December Newsletter

As we enter the month of December, we hope that your family remains safe and healthy. With another COVID variant possibly approaching, please continue to take precautions for the protection of your family and your child’s school.

We wish to thank all of you who so generously donated various food items during our annual Food Drive in November. Last Tuesday one 7th and one 8th grade student packed up these items and we delivered them to St. Peter’s Haven Food Pantry. These were used to help needy families in the Clifton area during Thanksgiving and beyond.

Appropriately, our virtue for the month of December is Generosity. December is the month of holidays, whether it be Hanukkah, Christmas, or Kwanzaa. It is a time when we turn our hearts towards the needs of others. Reflecting on generosity, we look beyond what is due and just to what is unexpected and will enhance the life and well-being of another. At New Hope, traditionally it has been a time when our choir will go to sing for the Mayor of Clifton and his staff at City Hall as well as at the nearby senior citizens center. After a year’s hiatus due to COVID, this year we hope to renew this tradition.

As you know, in November we launched our fourth annual Read-a-Thon, our 99Pledges fundraiser. With your support, New Hope School raised a total of $3,188 with 49% of families participating. On behalf of our staff and the entire school, I wish to extend my heartfelt appreciation to all of you who gave in support of this year’s fall fundraiser.

If your child is in 3rd grade or above, we hope you will support his/her involvement in our annual Spelling Bee, which will be held the morning of Thursday, December 23rd. We will be choosing ten finalists who will then compete in January for the right to represent our school at the regional spelling bee at Bergen Community College in March.

This year, while keeping a close watch on the COVID situation, we are hoping to bring back our annual Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 21st, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. This year’s “Christmas Spectacular” will include performances from each of our classes plus winners of an essay contest we are holding on the topic Serving Brings Peace.

Wishing you Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year!

“Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

November Newsletter

A big thank you to all the parents who gave to our October clothing drive. The clothes will be donated this week to the Salvation Army for distribution to needy families.

This past week our students took the school’s annual reading assessment. In addition, we are conducting a survey to understand how much reading students are doing outside of school. You should have received an email about this last week. In case you missed it, another will be sent to you this week. Please return the survey to the school if you have not yet done so. The promotion of reading is one of the core aspects of our curriculum.

In line with this, in November we will be holding our 4th annual Read-a-Thon, our fall 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 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 is $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. Look for an e-mail on it this week.

This month’s virtue of the month is Gratitude. As we celebrate Thanksgiving later this month, it is a time of moving beyond our specific faiths and various ethnic traditions to celebrate the bounty of America’s founding as well as the ongoing goodness of the world we inhabit. It is a time to reflect on and appreciate the best about our lives. It is a time also of giving support to those among us who may be less fortunate for whatever reason. To this end, we invite you to participate in our annual food drive running from Nov. 8-23 (see flier this Wednesday). All donations will be forwarded to St. Peter’s Haven for distribution to those in need in time for Thanksgiving.

Please note on the November calendar that parent-teacher meetings are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 17-18, 3:30-5:30 pm. Look for a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the outside hallway next week. 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.

Finally, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

October Newsletter

Our school year is off to a great start with all of our students coming to school in person after nearly a year and a half of virtual or hybrid learning. Of course, we know that the COVID pandemic is ongoing, especially with new variants arising, but with everyone’s diligence (see below) we are confident we can move forward in the school year with everyone safe and healthy.

We wish to thank everyone who attended our Back-to-School Night this past Friday. A full 75% of our families were represented. Kudos! We look forward to a good collaborative relationship with you throughout this year. We invite you to be part of New Hope’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) whose first meeting will be sometime in November. In addition, thank you for volunteering to help us in some of our school’s activities. We will be in touch with you about these.

This Friday at our monthly assembly we will be kicking off our first service project of the year—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 starting Monday, Oct. 4. The clothing will be given to St. Peter’s Haven for distribution to needy families.

October is a month for celebrating Diligence (see above), the discipline and hard work necessary to be a good student and to live a fruitful life. We urge all our students to challenge themselves, moving beyond the “comfortable.” Please note that we will announce our Students of the Month for October at the assembly this Friday.

Thursday, Oct. 14, 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.

