March Newsletter

As we enter the month of March, we are soon to leave behind what has been a very mild winter with very little snow. Adults(yes!); children(no!). Even still there has been a lot of sickness going around—and we are all worried about the coronavirus. Please be sure to follow the guidelines issued by the CDC which we sent to you to protect yourself and your children as much as possible.

We wish to congratulate seventh grader Aleksei Alean for winning this year’s school spelling bee! He will be representing New Hope at the upcoming regional spelling bee on March 10 at Bergen Community College. Go Aleksei!

The Virtue-of-the-Month for March is Faithfulness. This is an important virtue for building a true community. It requires that we move in the difficult direction of otherness, of getting beyond ourselves and being sensitive to the situation of others. Faithfulness is solidarity with our community. Caring and service to others is a natural expression of faithfulness.

At next Friday’s assembly we will have a kickoff for our thirteenth annual Race for Education. Look for the folder that will be given to all the students. We appreciate your support of past events and look forward to a great success in this year’s effort as well. This year the results for this activity will be used to improve our facility, both inside and outside. This summer we plan to renovate our hallway and improve our playground.

We wish to invite you to re-register your child(ren) for the next school year starting the month of March. A folder will be sent out early next week. Those who do so by the spring break (April 6-10) will receive a 50% discount off the $100 registration fee.

In addition, our next Open House will be on March 25, 6:00-7:30pm. This is a good chance for you to invite any prospective parents you may know who are looking for a good quality private school for their children for the next school year, whether they be your relatives, friends, neighbors, or work colleagues. Tell them about the best kept secret in Clifton: your child’s school! A good place for them to start would be to watch our school’s promotional video on our website.

God bless you all!

                                                                                    New Hope School Staff

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”

J.R.R.Tolkien

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

I hope that you are all enjoying the mild winter we’ve been having so far. Of course, I know the students would prefer snow, but…maybe God knows best?

Service Project/Character Education

As you know, January’s school service project was Math-a-thon, a fundraiser by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to support their effort to find cures for children diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma, and other forms of cancer. We wish to thank you for all your support this past month. There is still time to donate if you have not already done so.

The Virtue-of-the-Month for February is Love of Country. History illustrates the critical importance of love of country. This does not mean an uncritical acceptance of everything that a country does. It does mean affective attachment and solidarity. Constructive change and progress comes from those who truly care about their country. When parents and schools cultivate love of country, we increase the likelihood of raising young citizens who will be agents for betterment and change. That means celebrating the good and learning from those who exemplified such traits. From Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King, our greatest reformers have been our strongest patriots.

Open House

Last night, January 29, was our first Open House of the year—this one in connection with National School Choice Week. Seven sets of prospective parents attended with one of them immediately enrolling their child in our second grade. Dr. Beebe began by giving the parents a PowerPoint presentation, overviewing the school. In addition to our teachers and supportive parents, middle schooler Olivia Johnson helped in guiding the parents through the school and answer some of their questions. In the coming months New Hope School will be holding Open Houses on a monthly basis, the next being Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 6:00-7:30 pm. If you know of any parents who might be interested in sending their child to New Hope, please invite them to this valuable information session where they can meet our team of dedicated teachers and find out about our education program and extra-curricular activities.

Field Trip & Assembly

Sometime in February (date TBA) the school is planning a field trip to the Morris Museum in Morristown. This will be a great opportunity for our students to expand and deepen their knowledge through the many exhibits that are on display, as well as attending a special presentation on rocks and minerals. In addition, on Feb. 14 our school assembly will feature the Grand Falloons who will give an entertaining presentation about science. Parents are welcome to attend both of these events.

May God be with you and your family!

                                                                                New Hope School Staff

“People love their country, not because it is great, but because it is their own.”

Seneca, Roman philosopher and statesman

JANUARY NEWSLETTER

Special Thanks!

As we approach the new year, we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for all your support during the first four months of the current school year. With your support, we have already conducted many activities, including the Harvest Festival, Scholastic Book Fair, our annual clothing and food drives, and this week our Winter Concert. Most important, however, is your support of your own child(ren) as they engage in their work in the classroom and at home. Parental engagement is key to children’s educational achievement. Let us continue to work together for the academic and character development of your child(ren).

Caroling at City Hall

New Hope Singers Junior, the school’s choir led by our music director, Stephanie Bush, this week paid their annual visit to the Clifton City Hall to sing for the mayor and his staff. As usual, they fully enjoyed the performance. Afterwards the mayor presented the children with holiday coloring books.

New Year

In January, the students will be engaged in a Math-a-Thon to raise money in support of the work of the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Society to treat children suffering from cancer.

