Mr. Stracco's Honors 400 English class participated in an engaging escape room activity as a culminating experience for Ibsen's A Doll's House. The challenge incorporated riddles, symbolism, and character identification, with each clue leading to the next step—until one group, like Nora Helmer, successfully "escaped." … [Read more...] about Engaging “Escape Room” Activity in English Class
Creative and Academic Projects for “1984”
Mr. Stracco's Honors English 400 class recently completed their unit on George Orwell's 1984. As a culminating activity, students designed self-directed projects with corresponding rubrics aligned to NJLSA standards. Each group conducted a comprehensive analysis of the novel, focusing on its plot, themes, symbols, and key quotes. Projects ranged from student videos to newspaper articles, to recreations of scenes to explanations of the novel to the present day. They were the perfect mix of academic and creative! … [Read more...] about Creative and Academic Projects for “1984”
Judge Guida Visits RHS Class
Rutherford High School's Finding Happiness Through Mindfulness class closed their recent unit with a visit from Hon. James J. Guida, J.S.C (Ret.) of Bergen County. Judge Guida shared his insights and discussed some of the challenges and highlights he experienced throughout his career. The objective was to offer our students an opportunity to listen to a unique perspective, one that includes maintaining a positive outlook even when experiencing difficult moments in a long career within the legal system. Judge Guida delivered a thought-provoking message at an appropriate level and he … [Read more...] about Judge Guida Visits RHS Class
RHS Romeo and Juliet Student Art Connections
Students in Miss Barcenas' and Ms. Garcia's English 100 classes have been creating masquerade masks to coincide with their reading and analysis of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The key scene where the star-cross'd lovers first meet takes place at a masquerade party. Students have been taking notes of character traits and analyzing them. Once their list of traits allowed for a full character description, students completed artistic representations of those traits on their masks. Art projects like this are just one way that our teachers help students make connections with classical … [Read more...] about RHS Romeo and Juliet Student Art Connections
7th Grade UMS Students Create Community Mural
Seventh-grade students in Mrs. Collins and Mrs. Mac Millan’s classes recently completed a mural project following their reading of The War of the Wall by Toni Cade Bambara. This hands-on project served as a meaningful conclusion to a unit focused on the concept of belonging to a community. Throughout the unit, students explored how communities are defined by shared narratives, and how individuals contribute to the collective story. The mural project highlighted how each student, through their unique perspective and creativity, contributes to the broader narrative of Rutherford, illustrating … [Read more...] about 7th Grade UMS Students Create Community Mural