Theater Arts Curriculum Completed

Mr. Jared Ramos announces that the Theater Arts Curriculum is now completed. Mr. Ramos and his team have worked extensively on the Theater Arts curriculum putting into written form the wonderful and award winning program that has been enacted for the past 4-5 years. Mr. Ramos is a graduate of both Hoboken High School and Princeton University and is one of the district's leaders in his knowledge of the IB program.

Holocaust Curriculum Grades 1-12 Completed

On Tuesday, June 16th the Holocaust group completed the curriculum for Grades 9-12. To date, grades 1-12 have been completed, printed and assembled in the binder which is located on the shelf with other curriculum guides at the Brandt Professional Center. A subset of the group will be writing a short guide outlining how the curriculum should be implemented at the high school level. This is a very exciting moment for the Holocaust committee which include: Marni Rosenblum (Connors), Beth Tomlinson (Wallace), Elise Granovsky (Wallace), and Tara Donnelly (Calabro). We will now try to set up a meeting with the New Jersey Holocaust Commission to review the curriculum and seek feedback.

Official Press Release: XAVIER NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

Xavier High School 

June 17, 2009 

---FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--- 

Please contact for additional information 

and/or photographs: Joseph F. Gorski, 212-337-7539 

Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations 

XAVIER NAMES NEW PRESIDENT 

New York City Jesuit Secondary School, 

Founded 162 Years Ago, Selects 33rd Leader 

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Xavier High School, Richard T. Nolan, Jr., Esq., Class of 1983, announced that John R. Raslowsky II will assume the presidency of the school on July 1st, when Rev. Daniel J. Gatti, S.J. ’59 steps down after a twelve year tenure. Mr. Raslowsky’s selection was made, after a nearly two year search and upon the recommendation of the search committee, by Xavier’s Board of Trustees and was approved by its Board of Members and by the provincial of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus. 

Mr. Raslowsky, an experienced educator and administrator, brings to Xavier exceptionally strong educational leadership skills and an over twenty-five year record of intensive involvement in Jesuit education. His association with the Society of Jesus has been extensive, beginning as a student at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City (1975-1979), then at St. Peter’s Prep as a teacher, moderator, coach, and principal (1985-2003), and finally as an assistant in the New York Provincial’s Office (2003-2007). His in-depth exposure to, understanding of, and commitment to the teachings of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, makes him an ideal selection as Xavier’s next president. 

Over the past two years, Raslowsky has been the superintendent of schools in Hoboken, New Jersey, an educational system with 2,500 students at six schools. In this position, his focus and leadership has resulted in a reinvention of expectations for the district, as well as some remarkable progress. Under his leadership, the District’s high school was recognized for its dramatic improvement by New Jersey Monthly and the U.S. News and World Report. 

(more) 

Prior to that, he worked in various capacities in the office of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus, including serving as the Provincial’s Assistant for Pre-Secondary and Secondary Education, as well as his Assistant for Lay Faith Formation. In these positions, he had vital roles in addressing mission, clarifying identity issues, and ensuring effective governance. Raslowsky was the Provincial’s personal designee as a member on each board of the Province’s seven high schools and three province-sponsored middle schools. 

John Raslowsky will be Xavier’s thirty-third president and the first layman to lead Xavier. While this may be a milestone, it is an event for which the Jesuits and their lay collaborators in this Province and in Jesuit education across the country have prepared for some time. Knowing that the Society was “graying” and that vocations were decreasing, Jesuit leadership throughout the nation over the past thirty years set forth on a mission to ignite the Ignatian flame among the Jesuit laity. Jack, as he is known, is one of those benefiting from these creative initiatives. He is among the authors of What Makes a Jesuit School Jesuit. He now joins the two other high school lay presidents in the New York Province and the ten lay presidents from the 52 Jesuit high schools throughout the country. 

Mr. Raslowsky’s academic preparation includes an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Vermont and a master of education in administration from Harvard University. Next spring, he anticipates receiving a master’s degree in systematic theology from Seton Hall University’s Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. He has supplemented these degree programs with coursework at Jersey City State College, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Columbia and Fordham Universities. 

Mr. Raslowsky’s voluntary pursuits and interests include: current chair of the board of New York Nativity, the governing body of Nativity Mission Center, St. Ignatius School, and Brooklyn Jesuit Prep; a former volunteer with the Boy Scouts; a former coach of youth recreational basketball; and the interviewing of candidates for admission to two of his alma maters, Vermont and Harvard. 

