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Orange Avenue School presents Disney’s Descendants: The Musical. Performance dates are March 21&22 @ 7:30pm and March 23 @ 3:00pm. All tickets are $10 and can be purchased at oascnj.booktix.com or at the door.

Synopsis: Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney's Descendants: The Musical is a brand-new musical comedy featuring the beloved characters and hit songs from the films!

It is present-day, and in the kingdom of Auradon, all of Disney’s beloved heroes and royalty are living happily ever after, safe from the terrifying villains and troublesome sidekicks they have banished to the magic-free Isle of the Lost. That is until Ben, the benevolent teenage son of Belle and King Adam (The Beast), offers a chance of redemption for the troublemaking offspring of the evilest villains. Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos – the children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, and Jafar – are welcomed to Auradon Prep to attend school with the children of their parents’ sworn enemies. Now entering a completely foreign world and way of life, the four Villain Kids have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good?

Attention all 5th and 6th graders! Are you looking for a fun way to stay active and make new friends? Look no further than our intramural sports club!

Join us for volleyball, nitro ball, and other indoor games. You'll have the opportunity to compete against your fellow classmates and develop your skills in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Whether you're a seasoned athlete or just looking to try something new, our intramural sports club has something for everyone. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now and get ready to have fun!

In ELA this week, students completed background knowledge activities preparing to read Hana's Suitcase. Students reviewed different resources, including photographs, maps and testimonials from Holocaust survivors and participated in a "silent conversation."

In the first round, students had to identify a phrase, sentence, or detail that was striking or significant, or a detail that provoked a question, observation or emotional response.

In the second round, students read and responded to their classmates' comments, by posing a question, agreeing or disagreeing, making a connection, or expanding the comment.

In the third round, students switched groups and were able to repeat the second round directions and respond to new comments from different classmates.

In the end, students were able to engage in a discussion through analyzing resources and conversing with classmates all through written conversation.

Students are participating in Independent Reading during Spanish class, where they choose books of their interest to enhance literacy skills while engaging in differentiated and personalized learning. This approach allows students to read at their own pace, fostering confidence and a love for the language. Thanks to the support of our administration and the generosity of the OAS PTA, new readers have been added to our classroom library, providing even more opportunities for students to explore Spanish through engaging and accessible texts.

Our Middle School Spanish students are participating in Locura de Marzo, a global March Madness-style competition for Spanish music. Each day, students learn about different Spanish-speaking artists, listen to their songs, and vote for their favorites. As the tournament progresses, they see which songs advance and compare our school's results with the international vote, where students from around the world also participate. This engaging activity immerses students in Spanish language and culture while building listening skills and musical appreciation.

We're excited to announce the return of the 14th annual “Are You Smarter than a Cranford/Garwood Fifth Grader? Academic Bowl”! Sponsored by Cranford and Garwood Public Schools and the Cranford Rotary Club, this fun competition pairs adult contestants with student helpers for a quiz show-style event.

Student Auditions:
OAS auditions for interested fifth graders will be held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 3:00-3:30 PM in the library. Students will take a multiple-choice quiz (no studying required), and the top scorer from each homeroom will represent OAS.

To sign your child up for auditions, use this link OAS 2024-2025 Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader Student Sign Up, by Monday, March 3, 2025.

Parent/Guardian Contestants:
One adult contestant will be randomly selected from each school. If interested, please sign up using this OAS 2024-2025 Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader Parent/Guardian Contestant Sign Up, by Friday, March 7, 2025.

Event Details:
The Academic Bowl will take place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 6:00 PM at Orange Avenue School (contestants and students arrive by 5:45 PM).

This family-friendly event is a great way to have fun and help students start saving for their future. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Ms. Baillod’s 5th grade artists have been working on an abstract printing project while learning about radial symmetry. As it sometimes happens during the creative process, first attempts at printing left students with mixed feelings about their initial results. However, they persevered and explored new options to improve their second and third tries. Students overlapped colors and chose different background papers while also improving their printmaking skills. The results speak for themselves!

Outstanding Orange

Our Outstanding Orange program recognizes students for creating a positive environment, helping others, and practicing key full value principles. If you child receives an Orange they will be bringing the certificate home to share why they were recognized. This week we would like to celebrate the following students:

Grade 3:

Shayla T.

Jack E.

Alex B.

Christopher G.

Grade 4:

Grace A.

Grade 5:

Reese N.

Rylee G.

Nicholas. M

Patrick G.

According to the N.J. Department of Education, the goal of school health services is to strengthen and facilitate the educational process by improving and protecting the health status of children and staff.

Since health and intellectual development of children are interrelated, the following is a list of state mandated screening services provided by the school nurse during the school year. As always, all screenings are confidential.

Height, Weight and Blood Pressure: all grade levels, including preschool

Hearing Screening: Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 11th grades

Vision Screening: Kindergarten, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th grades

Scoliosis Screening: 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th grades

The health screenings will be conducted throughout the school year. Parents who wish to opt-out of any mandated screenings, must notify the school nurse in writing.