As of this writing, we are still working to arrange our first field trip of the year: apple picking. Stay tuned for updates! Also, after a year’s hiatus, we plan to have our schoolwide Harvest Festival on Friday, Oct. 29, 1:00-3:00 pm. Due to corona concerns, most of the event will be held outdoors this year. Children are welcome to come in Halloween costumes for that day (but not too scary!). Parents also are welcome to come and support either event.

Let’s have a great autumn together!

                                                                                                New Hope School Staff

“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.”

Oprah Winfrey

September Newsletter

As principal of New Hope School, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2021-22 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 while discussing the most effective ways to help students develop themselves academically, socially, and emotionally in the coming year. 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.

At the same time, we are taking every precaution to keep your children safe at the school. We will continue to follow carefully CDC and NJ Dept. of Education guidelines concerning sanitizing, mask-wearing, social distancing, and monitoring everyone’s health. We count on your cooperation to keep everyone associated with our school community safe.

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 and administrators—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 24, 6:30-8:30 pm, here at the school.

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 to our school. 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

Add the Educational Benefits of Well-Chosen Gaming to Your Children's Education

While video games were once considered a waste of time, this perception is rapidly shifting. Parents are discovering that thoughtfully selected, educational gaming can be an engaging tool for their children's development. Whether you are homeschooling full-time or simply want to supplement your child's education, consider using educational video games as a tool to inspire, engage, motivate, and teach.

Educational Benefits of Gaming

While video games have long been known to improve manual dexterity, Geico explains there is growing acceptance that gaming can be a great workout for your brain as well. Evidence shows that playing thoughtfully selected video games can encourage cognitive reasoning, regulate emotions, increase spatial understanding and improve hand-eye coordination.

Gaming can also teach players to think on their feet and make quick choices. Because many games are fast-paced, players become skilled at absorbing sensory data and quickly translating it into decisions. Moreover, since a challenge is at the core of every video game, the nonprofit Understood notes problem-solving skills are sharpened as players attack a problem from different angles, learn from their mistakes, and calculate a new approach based on prior experience.

Researchers in China and Australia actually scanned the brains of gaming experts and found that they had more grey matter as well as more connections between insular cortex subregions. This likely means that the skills developed by gaming are carried over into other parts of your child's life.

There is also a social benefit to be gained from video games. Many argue that gaming can be isolating, but there are many games that preserve the normal social interactions that are so critical during childhood by allowing collaboration and social interaction between players.

What about the belief that parents should limit their child's screen time? While this still holds true for the very young, most experts feel that school-age children are fine with more screen time, especially when they are playing educational games.

Criteria To Consider When Choosing Games

It's important to keep in mind that not all video games are great for learning. When deciding if a particular game will be beneficial, ask yourself whether the following criteria are met.

First, does the game provide goals and objectives as well as clear rules for reaching them? Your child needs to understand the point of the game, and there needs to be an intrinsic payoff. This allows the child to strategize and stay motivated until the objective (or payoff) is reached. Adventure Academy is a great example, since kids go on an adventure relating to subjects like reading, social studies or science. They create their character, build a home, and select learning opportunities from there.

Next, does the game provide interaction and feedback? When your actions continually produce consequences in the world of video games, you can learn as you go. Games that give the player a lot of flexibility provide maximum opportunity for learning. Players are presented with the consequences of their decisions in real-time, providing them with the opportunity to reevaluate their choices and choose their next move.

Games like Buzzmath, as an example, track players’ progress on the go, so kids get continual feedback on how things are progressing. Children can move through increasingly difficult levels, building upon the knowledge and feedback they've already received.

Best Equipment To Use

To help ensure that the gaming experience is a smooth one, it's a good idea to invest in a couple items and a fast internet connection. Shop for a gaming computer that has enough processing power as well as the proper video card with dedicated RAM and a graphics processing unit. You may also want to pick up a new set of headphones so your child can enjoy playing without distracting your household with noise. In terms of your internet connection, it's wise to invest in 5G for reliable and ultra-fast service.

In today's high-tech world, video games should no longer be viewed as the enemy. Instead, innovative parents should integrate these games into their child's education. Not only will children have fun and stay engaged with these games, but they can also gain skills and knowledge along the way.