In his announcement, Richard T. Nolan, Jr., Esq. ’83 (the Chairman of the Xavier Board of Trustees – see paragraph one) stated that: 

It is with great confidence and enthusiasm that the Board of Trustees welcomes Jack as Xavier's 33rd president. We are confident that he possesses the educational skill and experience, the understanding of and commitment to the charism of the Society of Jesus, and the authenticity of formation in Ignatian spirituality that the Board believes are essential in Xavier’s next president. 

We see Jack’s educational leadership experience as impressively compelling. He's a proven leader of Jesuit educational institutions, with real world hands-on experience that ranges from teacher, retreat leader, moderator, and coach, to principal, trustee, board chairman, provincial’s assistant, and superintendent of schools. It is with strong conviction that we believe he is the leader Xavier needs to achieve even higher levels of performance and success as it seeks to prepare the young men of today and tomorrow for service to our country, our city, and our Catholic faith. 

(more) 

The provincial of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus, the V. Rev. David S. Ciancimino, S.J., a 1977 graduate of Xavier and a former headmaster at the school, in approving the selection, said: “Having worked with Jack, I am confident that he will serve the Society of Jesus and Xavier well.” 

While Raslowsky’s work at Xavier will commence on July 1, the Xavier school community’s plans for him will include an Installation Ceremony and Mass on September 11, 2009, and at that time or shortly thereafter, a Welcoming Reception, that will permit members of the Xavier family of alumni, parents, and friends to personally meet and greet President Raslowsky and his family. 

Jack Raslowsky resides in Hoboken with his wife, Sarah, who is a mathematics teacher at the Hudson School, and their four children, John, Christian, Rebecca, and Rachel, who attend St. Francis Academy in Union City. Jack and family are parishioners at Sts. Peter and Paul in Hoboken. 

From the first day of classes at Xavier High School in 1847, there was a focus on “devotion to duty and learning”, and almost from the beginning, Xavier was perceived as a school which strove to fulfill the educational needs of the sons from immigrant families. This reputation included an emphasis on offering each student a quality education, one that would serve as a foundation and as an opportunity for success in life. Today, Xavier pursues this same course, performing the same role to immigrant families, but now to those from families from origins elsewhere on the globe and often with different native languages. 

Xavier High School endeavors to prepare students for the 21st century who will be persons of competence, conscience, and compassion. As a Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school for young men, Xavier accomplishes this goal in the context of a multicultural, urban community dedicated to learning, faith, and service. Xavier is chartered and registered by The Regents of the University of the State of New York, the New York State Department of Education, and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. 

Picture: Newly elected President Jack Raslowsky with Chairman of the Board of Trustees Richard Nolan, Esq, ’83 (l.) and outgoing President Daniel J. Gatti ’59 (r.).

Resignation Letter

Mr. David Anthony
Board Secretary
Hoboken Board of Education
1115 Clinton St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030

June 17, 2009

Dear Mr. Anthony:

I hereby resign my position as Superintendent of Schools effective August 31, 2009. It has been an honor to serve as Hoboken’s chief school administrator for the past two years. I am grateful to the board and the people of Hoboken for the opportunity to serve our students and their families.

I began this work with a sincere belief that the Hoboken school district was staffed by a talented and dedicated group of adults—teachers, administrators, clerks, nurses, counselors, janitors, engineers, aids and countless others—and that our students and their families were talented and committed to high quality education. I leave my position with those beliefs only strengthened. I am particularly grateful to all the certified and non-certified staff with whom I have had the privilege to share this work. Day in and day out they do the important work of the district well. I know they will continue to do so. The children of the Hoboken public schools are indeed in good hands.

The work of public education in the years ahead will continue to present great challenges. There is great financial pressure in our local community and the state of New Jersey. The last two years have seen significant cuts in personnel in the district and it is likely that cuts will continue. In addition, increasing mandates from both Trenton and Washington, while well intended, consistently chip away at issues of local control. The achievement gap that is much discussed nationally is alive and well in Hoboken. While we have taken important and significant steps to address these issues, the challenges remain great. It is imperative that all involved in public education in Hoboken make sincere attempts to work together and reestablish a culture of trust. Doing so will allow for the district to honestly confront the challenges it faces. Not doing so will mean great opportunities lost.

