Conti Chatter Dr. Michael Conti School PS 5

December 23, 2025

Conti student takes the top prize!

PS5 5th grader Skyla Farrell brought home the grand prize in the 2025 PATH Holiday Poster Contest, sponsored by the Port Authority and the Jersey City Public Schools. Read about the inspiration for her poster in this presser released by the Port Authority. The story, covered by several local news outlets, highlights Skyla's work which is currently displayed on PATH trains throughout the holiday season. How exciting for this young artist! We couldn't be more proud!

  Bottom row: Skyla's parents were on hand to witness the announcement of their daughter's win, as she faced the cameras at the PATH Poster Contest Event, held at Journal Square  station.  Also on hand to celebrate were JCPS Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez, Board Trustee Afaf Muhammad, Principal John J. Rivero, and PS5 art specialist Mike Markman.

PS5 Science Fair

Congratulations to the winners of our school science fair, held earlier this month, with top winners in grades 5-8 now preparing to present their projects at the Jersey City Public Schools District competition scheduled for January 19th, 2026, at the Liberty Science Center.

Special thanks to JCPS science supervisor Patricia Hudak; Hudson Montessori School STEM director Dr. Grace Sanvictoris; and Hudson County Community College Dean Dr. Burl Yearwood & Professor Raffi Manjikian for providing their top-ranked students to serve as both judges at the school fair, as well as role models for PS5 students. Partnerships with institutions of higher learning continues to inspire & encourage the pursuit of STEM amongst our Conti Cougars.

Buzzworthy

Presenting the champions of our Classroom Spelling Bees:

Homeroom Bee winners will compete in our SCHOOL SPELLING BEE, to be held January 16, 2026...The winner of our School Bee will then proceed onto both the Scripps Hudson County Spelling Bee, as well as compete in the Jersey City Public Schools District Bee (a stand-alone competition unaffiliated with Scripps.)...Fact: the champions of the JCPS District Bees for 3 out of the past 4 years have been PS5 students!

Students of the Month

The focus TRAIT for the last month was GRATITUDE: feeling & expressing thankful appreciation for benefits received.

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MARKING PERIOD 1 AWARDS ASSEMBLY

Students who achieved Perfect Attendance, Effort Roll, Second Honors & First Honors were recognized earlier this month before an assembly of their peers. Congrats to all!

[Click on a photo to enlarge]

Project Based Learning

A glimpse at some of the PBL our students engaged in during marking period 1, with topics warranting further inquiry continuing into subsequent marking periods:

Last week, as our teachers meet in cohorts of Professional Learning Communities, they participated in a Project Gallery Walk, reviewing displays from Marking Period 1 and examining them for essential features of high-quality PBL - such as student voice, critical thinking, problem-solving, and sustained inquiry into real-world issues. Afterwards, the teams engage in debriefing sessions to provide constructive feedback and identify areas for improvement. This collaborative process ensures that we continue to hone our approach to PBL and work together to ensure our students' success. Looking ahead, PS5 will host a Project Gallery Walk open to the community-at-large in late March 2026,  showcasing our students' ongoing growth & development.

Holiday Book Fair

In December, our school's multi-purpose room transforms into what must seem to our young ones, a wonderland of books. Indeed, this year's Holiday fair got more books into the hands of Conti students than ever before. Studies show that empowering children to choose their own books gets them to read more, and the fair always has an array of titles that kids want to read. "This literacy event also brings together the entire school community," notes Book Fair Chair/Conti LMS Keung Sexton. "And a dedicated volunteer crew made up of students & parents help make this event a resounding hit!"

While first & foremost a literacy event, PS5 also gets a 25% cut of the record-breaking $16,000+ in fair sales this year - proceeds which go directly into the Student Activities Fund, supporting theater workshops & educational assemblies for our children.

