HAS Weekly Update
October 18, 2024
Dear HAS Community,
Today and last Friday 6th and 7th grade students were able to participate in our Paws for Success Open Gym program. Next Friday, 8th graders students will have their Paws for Success Open Gym session. Paws for Success recognizes students for doing the right thing. When a staff member sees a student doing something kind they submit their name and a message is sent home notify the parents/guardians of this positive action. Then at the end of the month names are pulled from all the students that received a Paw and those students are able to attend the Open Gym session. We want to recognize our students for all the good they are doing.
Sincerely,
Kevin Deacon
Principal
Updates
Halloween Parade and Elementary Classroom Celebrations
Our elementary school Halloween Parade is on Thursday, October 31, 2024 and starts at 2:30pm. Please click here for more information.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HALLOWEEN REMINDERS
The Elementary Halloween Parade is Thursday, October 31, 2024 weather permitting.
Elementary students may either bring their costumes to school or return home at lunch to change. An adult must pick up students who are going home for lunch at their dismissal door at 12:15. Good judgment should be used in wearing costumes that are appropriate for school
- No full face masks,
No items that are unsafe, dangerous, or convey inappropriate messages should be worn or carried
No imitation swords, knives, guns, or weapons of any kind are permitted.
MIDDLE SCHOOL HALLOWEEN REMINDERS
Middle School students are welcome to dress up for Halloween. Below are the guidelines for costumes.
- Students must be able to participate in regular school activities.
- Students must be able to sit and stand with ease.
- Students may not bring or wear masks or other items that cover their entire face. Face makeup is fine.
- Costumes must be in good taste and without offensive or inappropriate language or symbols.
- No imitation swords, knives, guns, or weapons of any kind are permitted
Club Announcements
For daily club announcements of meetings, etc., please click on the link or you can go to the HAS webpage under Parent/Guardian and Daily Announcements.
Forgottten Items
Parents/guardians are requested to deliver chromebooks, books, lunches, water bottles, projects, or any other forgotten items to the drop box in the vestibule. All articles must be labeled with the student’s name and grade. Please try to limit dropping off items as calling classrooms to have students pick up their items disrupts instruction. Thank you for your cooperation.
Safety First
IMPORTANT ROAD SAFETY REMINDERS
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 students and parents walk to and from school and are crossing the street using the crosswalks. Even if you are running late it is imperative that you take your time and proceed with caution to ensure the safety of all. Thank you all for helping to keep everyone safe.
Important Parking Lot Reminder
During middle school drop off please do not pull into the back STAFF parking lot. You can pull into the horseshoe in front of the building to drop your child off.
Please do not double park and block in cars in parking spaces.
Please do not park in handicapped parking spots at any time, even for a brief moment. These spaces are reserved for those who have permits to park there. Thank you for helping us to make our school safe and accessible for all who visit.
Playground safety after school
Please be sure to supervise students on the playground after-school.
During the school day and at recess we have many expectations of the students when on the playground to keep them safe (i.e. no throwing wood chips, not running up the slide; not jumping off of high platforms;) and we would love for all students to be safe after school.
Thank you for your cooperation and for keeping our students safe.
Nurse's Corner
Gym Safety
In order to ensure students’ safety during Physical Education class, the following guidelines have been established:
-Proper footwear is required. Properly tied sneakers are to be worn for physical education class. Sneakers are designed to allow for easy movement and to protect the feet and ankles from injuries that could occur while participating in vigorous activities.
* No shoes, sandals, flip flops, boots or crocs are allowed.
-Gym excuses can be given up to three (3) days with a parent note. A doctor’s note must be obtained after the third day.
-Any student under a doctor’s care for a medical/orthopedic reason cannot return to gym without a doctor’s note. Students with a cast, brace, sling or splint will not be allowed to participate in physical education regardless of a doctor note. These devices create the potential for injury to another student.