In the weeks ahead, I look forward to working with the administrators and the board to insure a smooth opening for the next school year. I will remain available to assist my successor in what ever ways are helpful. I wish you, the board and the district all the best as we move into the future.

Sincerely,

John R. Raslowsky II

Cc: Board of Education
District Staff
Dr. Timothy Brennan
Mayor Roberts

Superintendent Raslowsky Resigns

On June 17, 2009 Superintendent Raslowsky announced his plans to resign his position as Superintendent of Schools. The following is the official letter he submitted to Board Secretary David Anthony. 

Mr. David Anthony

Board Secretary
Hoboken Board of Education
1115 Clinton St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030


June 17, 2009

Dear Mr. Anthony:

I hereby resign my position as Superintendent of Schools effective August 31, 2009. It has been an honor to serve as Hoboken’s chief school administrator for the past two years. I am grateful to the board and the people of Hoboken for the opportunity to serve our students and their families.

I began this work with a sincere belief that the Hoboken school district was staffed by a talented and dedicated group of adults—teachers, administrators, clerks, nurses, counselors, janitors, engineers, aids and countless others—and that our students and their families were talented and committed to high quality education. I leave my position with those beliefs only strengthened. I am particularly grateful to all the certified and non-certified staff with whom I have had the privilege to share this work. Day in and day out they do the important work of the district well. I know they will continue to do so. The children of the Hoboken public schools are indeed in good hands.

The work of public education in the years ahead will continue to present great challenges. There is great financial pressure in our local community and the state of New Jersey. The last two years have seen significant cuts in personnel in the district and it is likely that cuts will continue. In addition, increasing mandates from both Trenton and Washington, while well intended, consistently chip away at issues of local control. The achievement gap that is much discussed nationally is alive and well in Hoboken. While we have taken important and significant steps to address these issues, the challenges remain great. It is imperative that all involved in public education in Hoboken make sincere attempts to work together and reestablish a culture of trust. Doing so will allow for the district to honestly confront the challenges it faces. Not doing so will mean great opportunities lost.

In the weeks ahead, I look forward to working with the administrators and the board to insure a smooth opening for the next school year. I will remain available to assist my successor in what ever ways are helpful. I wish you, the board and the district all the best as we move into the future.

Sincerely,



John R. Raslowsky II

Cc: Board of Education
District Staff
Dr. Timothy Brennan
Mayor Roberts

Early Hoboken History- new curriculum

HOBOKEN'S EARLY HISTORY

This history was taken in part from hobokeni.com as well as from the book "Gritty Cities", Mary Procter and Bill Matuszeski, authors, Temple University Press, 1978. 

Hoboken began as a peaceful riverside resort for refugees from Manhattan who wandered along River Walk to the Elysian Field.

Hoboken is built on one of the very few places along the Jersey shore opposite Manhattan where there is sea-level access to the Hudson River and solid land to build on. At Hoboken the Palisade Cliffs, which line the West Bank of the Hudson, move inland just far enought to accomodate an area about twelve by sixteen city blocks.

Hoboken was essentially developed by one man and his family. A remarkable entrepreneuer/inventor, Colonel John Stevens, purchased the island (separated from land by marshes on the west) in 1784 for about $90,000, and named it Hoboken from an amalgam of the Dutch and Indian words for it.

At first Colonel Stevens developed Hoboken, as a resort, beginning with the six mile path known as River Walk, later adding a mineral water spa called Cybil's Cave, a tavern, hotel, and a hundred foot high proto-Ferris wheel calle the Observation Tower. The first regular organized baseball game was played in the Elysian Fields in 1846, and the first American yaht club was built in 1844. The place must have offered powerful attractions, because Hoboken can boast large numbers of rich and famous people as early samplers of its pleasures. Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Lillian Russell, Jay Gould, William Vanderbilt, Horace Greeley and Harvey Ward Beecher are all said to have frequented Hoboken's meeting place.

Partly to add convenience and flavor to his real estate, Colonel Stevens invented things. In 1804 the first successful steamboat driven by turn screws, the Little Juliana, went into service between Hoboken and the Battery. Despite this success, Colonel Stevens then had to invent a horse-driven paddle wheel boat to carry passengers back and forth until 1824, when he won a long legal battle to break Robert Fulton's steamboat monopoly in the Hudson. In 1825 Stevens designed and built the first experimental steam-driven locomotive in America, which he ran on a circular track in front of one of Hoboken's Inns.

