ERIC S. SMITH MIDDLE SCHOOL

Grade 8 Multimedia classes were visited by Samantha Wei- a current producer at NBC Nightly News AND a former student of Mr. Reicher! She was able to see our students in action during the daily live filing of the Smith Morning Show, speak to classes and answer questions about broadcasting as a career, and offer feedback on their current projects. What a fantastic, real-world connection to content! Special thanks to Mr. Reicher for making the visit possible🎥🎬

Smith Environmental Club students, advised by Ms. Hanratty, spent some time during recess watering the plants for their upcoming Plant Sale this month!! 🌱🪴🌎

⚠️Good afternoon Grade 8 Parents/Guardians! Tomorrow and Friday our 8th graders will be taking the NJSLA Science exam 💪 Please make sure your child has a fully charged🔋Chromebook, wired headphones 🎧, and a good breakfast 🍳

Learning about heat transfers is sweet! Grade 7 Science students learned about conduction, convection, and radiation using marshmallows in Mrs. Broderick's class today.

Mrs. Csengeto’s classes were locked 🔒 into historical fiction as they each took roles of the 🎭 play, “When Women Ruled Baseball.” The shared reading was the first step in making real-life connections 🔗 to historical time periods this week ✅

Today was Smith School's Cinco De Mayo Celebration! What’s Happening: Cinco De Mayo celebrates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. While primarily a remembrance in Mexico, it has become a wider celebration of Mexican culture and heritage in the United States, often marked by food, music, and festivities. Spanish language students in Grade 6, 7, and 8 celebrated with traditional games such as “Toss the Tortilla”, lessons surrounding the history of the holiday, listening to authentic Mariachi music, and enjoying traditional Mexican desserts such as Churros 6th grade also got a special surprise visit from Señora King- their former Spanish teacher from Dater School! Why it matters: World language classes in middle school are important because they offer numerous benefits for students, including improved cognitive abilities, enhanced literacy skills, and a broader understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives. They also open doors to future educational and career opportunities and foster a more global mindset! Muchas Gracias to our Spanish World Language teachers- Señora Kenduck, Señora Merritt, Señora Stokes, and Señor Urbina

HUGE THANKS to Dr. Morganstein Fuerst from the University of Vermont for presenting the basics of Islam to our Grade 6 students. This was the 5th and final Accepting and Belonging Conversation of the school year. She did a great job!

What a fantastic Take Your Child to Work Day at Smith Middle School! Thank you to Mrs. Aiello, Mr. Schrettner, Mrs. Salerni, Ms. Hollm, Ms. Kelly, Mr. Frisch, Mrs. Acebo, Mrs. Stokes, Mr. Salmanowitz, Mr. Sirota, Ms. Rejent, Mr. Christiansen and all of the Smith Middle School students for contributing to such a wonderful experience.

Students in Mrs. Broderick's class investigated their senses of sight, hearing, and touch today to figure out how sensory input is processed by the brain.

Shop Kendra Scott this Saturday from 4-8pm at Garden State Plaza - and support RPEF while doing so! 🛍💍🐏. See details for more info.

💬Today we COLLABORATED…on the planning stages for the Grade 8 Profile Project! 🍎What’s Happening: Grade 8 students met with their Profile of a Graduate Project groups in the library this week to choose & refine their topic and begin preliminary research. 📝Students were asked to target a realistic and tangible action project where they could bring about change within their own community or an outside community. Topics range from pollution, mental health for young people, poverty, and more. ⁉️Why it matters: This is a pivotal project for the grade 8 students as they apply the Ramsey Profile of a Graduate Competencies to real-world projects aimed at impact their community or the global community for the better. ➡️What’s Next: Student groups will meet again next month to begin developing an action plan and devise realistic bullet items to promote the change they are targeting. Projects will be completed and presented by June! 👏Big Thanks to our Grade 8 Social Studies teachers- Mr. St. Thomas, Mr. Taylor, Ms. Clinton, and Mr. Abma- for guiding students through this process!