New Hope School is dedicated to encouraging and fostering academic excellence and character development in our students. Apply today!

June Newsletter

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 conscientious 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 Wisdom. Wisdom has often been deemed the amalgamation of knowledge with love and caring developed through years of experience. Students, of course, being still at the dawn of their lives, have limited experience, but our hope can be that they will use the experiences they do incur to learn, add to their knowledge, and develop their sense of care and concern for others. In this, they will grow in wisdom as they grow older.

We wish to thank everyone for their participation and strong support for our spring fundraiser, the Race for Education. Today is the final day for receiving donations. As of now, we have reached a total of $7,346 with 145 donors. This is well above previous times we have held this fundraiser. Top donors of $50 or more have been recognized with running shoes on the walls of our hallways. Kudos to everyone!

This month our main event will be our End-of-the-Year Concert combined with a Graduation Ceremony. Due to ongoing COVID concerns, this year’s event will be held outdoors in the student playground from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. We will begin with the graduation of our five 8th graders. This will be followed by the presentation of awards to students for academic excellence and achievement, citizenship, character, and attendance. Next, each class will offer a musical presentation led by our music teacher, Ms. Stephanie. The program will end with a grand finale with the students singing together.

If your child took the Terra Nova test, we hope the result will be back in time to include in his/her final report card. Look for it.

This summer please be sure your child(ren) read every day so as not to fall behind in their reading skills. Your child(ren) are welcome to attend our Summer Enrichment Program where they can receive quality instruction in reading, writing, and math.

Please note that June 17 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 15, at Richardson Oval Park where we had our Race for Education. We plan to hold a picnic/barbecue from 12:00-2:00pm that day at the park.

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

                                                                                    New Hope School Staff

“Turn your wounds into wisdom.”
Oprah Winfrey

May Newsletter

We are now well into warm weather season (Wednesday’s temperature was in the mid-80s!). Sooner than we think the school year will be over and we’ll be on into summer. Let us hope that in the next school year we will see a return to normalcy.

The Virtue of the Month for May is Wonder. A great deal in our culture and media has the potential to turn our children to cynicism, contempt, and despair. The “get real!” and “so what” tone of much of popular culture is a very real threat to the innocence and promise of our children. This tendency must be actively combatted with its opposite—wonder at the great gift of life. We need to cultivate and nurture in our children the virtue that gives spring to their step and joy to their hearts—the gift of wonder.

As you know, this week our students have been taking the Terra Nova exams. Due to the pandemic last year, we were unable to hold them last spring. For those students who having been taking them, we expect to get the results back at the start of June.

On Friday, May 14, 10:00 am-12:00 pm, New Hope School will have its annual Race for Education, which also we were unable to have last year due to the pandemic. Thank you for all the support you have been giving in finding sponsors for our spring fundraiser. That day students will run or walk around a quarter-mile track for one hour. Students in each class with the most laps will receive a medallion. The student with the most laps in the whole school will receive a trophy. Clifton mayor James Anzaldi will be on hand to kick off the race for us. Parents are welcome!

Later in the month will be having our two-day Science Fair, which will be held outside. Starting at 9:30 am, kindergarten through third grade will present their projects on Thursday, May 27, and the fourth through eighth grade the following day. On the second day you are invited to a Family Barbeque from 4:00-6:00 pm.

Finally, I wish to remind you that registration is open for the 2021-22 school year. If you are happy with your child’s progress during the past school year, I encourage you to reserve your child’s place for next year if you have not yet done so. You are also welcome to register your child for our summer program, which will run from June 28-August 13.

Stay safe and healthy!

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”

Neil Armstrong

April Newsletter

Winter has ended and the air is warming. Springtime signifies rebirth as trees begin to bud and flowers bloom. We are grateful to God for the life-sustaining environment he/she continuously provides for us. Spring break is arriving just in time to take advantage of the warm weather. We hope that you and your children will be able to spend some time together.

This year Easter falls on the first Sunday of April. Let us remember the example of sacrificial love demonstrated by Jesus, not only on the cross, but throughout his life. His resurrection signifies the glorious affirmation of a life lived for the sake of others, teaching us that true love transcends even death. In these times of materialism, crass commercialism and threats of violence, Jesus’ life remains a supreme example for our children to understand and emulate. More than ever, our children need to see examples of unselfishness and moral decency.