Our virtue-of-the month for January will be Courage. This is a major virtue—with physical, moral, intellectual, and civic dimensions. Surely, the children with leukemia and lymphoma are facing their situation with great courage. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life we celebrate next year on Monday, Jan. 20, showed courage in a different way in fighting for the civil rights of African-Americans even in the face of physical injury and imprisonment. Our teachers will be addressing different dimensions of courage in their classrooms.

Note that the day after we return from winter break, Friday, Jan. 3, we will be having our annual spelling bee. If your child is in 3rd grade or above, we hope you will support his/her involvement. Everyone has a study list of spelling words. We will be choosing ten finalists who will then compete later in January for the honor of becoming our school’s spelling champion for this year.

In the new year New Hope School is offering a 8-week SAT/ACT Preparation Course for high school students here at the school on Saturdays from 10:00am to 1:00pm for a fee of just $300 (much less than the standard rate). Proceeds will help to support the school. Please inform Dr. Beebe if you know someone interested in the course. The first class will begin on Sat., January 4.

Happy New Year and God bless your family.

                                                                                    New Hope School staff

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
Lao Tzu

DECEMBER NEWSLETTER

As we soon enter the final month of 2019, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. No matter what our situation, let us always strive to be grateful to God for our lives and loved ones.

Our virtue for the month of December is Charity. Let us be bold in moving beyond the contemporary understanding of charity as “giving money to the poor.” Giving money might be one expression of showing love and concern for others, but it falls short of what Josef Pieper called “the overwhelming vastness of the subject.” Children should come to appreciate that true charity involves empathy, making the good of the other our own, and feeling the well-being of the other as well as the well-being of oneself.

In this spirit, we wish to thank those of you who donated food items during our Food Drive. Today two of our middle school students packed up these items and brought them to St. Peter’s Haven Food Pantry where they will be used for needy families in the area on Thanksgiving.

Next Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 4-6, is our annual Scholastic Book Fair. We encourage you to come and browse around for some children’s books. They make great holiday gifts! In preparation for the Book Fair and in line with New Hope’s promotion of reading, in November we launched our second annual 99Pledges fundraiser. As of this writing, the school has raised $1,370 with 26% of families participating so far. It’s still not too late to contribute! We encourage you to invite your relatives, friends, co-workers, and other acquaintances to sponsor your child as he/she reads a certain number of books this month. The fundraiser comes to an end this Saturday, Nov. 30.

If your child is in 3rd grade or above, we hope you will support his/her involvement in our annual Spelling Bee, being held the morning of Friday, December 20. We will be choosing ten finalists who will then compete in January for the honor of becoming this year’s spelling champion and represent New Hope School in the regional spelling bee in March.

We also look forward to seeing you at our annual Winter Concert the day before, Thursday, December 19, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. This year’s program will include songs from each of our classes, pieces from our dance class, a skit, winners of our poetry and essay contest reading their entrees on the topic “Charity,” plus a visit from a plump old man in a red suit.

Wishing you Happy Holidays and an even Happier New Year!

                                                                                                New Hope School Staff

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
Maya Angelou

NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

A big thank you to all the parents who gave so generously to our October clothing drive. The clothes will be donated to an organization in Paterson that provides clothes for needy families.

Next, we are launching our annual food drive to help needy families and individuals in time for Thanksgiving. Please help this great cause by donating any canned foods and other nonperishables anytime between now and Tuesday, Nov. 26. Food items will be brought by our 7th graders to the St. Peter’s Haven food bank on Clifton Ave.

In conjunction with our monthly service project, November’s virtue of the month is Wonder. Wonder means having an awe-filled appreciation for the beauty and bounty of the world around us. Wonder fed into the Pilgrims sense of thanksgiving after they were able to reap a bountiful harvest following the suffering they had experienced during their first winter at Plymouth. Wonder also feeds into children’s natural sense of curiosity as they become aware more and more of the world around them. We all should keep a sense of wonder as we go through life even into our senior years.

Please note on the November calendar that parent-teacher meetings are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 20 and 21, 3:00-5:30 pm. Look for the sign-up sheet in the outer hallway soon. We hope that all of our parents will use this opportunity to meet with their child(ren)’s teacher(s) to understand their performance so far this school year and how you may better support them in their education.

This month also we will be holding our 2nd annual Read-a-Thon, a school fundraiser which also doubles as an encouragement to our students to read more. Each student will be asked to read at least 5 books during the month of November and we ask parents, related family, and friends to sponsor them in this task. Each child will be given a separate web page to which sponsors can indicate their pledges of support. Our overall goal for the fundraiser in $5,000 as a school. We will appreciate any support you can offer which will be counted towards the $200 we ask each family to donate to the school during the course of the school year. Let’s do this!

Finally, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

New Hope School Staff

“Youth is happy because it has the capacity to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.”
Franz Kafka

OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

We wish to thank everyone who could attend our recent Back-to-School Night. About two-thirds of our families were represented. Thank you for your support of your children. The new school year is off to a great start. We look forward to a good collaborative relationship with you throughout this year. We especially hope that you will find time to volunteer to help us in some of the many activities being planned.