Cold & Flu Season is Here
As we enter flu season, good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent illnesses. If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms , please keep them home to avoid getting others sick. Absences may be reported via email at has-attendance@cranfordschools.org OR via phone 908-709-6983. If you have any questions on whether or not to send your child to school, please consult with your pediatrician or the school nurse (908-709-6242 or seguine@cranfordschools.org). Thank you in advance for your cooperation during these cold and flu months.
Things To Do To Prevent The Flu
-Avoid close contact when you are sick. Keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too!
-Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow crack when coughing or sneezing. Immediately wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
-Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Our hands carry lots of germs which can enter our body through many mucous membranes.
-Stay home when you are sick. You will help others from catching your illness.
-Wash your hands often. This will help protect you from germs.
-Practice good health habits, such as be physically active, get plenty of sleep, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.
School Happenings
Japanese Class
Twenty-three OAS and eighteen HAS seventh and eighth grade students are engaging in a chat exchange through the Commubridge platform. They are communicating in both Japanese and English with students from Seisa Middle School in Yokohama, Japan. Participants are sharing and learning about daily lifestyles, hobbies, fashion, and trends relevant to students in both countries—experiences that extend beyond traditional textbook learning. While perfect grammar is not the primary focus, the emphasis is on utilizing language skills acquired in the classroom to enhance communication.
Counselors' Corner
Dear Parent/ Guardian(s),
The week of October 14-18 is Safe Schools Week. This is a national celebration that takes place throughout schools in the United States. Here at Hillside Avenue School we have again partnered with the ADL to continue the No Place for Hate Initiative. This will be our fifth year working with No Place for Hate. Each year we strive to do more than just “talk” about what matters. In that vein the counseling department continues its efforts to visit classrooms with meaningful lessons on things such as inclusion, kindness, conflict resolution and other important social and emotional lessons. As always, we ask for that school home partnership that can only aide to make our work stronger.
Thank You,
Stella Siciliano, LCSW, School Social Worker
Marina Brito, School Counselor
Hillside Avenue School
Upcoming Events
Wed, 10/23/24 - PTA Pumpkin Patch
Fri, 10/25/24, 5:30pm, Staff Parking Lot - PTA Trick or Trunk
District News
Wellness Fair
On Thursday, November 14th from 6:30pm - 8:00pm a Wellness Fair will be hosted at Cranford High School. Families and community members of students grades PreK-12 are invited to explore the local organizations that support all dimensions of wellness and wellbeing. Please know that the Class of 2025 Pasta Night is also occurring and you can plan for dinner and information when you attend this event! Please RSVP with the link HERE, or QR Code on the flyer. We look forward to seeing you!
LAS Haunted House
Please consider attending the annual Livingston Avenue School Haunted House on Friday, October 18th or Saturday, October 19th!
Cranford PAL Basketball Tryouts
Please see below for the Cranford PAL tryouts. Sign up can be found on www.cranfordpal.org
Pomptonian Lunch Information
- Lunch Menu for September - Click HERE
Convenient Pre-Payment Options Prepayment
Important Fliers
Community News
Reminders
K-5 November Conferences
Kindergarten - 5th Grade Conferences will be in the afternoon on Monday, November 4 (still a full day of school for students) and all day on Tuesday, November 5. Please make sure to set aside time on one of those days for conferences as those are the district's assigned time for conferences. We look forward to this opportunity to connect about your child's progress this school year.
Middle School Yearbook
$35 until 1/15/25
$45 until 4/15/25
Personalization Sales End 1/15/25
All Sales End 4/15/25
HAS Teacher/Educational Professional of the Year Nomination Form 2024-2025
School Picture Retakes
Elementary Arrival
CHS 7th and 8th Grade Family Academy Night
All 7th and 8th parents and students are invited to stop by Cranford High School on October 24th at 7pm in the Auditorium to hear all about the amazing programs and fabulous school environment. 7th and 8th Grade Family/Academy Night
Cranford Fund for Education Excellence (CFEE)
Please click the link to watch a short video about the CFEE CFEE BTS Night Video.mp4
State Assessments and Standardized Assessments
Please click here for information regarding the anticipated administration of state assessments and standardized assessments that will be given during the 2024-2025 school year.
