1. Under the direction of Ms. Yoo, Fifth graders NiveditaRathore and Nate Ouellette were selected to be part of the 2013 New Jersey Elementary Honor Choir.   Nate and Nivedita will be performing on May 4th at J.P. Case Middle School in Flemington, NJ.  The New Jersey Elementary Honor Choir is a state-wide ensemble for students in grades 4 through 6, organized by the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA).  Only 70 students from across the state were chosen to perform after auditioning.

2. First graders have truly enjoyed their most recent social studies unit, "All About Work.” After working within partnerships to read the chapter in their new TimeLinks textbooks, the students used magazines to research and identify different “wants and needs.”

3. The Brookside School staff recently participated in the American Heart Association’s National Wear Red Day. Many staff members participated in this worthy cause, and in addition to raising awareness about heart health, a generous donation of $200 was made to the American Heart Association.

4. Washington School Principal Melissa Palianto returned to Brookside School on Monday, January 21st and joined other administrators in providing professional development to elementary school staff from all four schools. Mrs. Palianto is pictured here working with kindergarten and first grade teachers as they share instructional best practices for technology based lessons.

5. Elementary school students across the district have benefited from the recently purchased social studies resources and program, Timelinks. Students in Mrs. Arditti’s class are pictured here accessing their new textbooks to compare and contrast two early American settlements.

6. First graders in Ms. Delaney’s class have been learning how to determine and describe weather patterns. Ms. Delaney is pictured here working with two students as she provides small group instruction within a science lesson related to weather patterns. First grade teachers often provide small group instruction within science to thoroughly check for student understanding and to meet the individual needs of each student.

7. Brookside School hosted its annual fourth and fifth grade winter concert and art show this past week. Friends and family were treated to a variety of instrumental and choral numbers while also being provided with an opportunity to participate in a gallery walk of students’ art work from this school year.

8. Mr. McCourt recently attended a Brookside School PTO meeting as part of the District Assessment Road Shows that take place throughout the district. Mr. McCourt and Mr. Wilson provided parents with a presentation specific to Brookside School NJ ASK scores from the 2011-2012 school year. Parents were provided with an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback which led to more global discussions on instructional practices, the Common Core Standards, and the future of the PARRC assessments.

9. As a part of the fifth grade’s Balanced Literacy approach to the Treasures reading program, students have been using “Work Stations” to engage in high-quality literacy instruction and interactive activities through the use of various Treasures resources. Students have taken an active role in the learning, and their participation as a community of readers has really begun to develop. Several students are pictured here working within their stations which included the Treasures leveled readers, SMART Notebook software on laptops, timed reading passages to assess fluency, and activities on multiple meaning words.

10. As a part of the fifth grade’s Balanced Literacy approach to the Treasures reading program, students have been using “Work Stations” to engage in high-quality literacy instruction and interactive activities through the use of various Treasures resources. Students have taken an active role in the learning, and their participation as a community of readers has really begun to develop. Several students are pictured here working within their stations which included the Treasures leveled readers, SMART Notebook software on laptops, timed reading passages to assess fluency, and activities on multiple meaning words.

11. Brookside School first grade classes recognize individuals each week through a star student program. This is Isabella Parrino, the Star Student of the Week showing the rest of Ms. Delaney’s class her most prized possession, her Leap Pad.

12. Elementary School Guidance Counselor Sandra Massaro is pictured here delivering a character education lesson to Brookside School first graders. In this lesson titled, "A Wrinkled Heart", the students used a paper heart to represent one another's feelings.  Examples of positive peer interactions were discussed and the students also demonstrated how negative interactions can wrinkle a heart.  One of the student's said it best stating, "Hey, it's the Golden Rule, treat others how you want to be treated.”  

13. Students in Mrs. Hohmann’s have been learning how to make an array, while also using repeated addition to solve a multiplication fact in the two times table. Students needed to come up with three of their own facts in the two times table and use counters and stickers to create an array on their paper that was divided into thirds. They also had to show repeated addition for their number fact, along with the commutative property. The students have found this hands-on and visual learning to be extremely helpful in learning the concept of multiplication.

14. The support of the Brookside PTO provides our students with a variety of cultural enrichment assemblies. “Skateboard Science” visited Brookside this year, performing a variety of skateboard stunts and tricks, linking the activities to high level science concepts the students had learned in class.

15. Mrs. Arditti’s fifth grade students are pictured here participating in a game of Jeopardy in preparation for an upcoming Social Studies assessment. After being divided into separate teams, the students worked collaboratively to respond to various questions related to their most recent unit of study.

16. Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and extended power loss to Brookside, the entire school community was displaced to Berkeley School on Monday, November 5th. Staff members, students, and parents from both schools came together for what was a true sign of dedication to our students under the most challenging and adverse set of circumstances. Our teachers delivered lessons on this day that were engaging and educational for our students. The Berkeley and Brookside students were also respectful and helpful to one another, while enjoying the opportunity to be with their town-wide friends!

17. Students at Brookside School recognized Fire Prevention Week through a variety of activities and lessons. Mr. Hagopian’s class is pictured here meeting with fire officials to tour one of the Westwood Fire Departments trucks. Students learned about all the services and capabilities of the fired department while also reviewing important fire safety tips that can be incorporated at home.

18. Mr. Adkins’ fifth grade science classes used microscopes, electronic microscopes, online microscopes, electric microscopes, and MacBooks to compile a scrapbook of specimens viewed.  Students are pictured here viewing a leg of a honeybee using a high powered electronic microscope, as well as accessing an online microscope to view various specimens.

19. During the first week of October, Brookside Elementary School participated in "Week Of Respect.” Students across all grades took part in various classroom activities and lessons in recognition of this important initiative. Ms. Hines’ second graders brainstormed a list of ideas on how to "BEE A Good Friend”, and created the following display on how to "BEE A Kid Against Bullying." Brookside concluded the week with a whole school Spirit Assembly where the theme of respect was evident in every presentation.

20. The teachers at Brookside School use various hands-on activities to help students fully comprehend specific concepts. Several students are pictured here working with place value mats and cards to practice comparing three, four, and five digit numbers.

21. Students have taken full advantage of the mobile laptop carts at Brookside School for a variety of classroom activities and lessons. Students are pictured here using the online program, Typing Pal, to improve their keyboarding skills.

22. In meeting with all of his physical education classes over the course of the first few weeks of school, Mr. Pfeifer worked diligently to establish rules and routines for the activities his students will participate in this year. Mr. Pfeifer is pictured here setting objectives for a first grade class activity.

23. Mrs. Peterson got off to a great start this year with students participating in the instrumental music program. Students and staff were also pleased to see and hear that the Brookside music and instrumental room received a wonderful makeover over the summer, as carpet was added to improve the overall acoustics of the room

24. The second graders discussed what a scientist is and what they do. This class went outside with clipboards and "observed" nature, recording what they saw, heard and smelled. These "junior scientists" then went back to the classroom to work in cooperative groups, discussing their observations.

25. Teachers and students at Brookside School continue to reap the benefits of various technology purchases throughout the building. Ms. Krone is pictured here taking full advantage of her classroom document camera and SMART Board, as she works through a lesson with her students on the Scientific Method.