Ana Dippolito BSN, CSN, RN

School Nurse, Orange Avenue School

Phone: 908-709-6270

Attendance and Punctuality Reminder

Regular school attendance is a strong predictor of academic success. Consistent attendance not only supports academic growth but also helps students feel connected to their school community, fostering social skills and friendships. While we understand that absences due to illness are sometimes necessary, we encourage families to be mindful of how often their child is absent.

To keep families informed, notifications will be sent when a student reaches 10 absences. This communication is intended to maintain open lines of dialogue and provide support if your child is experiencing difficulties attending school regularly.

Punctuality is equally important. Middle school students should be in their first-period class by 8:10 AM, and elementary school students should arrive before 8:50 AM. Students arriving after these times must report to the main office to receive a late pass. Chronic tardiness not only disrupts the class but also causes students to miss valuable instructional time. We will review the tardy log and reach out to families of students with frequent late arrivals. If your child is having difficulty arriving on time, please let us know so we can offer assistance.

Thank you for your continued partnership in ensuring your child attends school regularly and on time.

OAS Attendance Email Address

If your child is absent, late to school, or leaving early, please email the attendance email address at:

oas-attendance@cranfordschools.org

Please include your child's name (first and last), grade (and class if they are in elementary), and the reason for the absence in your email to the attendance line. If the absence is due to illness, kindly list any and all symptoms the child is experiencing.

In addition, any miscellaneous questions you may have regarding school procedures and protocols may be directed to this same email. The office staff will help with your concerns or direct you to the right person.

School Nurse Information

Doctor’s orders must be renewed every school year. In order to ensure proper care for your child, please use the links below to access and print the necessary forms for the 2024-2025 school year.

Any student requiring the use of crutches, canes, walkers or wheelchairs in school must submit a doctor's note requesting the use of the apparatus. Prior to reporting to class.

To contact the nurse, please email ruzic@cranfordschools.org and/or call 908-709-6270.

Visitor Protocols Reminder

As shared in Dr. Rubin's welcome back letter, please review the visitor protocols:

Visitor Entry - The District continues to use a digital visitor management entry system (Raptor) at each of the school building entrances. Please review these visitor entry protocols and procedures. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our schools safe!

Updated Protocols for Cell Phones, Smartwatches and Wireless Headphones

OAS and HAS are implementing new protocols regarding the use of electronic communication and recording devices (ECRD). Here is the joint letter from Mr. Deacon and Mrs. Murphy.

Dress Code

Students should come to school dressed appropriately for a school environment. Clothing must be neat, clean, safe, and worn properly. Fashion trends often include clothing that may be acceptable outside of school but may not be acceptable inside of school. The guidelines listed below will ensure that students are dressed appropriately for school

Clothing should be modest and not overly revealing. Shorts and shirts must be the appropriate length meaning the bottom of the shirt should touch the top of the pants.
Clothing should not display offensive language, images, or symbols. Avoid clothing with slogans, symbols, or graphics that promote violence or glorifies the use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco.
Students who engage in school-related off-campus activities should dress appropriately since they are representing the school during the activity.

Violators of the dress and grooming regulations will be required to make arrangements to obtain suitable clothing immediately.

Parking Lot Safety

During morning arrival and afternoon pick up please make sure you are alert, driving slowly, and looking before driving in and out of the parking lot. Many families walk to and from school. Even if you are running late it is imperative that you take your time and proceed with caution to ensure the safety of all.

In the afternoon, please make sure to not double park (block) in the staff parking lot. Our Middle School Staff ends the day at 3:05 PM. Cars should not be blocking staff from leaving at the end of the day.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping to keep everyone safe.

Purchase a Middle School Yearbook!

You can purchase an OAS Middle School yearbook by visiting yearbookordercenter.com and entering school code 13053.

8th grade families: On the same site, do not forget to order a 1/8 page ad for your class of 2025 graduate!

***Feel free to submit clear photos to oasmsyearbook25@gmail.com for consideration. Please make sure to indicate the names and grades of the students in the pic.

Elementary Yearbook Information

Elementary School (Grades 3-5) Yearbook Information

This year we are going to try a new way to submit photos to the yearbook via google forms.

Click this link to submit photos to the OAS Elementary Yearbook (Grades 3-5). Here you will find google forms for various events including the First Day of School, Sports, Girl/Boy Scouts and more will be added through the year!

To purchase an elementary OAS yearbook or view your account, visit:

https://www.treering.com/validate?PassCode=1014977906143535

(The OAS passcode is: 1014977906143535)

Hi OAS Parents/Guardians,

The Class of 2026 is running this year's Harlem Wizards Game at CHS on 3/20 at 6:30pm. We are proud to host this event and want to encourage everyone to attend. The tickets are on sale right now and can be purchased here.

Yesterday the 3rd, 4th and 5th Graders were able to meet David Paul of the Wizards for an assembly!

If you have any questions please reach out to either Michael Mangarelli or Nicole Savino-Mulcahy at the following email addresses:

mangarelli@cranfordschools.org

savino@cranfordschools.org

This month's SEL Family Resource is a guide to assist families in developing self love in children.

We hope through this resource to encourage the SEL competencies of self awareness and relationship skills, along with the Full Value Principle "Care for Self and Others."

This month, we celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week, as well as National Eating Disorder Awareness Week where we will focus on healthy habits and positive body image in age appropriate ways.

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