After Colonel Stevens' death in 1838, control of Hoboken passed to his family. Although incorporated as a city in 1855, Hoboken's land was held by the Stevens family through the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company, known as "The Company." Gradually the company began to sell off property for industry and residences while retaining the highest land, Castle Point, for the family.

Stevens Institute of Technology, the oldest college of mechanical engineering in the country, was founded in 1870 with a land grant and endowment from Edwin Stevens. The land to the north and east of Stevens Institute, where the Elysian Fields had been, attracted upper-income buyers. The income level of residents dropped with the elevation to the south and west. In the lowest swampy areas to the west, which flooded in heavy rains until well into the twentieth century, factories were built and surrounded by worker housing. The area southwest of Adams and 4th Streets is the only section of wooden tenements in Hoboken; it was here that Frank Sinatra, Hoboken's best-known son, grew up.

By 1889 there were still only slightly more than three thousand manufacturing workers employed in Hoboken, but by 1909 the number had tripled. Shipbuilding was the primary industry; foundry products and specialized precision instruments were also important. In the late nineteenth century Hoboken began to attract large numbers of immigrants. In 1890, 40 percent of the population was foreign born and well over half of that was German. Until the start of the first World War, Hoboken seemed like a piece of Germany; Germans were the merchants and hotel owners.

This passage represents the type of local history and detail of history, sociology, and social studies that will be part of the new curriculum in the 4th and 5th grades. 

Picture: "City Fathers - Hoboken, NJ" 1955

Happy Birthday Pete!

On Thursday, June 4th 7:00PM at Pier A Park, the City of Hoboken sponsored a concert celebrating the life, work and music of Pete Seeger, who just turned 90. Seeger wrote many familiar American folk songs and made many more widely popular. A lifelong political activist, he stood up to the House Un-American Activities Committee when they questioned his politics and to General Electric when they polluted his beloved Hudson River. Over 60 children (K-12) from the Hoboken Public Schools will participate tin the Pete Seeger tribute. The All Hoboken Youth Chorus will kick off the concert. The Chor us includes children from nursery through high school, from our public, charter, and private schools.

 The Demolition String Band, with Elena Skye, Boo Reiners, Dave Post (Swingadelic) and Clarence Ferrari (Blue Harvest), are the host band for the night. Other performers include: Kate Jacobs, Jon & Deena of The Cucumbers, jazz clarinetist Perry Robinson, Gene D Plumber, Abbe Rivers, Eddie Fogarty, Dave Lambert, Tom Vincent, Dave Calamoneri, Annalee Van Kleeck, Emily Turonis, Kate Jacobs and Ray Korona

Picture: Singer/Songwriter Kate Jacobs provides musical support for the Hoboken Youth Chorus as they sing songs by Pete Seeger. 

My Square Mile Life- HHS Book Published in Conjunction with Columbia University's Student Press Initiative Project

"There are so many layers in a publication project. I've never worked on a unit that encompassed so many different skills and actually exceeded so many Language Arts standards. —Susan D'Elia, English Teacher, Haledon, NJ

Recently, students at Hoboken High School, working with Columbia University's Student Press Initiative, published a beautiful book on their narratives concerning growing up in Hoboken entitled My Square Mile Life. A reception was held at the library in Hoboken High School which was preceded by student's oral readings of their narratives in the high school auditorium. For those who might be interested in obtaining their own copy of the book and reading for themselves these fascinating stories, please point your browser to http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/my-square-mile-life/7173342

While there are many people to thank for such a major effort, the following deserve special recognition: Fiona Stephens; Malenda, Sharon; Kezmarsky, Kate; Apicella, William; Huggins, Paul; McGreivey, Michelle; Gomez, Anabel.