October’s Virtue of the Month is Self-Control. This is the virtue that calls us to control our passions, push ourselves, and—through such efforts—ultimately free ourselves to realize our full potential. Please note that we will announce our Students of the Month for October at our assembly this Friday, Oct. 4.

That day we also plan to kick off our service project for October—a clothing drive. Please bring in old (but in good condition) shirts, pants, hats, gloves, coats, blankets, shoes, sweaters, sweatshirts, etc., and drop them off in a box that will be in the hallway. The clothing will be given to St. Peter’s Haven for distribution to needy families.

Next Thursday, October 10, we will be taking the students on a field trip to Longmeadow Farm in Hope where they will have a chance to pick some apples, go on a hayride, get a pumpkin, and wind their way through a corn maze. Parents are also welcome!

In October Mad Science will be back offering an afternoon class in Brixology every Monday from 3-4pm starting October 7. As we mentioned at the Back-to-School Night, you can sign your child up on their website at northeastnj.madscience.org. The cost for the 6 sessions is $120.

Tuesday, Oct. 15, will be Picture Day when individual, class, and whole school photos will be taken of the students. Be sure your child is dressed extra nice that day.

Please note that on Friday, October 25, the school will have its annual Harvest Festival from 1:00-3:00 pm. Children are invited to come in Halloween costumes (not too scary!). Among the events scheduled for that day are face painting, popcorn hands, balloon animals, spider pencils, and the famous Haunted House! Parents are welcome to come and support.

Let’s have a great autumn together!

                                                                                                New Hope School Staff

“Self-control is stopping to think about my actions before I do them.”

Anonymous

September Newsletter

As principal of New Hope School, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2019-20 school year. Our teachers are excited to have students back in their classrooms. We spent all of last week preparing for the new school year by reviewing the Core Knowledge curriculum and discussing the most effective ways to deliver its content while helping students to develop their reading and study skills. We reminded ourselves that, above all, our mission is to teach our students God-centered universal values and service to others as the basis for personal integrity, harmony in the family, and peace in the world. We look forward to partnering with you in the coming year to achieve this.

This year our key goals are to continue to enhance students’ reading levels and helping them to develop their social-emotional relationship skills. We have action plans in place in support of these goals which we began implementing when we received our accreditation two years ago.

Each child is a unique individual. We pride ourselves on the opportunities we offer to help every one of our students succeed. These opportunities are included in our academic programming, from core subjects to electives and after school activities that help them develop their strengths, interests, and talents in many areas. We are always looking towards the future—and preparing them for what comes next in their lives.                                            

This work is not easy. But New Hope School is a community of professionals. We all—teachers, administrators, and support staff—collaborate in order to create a safe, supportive, and welcoming learning community where all students are treated fairly and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

As New Hope families, you play a critical role as partners in supporting your children at home and in the school. As a start to this partnership, we invite you to attend our Back-to-School-Night on Friday, September 20, 6:30-8:30 pm.

To stay up-to-date on what’s happening throughout the year, visit our website and Facebook page often, as well as TeacherEase, where you can check up on your child’s schoolwork.

New Hope School is a wonderful learning community. I feel so privileged to be a part of it. This is a very special place, and my colleagues and I appreciate the trust that you’ve shown us by sending your children here every day. We will do our best to ensure they have a fulfilling, happy, and safe year.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at rbeebe@newhopeschoolnj.com if you have any questions or concerns. I am looking forward to a great school year together.

Dr. Robert Beebe, Principal

June Newsletter

Thank you for your support of your child’s science project. Everyone made such wonderful presentations this week, rising to the challenge and growing through the experience. We hope you will enjoy our Family Barbeque today and the parents meeting afterwards by Dr. Beebe on “Creative Schools.” You won’t want to miss it!

As we approach the end of the school year, we wish to thank all of you for your consistent support over the year. As parents and teachers, we have a joint responsibility to raise and educate our children, helping them grow to become loving and responsible adults. In a world where family values are under challenge, this task is more critical than ever. Thank you for helping to make New Hope School a safe haven where our students can receive the best possible instruction—morally, spiritually, and academically.

Our Virtue-of-the-Month for June is Heroism. Our young people are in dire need of heroes—people who are willing to take on a challenge, often facing their fears and shortcomings, to do great deeds for the benefit of others. Heroes are different from the celebrities that our culture so much focuses on today. Heroes are known and remembered for noble and worthy deeds, serving as role models for the upcoming generation.

Coming up is our End-of-the-Year Concert & Graduation, to be held on Thursday June 13. Preceding the main program, we’ll have a Meet & Greet from 6:00-6:45 pm at which parents may bring some finger food, preferably from your native culture. At 7:00 pm our graduation program will begin, which will be followed by our concert program with music and dance being performed by the students.

