Orange Avenue School Community
January 27, 2025
Dear OAS Families,
Thank you for your flexibility and patience with the changes to our entrance and dismissal procedures last week. Starting Monday, we will return to our normal procedures.
- Fifth and sixth-grade students will enter through the back of the building (the front door will no longer be used for student entry).
- Doors are open from 8:00–8:10 AM for Middle School and 8:40–8:50 AM for Elementary School.
Please ensure students use the full time window to enter the building, as there is no supervision outside before the doors open. Students arriving early are expected to follow all school and playground rules. Thank you for reminding your children of these expectations.
Be sure to review the information below for important updates, reminders, and key dates!
Middle School Information
7th Grade Field Trip
Our seventh grade trip is rapidly approaching! The second and final payment for the trip should be submitted to Ms. Burgdorf in Room 30, or your student's Language Arts teacher by Monday, February 17th. The second payment is $90, and checks should be made payable to Orange Avenue School. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Ms. Burgdorf at firstname.lastname@example.org. We are looking forward to a great day in NYC!
CHS Elective Choices Open in Powerschool
Families of the CHS Class of 2029,
Powerschool will be open, Monday, February 3 through Friday, February 7 to make elective choices online for the 2025-2026 school year at Cranford High School. You may also view level recommendations made by your current 8th grade teachers. Please click here for directions how to make online course selections.
Please review the 2025-2026 CHS Program of Studies and 2025-2026 course selection sheet and if you have not already done so, schedule an appointment using the Calendly links found in the CHS Incoming Class of 2028 9th Grade Scheduling letter to meet individually with your child's CHS school counselor to make final course selections for the Cranford High School 2025-2026 school year.
9th Grade Orientation Follow Up
7th Grade Spanish Dances Salsa!
Our Spanish 7th grade students and Spanish Novice 8th graders danced to the rhythm of “Conga” by Gloria Estefan, a popular Cuban singer. This activity tied in perfectly with the novel we’re reading, which is set in Cuba. The students had a great time learning new salsa moves! Check out some of the pictures below!
Middle School Entrance Reminders - Doors Open at 8:00 AM
Middle School: Doors open at 8:00 AM
- Doors will be open from 8:00 AM - 8:10 AM - Ten minutes have been reserved for entry procedures for both elementary and middle school. Please do not drop your child off before the designated time, as there is no supervision. Each day a staff member will greet the students at their assigned door (see above). Please use the ten minute window as a way to reduce congestion in and around the building.
- After 8:10 AM Middle School students will need to enter through the Main Entrance and receive a tardy pass.
- Period 1 begins at 8:10 AM, students who need to go to their locker, should enter prior to 8:08 AM in order to arrive to first period on time.
Elementary School Information
Elementary School Entrance Reminders - Doors Open at 8:40 AM
Elementary School: Doors open at 8:40 AM
- Doors will be open from 8:40 AM - 8:50 AM - Ten minutes have been reserved for entry procedures for both elementary and middle school. Please do not drop your child off before the designated time, as there is no supervision. Each day a staff member will greet the students at their assigned door (see above). Please use the ten minute window as a way to reduce congestion in and around the building.
- After 8:50 AM Elementary School students will need to enter through the Main Entrance and receive a tardy pass.
Immunization Information for the 2025-2026 School Year
5th Grade Parents,
The New Jersey Department of Health requires students entering Grade 6 or transferring into Grade 6 or above to receive the following vaccines:
- Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis)
- Meningococcal vaccine
Please click here for a letter with more information regarding this.
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:
IMPORTANT SCHOOL REMINDERS
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:
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 email@example.com 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.
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 firstname.lastname@example.org 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:
(The OAS passcode is: 1014977906143535)
School Lunch Information
A Message from Pomptonian: Promoting Prepayments and Avoiding Convenience Fees
Pomptonian Healthy School Lunch Challenge
Below is some information regarding Pomptonian’s 6th Annual Healthy School Lunch Challenge, an initiative designed to treat the cafeteria as an extension of the classroom while celebrating National Nutrition Month. It’s a wonderful opportunity to get students involved in the kitchen and excited about creating healthy meals.
• Students are invited to submit a healthy recipe by February 24th.
• Submissions will be divided into three categories: Pre-K through 5th grade, 6th through 8th grades, and 9th through 12th grades.
• For each category, we’ll select two Grand Prize Winners and one Super Grand Prize Winner.
• The top three high school contestants will compete in a cooking challenge at Driscoll Foods in their professional kitchen on March 7th from 8:30AM-2:30PM.
Linked below is a short video detailing the competition. Additionally, attached to this email are flyers with all of the details of the challenge.
Check out last year’s High School Lunch Challenge Cook-Off video and take a look back at one of our Super Grand Prize Winners: Healthy School Lunch Challenge Winner: Antonella Marinelli. If there is a culinary program in your district, we would love for you to forward this information to the teacher or advisor in charge.
Cranford Fund for Educational Excellence (CFEE)
January SEL Family Resource
The article, linked and HERE, is a parent guide for effectively setting goals - one of our Full Value Principles - in the New Year.
Bullies to Buddies
Thursday, February 20th
6:30pm - 8:00pm
For parents/guardians grades PK - 12, and Students Grade 3 and Up.
Please join us on Thursday, February 20th for our Bullies to Buddies Parent Program. We will be serving ice cream! Feel free to bring your children Grades 3 and up! In this workshop, we will discuss the differences between conflict and bullying. You will learn how to teach your child how to respond to verbal issues from others in a way that immediately decreases the incidence of bullying and increases resilience.
Cranford Public Library - Free Writing Workshop
The Cranford Public Library runs a free Writing Workshop led by middle-grade author Brigit Young. Applications are now open for the spring session, The library has classes for grades 4-5, 6-7, and 8+.