Wishing all our families who celebrate Easter today a joyful and peaceful holiday. May this season of renewal bring brightness, hope, and cherished moments with loved ones.

Happy Passover! Wishing you gatherings filled with meaningful moments, delicious food, and quality time with loved ones.

😎 Wishing all students, staff and their families a relaxing Spring Break. Enjoy, Ramsey! 🐏

Team 7-1 ELA classes putting in the research and sending out business letters. Students researched a company and drafted a friendly business letter. Not only did they practice their research and writing skills, students also had to properly address an envelope and sign the letter with their signature! So proud of them! Hoping they get responses!

🚌Today we TRAVELLED….to the historic sites of Philadelphia 📍What's happening: Grade 6 students visited historic Philadelphia, PA! This trip celebrates the 6th graders and their hard work as the end of the year approaches, marking a memorable culmination of their studies. 💭Why it matters: The 6th Grade social studies curriculum is designed to explore the theme of citizenship by examining various early civilizations and societies with a focus on the American Colonies and the founding of our country. Students visited the relevant historic sites such as… 🏛Congress Hall 🔔The Liberty Bell 🏡The Betsy Ross House 💲The US Mint ⛪Christ Church 🚪Elfreth’s Alley 💡The Benjamin Franklin Museum 📜A highlight of the journey was the visit to the National Constitution Center, where students explored exhibits and viewed a show dedicated to the United States Constitution. ⭐The bottom line: This experience not only connects students with the decisions made in the 18th century but also illustrates their impact on our lives today and serves as an excellent introduction for the civics education that students will receive in 7th grade! 🎉Special thanks to Ms. Young for organizing such a great trip, and to all our wonderful teacher chaperones!

🎤Today we PRESENTED…our Grade 7 Civic Action Project Presentations! ⭐ 7th grade students presented their Civic Action projects to the entire 7th grade and a panel of staff judges. Over the past months, 7th grade Social Studies classes have worked on projects aimed at improving the Smith School community. Students have worked on identifying and selecting a topic, researching their topic, surveying students & staff, and developing interview questions for administrators such as Dr. Matteo, Dr. Buinno, and Dr. Esdale to gain valuable insights from community stakeholders. Today’s presentation featured the information students got from their research, detailed their process of identifying a school based issue, and delivered a proposal for actionable change 👏Thank you to all our student presenters as well as our Grade 7 Social Studies teachers- Ms. Acebo, Ms. Aiello, Mr. Schrettner, and Ms. Ung! ➡️What's next: Select student groups will be chosen to present at Rutgers Unviersity’s Youth in Action Summit, where young people from across New Jersey and New York City will be sharing their research and recommendations on topics of deep concern to them.  More than 200 students and 50 teachers are expected to attend!

💪💪Today we PREPARED... for the Grade 7 Civics Action Research Presentation tomorrow ‼️ Our 7th graders have researched, collaborated, and worked hard to investigate topics that could help improve the 📒📘Smith Middle School Experience! Mrs. Ung's class is confident and ready to go ✅✅

March Madness Spirit Week at Smith kicks off MONDAY 3/24! Check out the flyer for each day's Spirit Theme to join in the FUN!

This week, Grade 7 students met with central office administrators to further develop their Civic Action Projects! Over the past months, 7th grade Social Studies classes have worked on projects aimed at improving the Smith School community. Students have worked on identifying and selecting a topic, researching their topic, surveying students & staff, and developing interview questions On Wednesday, students met with Dr. Matteo and Dr. Buinno to ask questions about topics ranging from homework & cellphone policies, school lunch prices, curriculum options, and more Why It Matters: This is an authentic opportunity for students to be able to talk to administrators who are direct stakeholders in the student experience at Smith What's next: Students will be meeting with school-based administrators such as Dr. Esdale & Ms. Rejent to further address their questions aiming at taking actionable steps within their topics. Later this year, all 7th grade students will create a plan and present on their ideas and proposals for change