: In third grade music students are continuing to grow by exploring musical dynamics - the volume of music. They were also introduced to music from the Classical and Romantic periods; recognizing how composers used music to tell stories and express emotions. Time was also spent studying the instrument families. Last, we reviewed the notes on the treble clef which is an important step as we prepare for our upcoming recorder unit!

Fourth Grade: The fourth graders began the second marking period exploring 20th-century classical music, including the 12-ton row, which they composed themselves! In anticipation of our bucket drumming unit they also reviewed note durations, and created their own class rules for bucket drumming. Additionally we spoke about musical form, particularly rondo form, identifying repeating sections and patterns in music, which we will use when playing the bucket drums.

Fifth Grade: Fifth grade spent much of their 2nd marking period working on their Foley sound effect project where they explored how sound is created and used to enhance film and storytelling. They also learned about different types of musical ensembles and how individual parts work together to create a cohesive performance. Last, to get ready for our upcoming bucket drumming unit, they began creating their own rhythms which will be transferred to the buckets in the near future.

The music department also had an extremely successful winter concert and is excited to get back to the grind for the spring!

The district has brought Best Buddies into the elementary schools here in Hoboken! Best Buddies has been very successful at both the middle and high school levels, and we are thrilled for Brandt to join in and build on that success. Best Buddies is a school program that promotes friendship, kindness, and inclusion among all students. Through planned activities and everyday interactions, students are working together to build positive connections and learn how to support one another. The goal is to help every child feel included, valued, and part of the school community. Best Buddies encourages empathy, social skills, and teamwork while creating a welcoming environment where all students can grow and thrive. We want to continue building on the inclusive environment we already have here at Brandt, creating and building on friendships, and creating leadership development opportunities!

The Brandt Best Buddies crew is composed of 4th and 5th graders! Check out our newsletter to see December's Activity!

This marking period our 5th grade peer mentors had the opportunity to visit our younger learners throughout the building. The mentors worked alongside students to support classroom activities and lessons, offering encouragement, leadership, and positive role modeling. These visits help strengthen connections across grade levels while fostering confidence and responsibility in our older students. We are so proud of our peer mentors and the positive impact they are making in our school community!

Our 3rd and 4th grade students created vision boards while learning how to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Students reflected on their strengths, dreams, and goals, and practiced turning big ideas into realistic, achievable steps. It was wonderful to see their creativity and thoughtful goal-setting in action!

Brandt School Celebrates the Great Kindness Challenge Week

Brandt School had a wonderful week celebrating the Great Kindness Challenge with our school-wide Kindness-a-thon! Throughout the week, students participated in meaningful activities that promote empathy, connection, and positive relationships across grade levels. The energy and kindness felt throughout our building (and beyond!) truly reflected the heart of our school community.

Highlights from Kindness-a-thon Week

Peer Mentor Kindness Read-Alouds
Our 5th grade peer mentors did an amazing job visiting Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms to read books focused on kindness, friendship, and inclusion. These visits allowed our older students to model leadership while showing our youngest learners what kindness looks like in action.

Little Spots of Kindness
Students used Little Spots of Kindness books and stickers to recognize kind acts they noticed around the school. It was wonderful to see students intentionally looking for ways to uplift one another and proudly sharing stickers to spread positivity.

PTO Kindness Book Donation
We are incredibly grateful to our PTO for donating kindness-themed books to every classroom library. These books will continue to support conversations around empathy, respect, and kindness all year long.

Community Kindness Project
Students once again decorated Brandt School kindness labels that were shared with our local coffee shops. Seeing these student-created messages placed on coffee cups throughout the week helped spread kindness beyond our school walls and into the community.