Message from the Administration
Dear Crossroads Community,
It’s hard to believe that in just a few short weeks, we’ll be wrapping up another incredible school year! This time of year is always packed with activities and celebrations, and I’m so grateful for the energy and enthusiasm that fills our school. This month, we had the pleasure of welcoming the Caldwell University Women’s Soccer Team to our school. They set up some exciting soccer activities, and it was wonderful to see our students actively engaged, trying new skills, and sharing their voices on the field. Their visit perfectly captured our theme for the year, Let Every Voice Empower, as our students found joy and confidence through movement and teamwork.
May is also Better Speech and Hearing Month, and our dedicated Speech Department planned a fantastic day filled with engaging activities. The focus was on core words, “I” statements, and sequencing—encouraging our students to reflect on how they communicate and share their ideas. The blow pops were an extra sweet treat that made the day even more memorable! Additionally, several of our classes visited Rutgers Dental School for teeth cleaning and screenings. This was our first trip as part of this new partnership, and it was a great success! We look forward to continuing this collaboration next school year to promote health and wellness. As we reflect on the month of May, the theme of self-reflection has been woven throughout all that we do. Our students and staff have taken time to celebrate their growth and progress this year, and it’s truly inspiring to see how every voice—no matter how big or small—can make an impact.
Looking ahead, we have so many fun events coming up in June! We hope you’ll join us for our Crossroads Field Day on Friday, June 6, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. There will be food, games, bounce houses, bubbles, and plenty of opportunities for families to join in the fun. We are also busy planning our Preschool Stepping Up Ceremony for our youngest learners on Thursday, June 12, at 1:00 PM. Finally, to cap off their journey at Crossroads, we will celebrate our 8th graders at the 8th Grade Commencement Ceremony on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 at 1:00PM.
Thank you for being part of this incredible school community. Let’s continue to lift each other up and empower every voice as we close out this wonderful year together!
Warm Regards,
Matt, Danielle, and Stacey
Student of the Month - Logan
Staff Spotlight - Lauren Lieberman - Classroom Teacher
1. How long have you been working at the commission?
I have been at the commission since February of 2025.
2. What would we be surprised to find out about you?
Although I have only been working at the commission for a few months, this is my 12th year of teaching!
3. What is your dream vacation?
Anywhere that is warm and sunny. I would love to go to Greece one day.
4. What is your favorite meal?
I am a big foodie, so I have many favorites! These days, I really love sushi and Thai food but I also will always love pasta, ramen, and any breakfast food!
5. What is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment is becoming a Mom to my 2 sons. They make me feel fulfilled everyday!
Staff Spotlight - Lisa Bailey - Teacher Assistant
1. How long have you been working at the commission?
I am about to complete my second year working at Crossroads. I love working here and I find everyday to be a new learning experience.
2. What would we be surprised to find out about you?
I think that you would be surprised to know that I was employed by Tommy Hilfiger for 10 years. While there, I worked my way up to being a corporate buyer. That position came with a lot of fun perks where I had the opportunity to meet and have lunches with so many famous actors, models, sports players and singers which included N’SYNC, Jennifer Lopez, and Lenny Kravitz to name some. Getting the 85 percent discount wasn’t too shabby either.
3. What is your dream vacation?
My dream vacation would be to visit Greece. I really want to see Mykonos Island. I have been to many islands but I hear nothing compares to the beauty of Mykonos.
4. What is your favorite meal?
Now that summer is approaching I would say my favorite meal right now would be colossal king crab legs.
5. What is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment is definitely my kids. They are my pride and joy. My daughter Madison just graduated college last week and my son Connor has one more year of high school left. I am extremely proud of their achievements but even more proud of the good humans they have become.
Ms. Peggy's Classroom
This month, our class had an exciting field trip to LifeTown! The LifeTown Shoppes is a simulated city where children can explore life like stores and practice real-world skills in a fun and supportive environment. With the help of amazing adult volunteers acting as storekeepers, our students had the opportunity to navigate the “city” and apply what they've learned in the classroom. The children especially loved buying movie tickets at the theater, shopping for snacks at the ShopRite, and getting pampered at the nail salon! It was a memorable and enriching experience for everyone.