Cool stuff from Donors Choose

Our Middle School STEM specialist Marc Papish got a project fulfilled on Donors Choose: a $2000 state-of-the-art 3-D printer (a vast upgrade to the old one that was in use at PS5 for over a decade.) Top photo above is the Periodic Table of Elements created by the new printer, now up and running in our STEM Lab...And 3rd-grade teacher Hugh Gallagher also had donors from the PS5 community fulfil his request:  horseshoe shaped tables with comfy seating for small-group activities. 

LEGO ROBOTICS CLUB

The Conti Robotics Club, facilitated by middle school teachers Marc Papish & Rosana Wright, participated in the JCPS First Lego League Robotics competition held on Saturday December 6th at M.S. #7, with 26 teams and more than 400 participants, making it the largest FLL competition in district history.  This year's theme, Unearthed, revolved around challenges in the field of Archaeology, immersing students in different aspects of the First Lego League standards such as Core Values, Robot Design, Robot Competition and Innovation Project.

Meanwhile, 4th graders in Ms. Ureta's Interdisciplinary Studies class investigated the special function of muscles & joints...and created their own robotic paper finger:

STRONG GIRLS CLUB

Another PS5 alumni, Darly Osorio, shared her life experiences with current members of the Strong Girls Club. A former ESL student, Darly graduated from Ferris High with a full-ride scholarship to St. Peters University, where she is majoring in Criminal Justice. Darly advised members to stay focused with their studies and to never hesitate to reach out to their teachers when in need, saying she attributes her academic success, motivation to learn, and leadership skills to all her teachers at PS5...During another recent meeting, club members also learned about the proper use of social media, weighing the pros and cons of each type, and how to filter out fake news, inappropriate/unsafe content, and malicious gossip...Students also surprised club facilitator Ms. Santiago-Hernandez with lovely homemade birthday cards.

The Spirit of Giving

Lots of smiles in our self-contained classes this past Friday, when Santa's elves from the JCPS Special Ed Department delivered gifts for each child. Thank you to Acting Director of Special Ed  Karen Gullace, and Special Ed Lead Teachers Jaime Merced and Heather Piechocki for stopping by to spread some holiday joy!

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PS5 Angel Tree

Each year, PS5 staff members spread holiday cheer through our school Angel Tree. This heartwarming tradition helps ensure that every student feels the joy and warmth of the season, fostering a strong sense of community and support within our school.

Falalalala!

Dressed in their holiday best, our students - under the direction of PS5 Music specialist Claire Tsiporukha - regaled the audience with a medley of holiday songs. Fantastic!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

PS5's calendar has been chock-full of activities to celebrate the holiday season:

The season kicked off with our tree-lighting ceremony, and activities included ugly sweater contests, greeting card exchanges, Grinch Day, Frosty the Snowman Day, families who shared holiday stories & traditions from their native countries, and class holiday parties like the one today in Rm, 106, where students sang carols with their parents and had a wonderful time spending time together!

THAT ELF IS BACK!...

    Mylo the Elf found his way to Rm. 216 for another magical year with Ms. Johnson’s class, and the excitement lasted all month long! Students participated in a candy cane hunt, celebrated December "6,7,"  completed special elf homework, and received miniature elf toys brought just for them. Mylo also made sure everyone could celebrate Hanukkah by surprising the class with mini dreidels. To add to the fun, Mylo brought bookmarks to color and hosted a lollipop guessing game that had everyone buzzing with excitement. The students were thrilled to spend another joyful year with their beloved classroom elf!

SEASONAL CRAFTS

Students enjoyed making menorahs, Christmas trees, ornaments, bookmarks, and even created their own holiday-themed games...
...and check out this beauty of a hallway display designed by PS5 art specialist Mike Markman & his students!

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MULTICULTURAL HOLIDAY PARENT LUNCHEON

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Closing out the final Conti Chatter of 2025...

May all our families find peace & joy in the New Year! Warmest wishes from the PS5 Team. See you back at school on January 5, 2026!

Thank you!

Conti Chatter @ 2025-26 Created by Keung Sexton, PS5 LMS/Literacy Support

Principal John J. Rivero

Assistant Principal Albert Padilla

CREATED BY
K. S.