This type of activity where students are asked to work on long term projects, working in collaborative teams, studying meaningful content in context and being judge by a panel of experts is consistent with 21st Century skills. -Dr. Petrosino

Understanding by Design- 1 Day Principal Workshop

On Thursday, June 4 10 administrators participated in a full day Understanding by Design (UbD) workshop at the Brandt Professional Development Center. The workshop focused on a summary/overview of Ubd and then the rest of the time was devoted to how to effectively monitor and support Understanding by Design/Backward Design as part of the daily instructional pedagogical strategy in the district. There will be a number of follow up workshops this summer and again during the 2009-2010 academic school year. Ms. Elizabeth of ASCD was the workshop facilitator. Participants included: Erbe, Linda; Falco, Elizabeth; Fitzgibbons, Thomas; Palumbo, Linda; Petrosino, Anthony; Tortorella, Charles; Bussanich, John;Tremitiedi, Mary; Vega, Edith; Peters, Jessica; McKenzie, Howard; 

HHS Comes in Second in Statewide Robotics Competition

Dr. Lorraine Cella, principal of Hoboken High School reports that her students won 2nd place with their ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) in a robotics competition at Stevens Institute of Technology on  June 3rd 2009.   There were 36 high schools from New York and New Jersey competing. This type of activity where students are asked to work on long term projects, working in collaborative teams, studying meaningful mathematics, science and engineering in context and being judge by a panel of experts is much more consistent with 21st Century skills. Special congrats to Ms. Pepe and Ms. Amin for their support and efforts. -Dr. Petrosino

Hoboken's team consists of teachers Joanne Pepe and Jayshree Amin and five students.  The teachers have been receiving professional development on teaching robotics for two years as part of the Build It Project, prestigious engineering education and research program at Stevens Institute of Technology funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers  (ITEST). Students also attended intensive summer workshops, in addition to being enrolled in HHS' robotics class. An engineering student from Stevens made several class visits to HHS throughout the year to assist students with the design of their boats.  Students were challeged to design and build boats with lego that could navigate underwater and perform tasks like putting a wiffle ball into an underwater basket.  Read more at the Stevens Institute web site. 

Picture: HHS Team (L-R) Richard Schoonewolf, Justin Pagan, Robin Baez, Michael Rodriguez, with teachers Jayshree Amin and Joanne Pepe

Early Grades Language Arts Update

The following is a correspondence with Patricia Vitale-Reilly, Executive Director LitLife West Hudson. She is one of the Language Arts experts reviewing the early grades Language Arts curriculum. In addition to her comments, she also sent 4 documents detailing the curriculum work she reviewed. -Dr. Petrosino

I wanted to touch in with you to send you the docs that were created and to fill you in on the work that we did.

 

I first just want to say once again what a great group these teachers are- smart, motivated, interested in curriculum design- but I know you know this!

 

What we did on the day was to go over each calendar- reading and writing, and discuss the confluence between the themes in the map and the units in both reading and writing.  We explored the Complete 4, and the need for a sense of balance in the teaching.  We then looked at the work for each grade level and made a few revisions to the documents I created and created the attached color-coded calendars for grades 1, 2, 4, and 5.

 

Next steps for the teachers would be to create the "unit planner" page for any unit that does not currently have one.  I added writing units to the year- both to create a sense of balance to the teaching, and so that each theme does not only have one writing unit.  In each year, additional units in writing needed to be added as most themes had more reading work than writing.  This of course matches the work that we did in the buildings as well.  In addition, we discussed ways that the current unit planners could be revised to reflect with clarity both the reading and writing work in the unit.

 

Please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions.  Thanks!

 

Theater Arts Update

"After participating in the "Understanding by Design" workshop on June
2-3, Mr. Jared Ramos decided to complete the final units using the
approach promoted by the workshop leader. The process he used involved
"unpacking goals" referring to a system by which the curriculum designer
begins by looking at the state standards and then asks a series of
questions about those standards.  The purpose is to come to the core of
what we, as educators, are looking to assess from our students:
meaningful understanding:

In order to assess the acquisition of knowledge and skills communicated
within the standards we need to ask...

What do I want these students to understand?
What kinds of questions should they continually ask throughout the unit?
What will they know at the end?
What will they be able to do?
What kind of summative performance task can I design that will
authentically assess the students' ability to transfer their knowledge
and skill into a practical application?

This approach helped to focus the design and be more critical of the way
the assessments aligned with the stated goals. The units are shaping out
nicely and he plans to revisit some of the completed units in other
grade levels in order to refine their objectives.

This week, his plan is to focus on the 5th grade. Once that is finished,
all grades for Theatre Arts will be complete."

Picture: Sinatra plaque in front of site where he was born-- 4th and Monroe St. Hoboken