Elementary School

The Waffle Inn, the First Grade milestone project, is a longstanding tradition at All Saints. Each year, the students transform an area of the school into a restaurant with the house specialty being – you guessed it – waffles!

Each year the class takes a trip to a restaurant in Hoboken to see how a real restaurant is run. The students see the kitchen and have an opportunity to talk to the staff about their responsibilities. The class returns to school with a lot of ideas for their own restaurant!

Prior to the restaurant opening, each student must fill out an application explaining what job he or she would like and why he or she would be successful. The “applicant” is also required to attend an interview with the restaurant managers (a.k.a. the teachers) during which they must answer challenging questions about how they would handle given situations. Finally, students create menus, advertisements, and invitations, and solicit parent volunteers to bring in necessary supplies.

On the day of the big event, hosts and hostesses greet each class as students enter the restaurant. Servers take orders and bus people help to clean and reset tables. Parent volunteers are always present to help make the waffles while the student chefs add the desired toppings. Cashiers collect Waffle Inn money and distribute a notepad and pencil to each customer as a souvenir. The First Graders enjoy serving the other classes, but their favorite part always comes at the end of the day when they are served waffles, with the works of course, by their own parents.

This project is a meaningful part of the curriculum as it reinforces lessons around money, which is introduced during First Grade. It also allows students to learn more about the jobs and businesses in the local community. Finally, the students learn the importance of working together when they realize that each job is important and that the restaurant cannot run smoothly without everyone doing their part.

In Second Grade, learning comes alive for students as they explore their country’s geography, national monuments, and historic landmarks through the collection of postcards from across the United States.

As the postcards arrive, the students excitedly locate the state on the map and hang up the card. In doing so, the students gain a better understanding of state placement. They also use a tally chart to record the number of postcards that have been collected. Throughout the project, the students also work on puzzles, play games, and read books about the United States. After December break, the students use learned skills to write letters to chambers of commerce in the states from which they have not received postcards. After each state is represented on the class map, the group compiles the data during math class and creates a bar graph.

To culminate the study, each student chooses a state to research and, using various research materials, creates a travel brochure. The students hone their technology skills when searching for data on the internet and creating a number of the brochure pages digitally. This project allows students to explore the United States in a way that is meaningful to them and to complete learning projects across the curriculum. Each year the class collects over 100 postcards and receives at least one postcard from each state!

During this exciting project, Third Graders embark on a year-long learning experience about William Shakespeare culminating in the premiere of “Bard Bash: The Movie” and a Renaissance Faire. During the first trimester, students begin to learn about the different Shakespearean genres. The students then vote on which genre they would like to explore further. The students read several of Shakespeare’s plays from that genre, and vote on which of those plays they would like to perform for the Bard Bash. Their Seventh Grade buddies read the same play and provide support throughout the year with rehearsals, costume design, and set design.

During the second trimester, the Third Graders audition for their roles and begin practicing their lines for filming. The majority of the trimester is spent preparing for filming. The students work together to create props and costumes. They learn how to work with a green screen and editing software to produce their final product. Through this experience, the students learn the value of working together, accountability, and responsibility.

During the third trimester, students use their knowledge of Shakespeare and Elizabethan England to plan a Shakespearean celebration called the “Bard Bash,” similar to a Renaissance Faire. They plan various activities and entertainment following the premiere of their movie. Students and parents alike enjoy this magical trip back to the Elizabethan era.

In Fourth Grade, students participate in a specialized “Action Research Course”. During this course, students conduct a yearlong action research project based on an area of need within the City of Hoboken. As part of their research, students interview City Council members and take “man on the street” surveys on the topic they are researching. In addition, students survey all of the Fourth Grade students throughout Hoboken. After students have conducted and analyzed their research, their findings are compiled into an extensive research report which is presented to the community of Hoboken at a City Council meeting.