New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA)
NJSLA score report forms were mailed home today. These reports are for students in grades 4-8.
4th and 5th Grade Chorus
4th and 5th Grade Parents/Guardians,
If your child is interested in participating in the Elementary Chorus and has not already signed up please click on the Chorus Sign up Form to register your child.
Lunch Aides
We are still very much in need of elementary lunch aides. Elementary lunch aide hours are 12:00 - 2:00. This is a great way to see your kid in school and interact with them. If you are interested in taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity visit, https://www.applitrack.com/cranford/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Support+Staff
Weekly Update
If you ever need to visit a previous weekly update you can visit our school website where they are stored. https://has.cranfordschools.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=2707172&type=d&pREC_ID=2396278
Dress Code
Students should come to school dressed appropriately for a school environment. Clothing must be neat, clean, safe and worn properly. Safe footwear must be worn. Footwear that poses a hazard may not be worn in school. Students may not attend school with cleated shoes, “flip-flops,” shoes without backs or bare feet. Clothing that is not school appropriate (sunglasses, hats, bare midriffs, exposed underwear, etc.) should not be worn in school. Shorts and skirts must be the appropriate length. Any clothing which displays excessive nudity should not be worn to school.
Articles of clothing with offensive slogans, abusive language, which promote tobacco products, drinking alcoholic beverages, or drug use are subject to removal and should not be worn.
Electronic Device Protocol
Cell phones and electronic devices must be off and off and away during the school day. Cell phones are not to be used until the end of the school day. Smartwatches are only to be used for telling time during the school day.
Misuse of electronic devices will result in the following:
1st offense: Device will be confiscated and held until the end of the day. A notification will be sent informing the parents/guardians that your child violated the electronic device protocol.
2nd offense: Device will be confiscated and held until the end of the day. The student will receive 1 after-school detention. A notification will be sent informing the parents/guardians that your child violated the electronic device protocol.
3rd offense and on: Device will be confiscated. The student will receive 1 after-school detention. The parent/guardian must pick up the device from school.
Tardy Policy
Middle school students who arrive after 8:10 a.m. are considered tardy. They must obtain a late pass from the office. After the sixth tardy a student will receive a lunch detention each time they are tardy. Parents/Guardians will be notified if their child has been tardy five or more times. On February 1st, tardy counts will reset and the process will begin again.
Bike Safety
Appointments and/or Early PIck-up
Please make sure you email the attendance office (HAS-attendance@cranfordschools.org) or call 908-709-6229 or 908-709-6983, if your child has to be signed out early to attend an appointment.
Absences
If your child is absent for any reason, please call our absence line at 908-709-6983 (24/7) or email has-attendance@cranfordschools.org (copy-paste email address)
Visitor Protocols
The safety of our students is of the utmost importance and we ask that all our visitors follow our procedures.
- If you are picking up your child for an appointment please notify the office ahead of time by emailing (HAS-attendance@cranfordschools.org) or calling 908-709-6229 or 908-709-6983. The nurse may also call to have you pick up your child if they are feeling ill.
- During pick up have your ID ready and ring the main entrance intercom bell. State your name and the reason for your visit then present your ID to the camera.
- You will be buzzed into the vestibule.
- Please wait in the vestibule.
- We will bring your child to you in the vestibule where you will sign them out.
Kindergarten Single Session Days
**Kindergarten single sessions will alternate between AM & PM classes according to the following schedule: Student Entry at 8:40am - Dismissal at 11:20am
Wednesday, 11/27/24 - AM only (no PM session)
Friday, 12/20/24 - PM only (no AM session)
Monday, 2/3/25 - AM only (no PM session)
Monday, 3/10/25 - PM only (no AM session)
Wednesday, 6/18/25 - AM only (no PM session)
Thursday, 6/19/25 - PM only (no AM session)
Hillside Avenue School
Email: Deacon@cranfordschools.org
Website: https://has.cranfordschools.org/
Location: 125 Hillside Avenue, Cranford, NJ, USA
Phone: 908-709-6229