We’ve also started a new unit based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. As part of this theme, we are observing five real caterpillars as they go through the life cycle. Right now, they are busy building their cocoons. We are all eagerly waiting for the day we can release our butterflies! This unit also gives us the opportunity to reinforce early math skills such as identifying colors, comparing sizes, and understanding sequencing—all in a fun, hands-on way.
Our students are almost finished learning about the sounds of the alphabet—just a few letters to go! They are also continuing to work on recognizing and spelling their names, which is a big milestone in early literacy development.
Each day, we practice one-to-one correspondence while counting during our calendar routine. We also review the days of the week and months of the year to help build time awareness and sequencing skills. Building strong social relationships remains a big focus in our classroom. Children continue to learn how to take turns, share, express themselves, and support one another. Alongside this, they are also receiving individualized instruction to help them grow at their own pace in all areas of development.
We’re so proud of everything our preschoolers are accomplishing and can’t wait to see what next month brings!
Ms. Daria's Classroom
Room 220A has continued to be busy with Community based Instruction trips going to places such as Clark Commons, the Cranford movie theater, one of our other schools (Westlake), Shoprite and Costco. We also got to go to a new location called LIfeTown where they have a mini town set up where we can practice buying things, using the crosswalk, and riding a bike all in the safety of the facility. They also have a pretty cool playground area! We have also welcomed the spring weather, being able to play outside on the playground, learning about the life cycle of butterflies and we even had a visit from the Caldwell Girls Soccer team where we got to participate in many activities. Since May is Better Hearing and Speech Month we also got to hang out with our speech department and play some cool games!
With it being near the end of the school year we have been starting to prepare for our 8th Grade Commencement and our Preschool Stepping Up Ceremony! We have been learning about the Cricut machine and using the heat press to iron on vinyl to graduation stoles for our students that are participating in the ceremonies.
We are excited for the end of the school year and getting a little break before coming back to start ESY!
Crossroads May Newsletter - Speech Therapy Spotlight
It is hard to believe that the end of the year is here! May is Better Speech and Hearing Month (BSHM) and the speech-language therapy department celebrates by educating both the staff and the students on all things communication. To kick off the month, Blow Pops with vocal hygiene handouts were displayed by the front office for the staff. Educators are more likely to have voice disorders than any other occupation. Providing our staff with tips like, drinking water regularly, vocal rest, and reducing whispering or yelling are simple ways to encourage vocal hygiene.
For the students, the speech-language therapy department planned a morning full of fun activities! These activities included speech and language skills targeted during weekly therapy sessions. The students used puffy paint to decorate the first letters of their names, used core words “stop/go, my turn/your turn” during an obstacle course, built flowers by sequencing steps, and used “I” statements to talk about how they feel during speech. With the help of the occupational therapy department, the morning was filled with learning, socializing, and fun!
This month in physical education, students have continued participating in various activities that improve cardiovascular fitness, hand-eye coordination, balance and strength. Since the weather has been nicer, we have tried to extend our outdoor walking during the beginning of each class. We have increased the amount of laps and the pace at which we complete them. We have a few new students that started recently and they are adjusting well and are making friends.
In health class we were learning about the 5 senses. Students have continued to work in a group setting and practiced following directions and turn taking while playing various games as well as answering questions on large flash cards, ipads and a touch screen monitor.
Fitness groups/individual sessions are going well and are giving students a chance to participate in certain activities that they might not necessarily get to in a typical physical education setting. Students have been engaged and are enjoying the extra time in the gym. They have also had the chance to be more independent and are practicing making choices on what activities they participate in. This has helped to keep them on task and take more of an interest in the activities they do.
Back-to-School Forms for 2025–2026
Keep an eye out for the 2025–2026 Medical Back-to-School Forms, which will be sent home in your child’s backpack within the next two weeks. This packet contains important information and documents that need your attention. Please take the time to read through everything carefully.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact Nurse Lynn.