The above coincides with April’s virtues of the month of Gentleness and Humility. In today’s world, it is not so easy to find stories that speak to the importance of saying “forgive me,” “after you,” “I was wrong,” or “I forgive you.” These are self-effacing virtues, which are often lost in a culture as individualistic and self-ambitious as ours. To speak with our children in this way and to model these virtues for them is not to mold weakness but to cultivate people of deep inner strength that make for better people and a better world.

As you know, report cards will be sent out April 9, the Friday after spring break. Wednesday and Thursday of the following week, April 14-15, virtual parent-teacher conferences will be scheduled to give you a chance to consult with your children’s teachers about their progress this school year.

Please note that Terra Nova tests are scheduled for April 27-29. 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. Due to standards imposed by Terra Nova, students must take the tests at the school. We will be in touch with you about this process.

New Race for Education instructions will be sent out after the spring break to accommodate those parents who wish to participate online rather than through the traditional mailers we send out. The latter will still be an option for those who have sent in their labels.

Finally, 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 15.

May God bless you and keep you safe and healthy!

“And God saw everything that was made, and behold, it was very good.”

Genesis 1:31

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

 Enjoy the Great Outdoors: How Families Can Prevent Nature-Deficit Disorder

In the age of technology, many parents remain concerned about the amount of time their children spend using digital devices and looking at screens rather than playing outside. Those concerns are well-founded: A lack of time outdoors can lead to nature-deficit disorder and poor mental and physical health. Here at New Hope School, we encourage children to appreciate God’s gift of the great outdoors. We offer these resources if you need help making more time for outdoor fun with your children!

Fun Activities for Your Backyard

When the family is staying close to home, look to the backyard for outdoor experiences.

Six Times Tag: Six Different Ways to Play Tag

9 Best Trampoline Games for Kids

The Benefits of Installing a Backyard Playground

6 Fun Pool Games for Kids

How to Safely Observe Wildlife from Your Home

Playing Sports Outdoors

Enjoying outdoor sports is another great way to stay active and get some vitamin D.

6 Fun Basketball Games to Play

How Kids Can Benefit From Running as Exercise

4 Tips When Mountain Biking With Your Child

Learning to Skateboard

Into the Wilderness

Find new ways to explore the great outdoors together.

The Most Awe-Inspiring National Parks to Visit With Kids

Why Your Kids Need to Go Birding

Five Tips for Fishing With Small Children

Conservation for Kids: Top Tips and Tricks

Many of us feel detached from nature these days, but this doesn’t mean nature-deficit disorder effects can’t be reversed. Whether you want to head out to a national park, encourage your kids to play outdoor sports, or buy some fun new equipment for your backyard, you can find plenty of ways to get your family outside!

Source: Pexels

March Newsletter

This month we are coming up to one year since COVID-19 began to rain havoc upon New Hope School, indeed all schools throughout the country and most of the world. It was March 16, 2020 when we had to go completely virtual. Who could have imagined a year ago where we would be today, with over 500,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. alone? With vaccines being rolled out, let us pray that a sense of normalcy will be restored soon.

This Friday we held the first round of our annual spelling bee. Nine finalists were chosen. The finals will take place on Friday, March 19. Due to pandemic concerns, New Hope School will not be participating in the regional spelling bee this year.

The Virtue-of-the-Month for March is Mercy. Mercy acts not only to end the distress of those in need, but also to those who may have wronged us and, strictly speaking, “deserve” much less. Forgiveness and service to others is the natural expression of mercy.

Next week we plan to kickoff our thirteenth Race for Education, our spring fundraiser. Being an outdoor event, we feel we can safely conduct the race, which will be held on Friday, April 23. 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 continue to improve our facility, both inside and outside.

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 April 15 will receive a 50% discount off the $100 registration fee.

In addition, our next Open House will be tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 27, 11am-12pm. 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! The Zoom link for the virtual event can be found under “Events” on our website: newhopeschoolnj.com.

God bless you all!

“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” 

Abraham Lincoln