This summer please be sure your child(ren) read every day so as not to fall behind in their reading skills. Studies show that children who read throughout the summer are a step ahead when they return to school in the fall. Your child(ren) are welcome to attend our Summer Enrichment Program where they can receive quality instruction in reading, writing, math, and study skills. Please see Mrs. Gimay in the office for details.

Please note that June 14 is the final day of school. School will finish at 12:30 pm with no after care. You are also welcome to attend our Field Day events on Tuesday, June 11, at Richardson Oval Park where we had our Race for Education.

We look forward to a good finish to the school year and wish you all a safe and happy summer.

                                                                                    New Hope School Staff

“Rosa Parks was the queen mother of a movement whose single act of heroism sparked the movement for freedom, justice and equality. Her greatest contribution is that she told us a regular person can make a difference.”

 Marc Morial, president of National Urban League

May Newsletter

“April showers brings May flowers” is the refrain. We are seeing the May flowers, but it seems we will also be seeing May showers. Because of the weather, as you know, we had to postpone our twelfth annual Race for Education scheduled for last Friday until this Friday, May 3. Whether the weather will cooperate this Friday remains to be seen. However, never fear, we definitely WILL have the event—sooner or later.

In the meantime, I wish to thank you for your wonderful support on the fundraising side of this event. As you can see from our “thermometer” in the front hallway, we are still on the road towards our goal of $5,000. Let’s do this!

As you know, this week all the students are taking their Terra Nova exams. Please be sure your child has a good breakfast and comes to school well rested and prepared so he/she can do his/her very best. Make sure your child also brings two Number 2 pencils for taking the test. We expect to get the results back in June, which will be included in the students’ final report cards.

The Virtue of the Month for May is Hope. It is our belief that parents and educators—who are responsible for forming the next generation of citizens—have a special responsibility for nurturing hope in their children and students. To raise people who live in hope is to form individuals who will be engaged. People who hope, like people who love, are catalysts for constructive change and a brighter future. Intuitively, children always have hope. Even in the toughest situations, they wake up with it most mornings. One of our most important jobs is to make sure they move through life with their hope for a brighter future intact.

Later this month will be our two-day Science Fair. Starting at 9:30 am, KG through 3rd grades will present their projects on Thursday, May 30, and the 4th through 8th grades the following day. On the second day we will have a Family Barbeque starting at 4:00 pm followed by a parents meeting at which Dr. Beebe will talk about “Creative Schools” and what New Hope School is doing to stimulate the creative juices of its students. At the same time, we will be having our final Open House of the school year. Please come and bring any prospective parents with you for a tour of the school and a chance to meet our teachers!

May God bless you!

New Hope School Staff

“Hope dies the last.”

Russian proverb

April Newsletter

Welcome to spring! Springtime signifies rebirth as trees begin to bud and flowers bloom. We are grateful to God for the life-sustaining environment he/she provides for us. God is trusting us as good citizens to take care of the Creation. Also, with spring break coming up soon, we hope that you and your child(ren) will be able to spend some time together.

This past Wednesday we had a great Open House with many prospective parents showing up to find out about our school. Two of our students, Hana Tripathee and Olivia Johnson, did a great job giving them tours and answering their many questions. Dr. Beebe also gave an overview of the school in PowerPoint after which they could meet our teachers. Many of them were truly inspired by what they heard and saw. By the way, don’t forget to re-register your own child for the next school year! You will receive a 50% reduction in the registration fee if you do so by April 12.

Next Friday, April 5, we will be holding our school’s annual Career Day to encourage our students to think about their future as they continue their education. At New Hope we believe one of the primary purposes of education is to prepare children for a career where they can make a positive contribution to the world around them. The day will kickoff with an assembly at which a few of our students’ parents will share about their work.

Today, March 29, is the final day of the 3rd marking period. Report cards will go out next Friday, April 5. On April 24-25, we will have our second parent-teacher conferences for the year. After seeing your child’s report card, this is a good chance to check in with his/her teacher to see how he/she is doing as we enter the final marking period and before the school year is over. Signup sheets will be up in the outer hallway.

On Friday, April 26, the school will have its annual Race for Education. As you know, recently our students wrote letters to those people on the labels you returned to us asking for their sponsorship of their participation in the jog-a-thon. This week they received their prize cards according to the number of labels they had. We thank you for your support of this exciting event. We hope to see you on Race Day!

Please note that your child will be taking the Terra Nova test April 30—May 2. This annual standardized test helps us to see how our students are doing academically in comparison with children all over the country. They also provide you with an understanding of your child’s academic development year-by-year.

Let’s have a great spring together!

                                                                                    New Hope School Staff

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”

Leo Tolstoy