Good evening,
The final month of the 2025-2026 school year has officially arrived. June is one of our most energetic months, packed with milestone events like awards nights, moving-up ceremonies, field days, and graduations that highlight our students' incredible growth. As we look back on a year of hard work and look forward to a well-deserved summer, this newsletter is filled with with inspiring student achievements, upcoming traditions, and key district updates.
Inside this update, you will find:
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Around Our Schools: Recapping our major events and celebrations.
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News You Can Use: Key updates on the ACS playground improvement grant, Alumni Network, "Leading Leonia" Podcast, and Gifted & Talented program.
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A Symphony of Success: Showcasing our wonderful music concerts.
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Roaring Achievements: Celebrating student awards and successes from the past month.
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Lions Caught Learning: Spotlights daily classroom engagement and learning.
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Lions in the Wild: Highlights from our recent field trips.
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Tech Tips & Updates: The latest news from our Technology Department.
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In Case You Missed It: Key links and reminders from previous newsletters.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support throughout the 2025-26 school year.
Dr. Xanthy Karamanos
Superintendent of Schools
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Last Thursday, our Senior Week celebrations for the Class of 2026 officially commenced with Pre-Prom and Prom. Pre-Prom was another massive success, bringing families and friends together thanks to the wonderful efforts and organization of our LHS HSA. Following the traditional Pre-Prom announcements and photos, students boarded the buses and made their way to an elegant evening at the Old Tappan Manor for Prom.
The excitement continued on Friday morning with the annual yearbook signing and the classic Lavish Breakfast, beautifully prepared and hosted by the talented underclassmen in our culinary arts program. Friday afternoon, seniors kept the momentum with a pool party. Senior Week rolls on this week with many more special traditions, events, and activities designed to celebrate our graduates' incredible journey.
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Congratulations to all of our talented fourth graders on a fantastic production of the musical, We Are Monsters! We are incredibly proud of the hard work, dedication, and creativity our students displayed on stage.
Bravo to the entire cast, crew, and directors on a monster of a show!
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We couldn't have asked for better weather for our recent Anna C. Scott Elementary and Grades 5 and 7 Leonia Middle School field days! It was wonderful to see our students enjoying some well-deserved time outdoors, playing games and connecting with friends after a very busy month of state testing. The fun isn't over yet, we have more field days lined up for our remaining LMS grades over the next few weeks.
A huge thank you to our dedicated staff for organizing such a fantastic, high-energy event for our students, and to our wonderful volunteers for taking the time to participate and help make these events so memorable for our community!
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Last week, our 6th-grade students from both Leonia Middle School and EVG School in Edgewater came together at Veterans Field for their annual picnic. This beloved tradition serves as a wonderful opportunity for the two student bodies to socialize, connect, and build new friendships before they officially merge into a single cohort for the 7th grade. |
A special thanks goes out to our dedicated LMS and EVG teachers, who did a phenomenal job organizing and executing the event. Their intentional planning ensured that students intermingled, participated in team-building activities, and kicked off their upcoming middle school transition on a high note! |
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We are excited to officially announce that our district has been awarded a Local Recreation Improvement Grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. These grant funds will be strategically utilized to build a new retaining wall for critical flood mitigation, as well as to replace older playground equipment with modern, updated structures.
Our district team is already hard at work bringing these plans to life. Our goal is to complete the foundational retaining wall work this August, ensuring that the brand-new playground equipment is safely installed and ready for our students to enjoy before we welcome them back for the start of the new school year this September.
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Whether you graduated recently or years ago, you remain a vital part of the Leonia Public Schools family! We are launching an official Leonia Public Schools Alumni Network to help former students reconnect, celebrate achievements, and build mentorship pathways for our current students.
👉 Help Us Build the Pride! If you are a graduate of Leonia Public Schools, please take a minute to complete this brief Google Form or visit our website to pass the information along to any other graduates you may know.
Thank you for your continued Leonia pride and for supporting the past, present, and future of our school community!
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The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has officially released the 2024-2025 School Performance Reports to the public. These annual reports provide families, educators, and community members with valuable insight into various performance metrics at the school, district, and state levels, including academic achievement, student growth, chronic absenteeism, and graduation statistics.
👉 Visit our website for more information and direct access to our district's performance reports.
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Following last year's comprehensive program audit, our Gifted & Talented Plan Forward is entering its final stages. From professional development, to convening committees of educators and parents, to building a transparent, multiple-measures identification process, this work has shaped a stronger, more equitable program for our students.
A few key highlights include:
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New Pull-Out Program for Grades 4 & 5. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, identified students will meet twice a week with our Gifted & Talented Teacher for rigorous, hands-on learning that sparks critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity across subjects.
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Enrichment Woven into the School Day. Through targeted professional development, we've embedded enrichment opportunities across content areas, ensuring that meaningful, challenging learning is a part of the everyday classroom experience for our students.
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Refined Portfolio Classes at LMS. Our LMS Portfolio classes have been sharpened for consistent academic rigor and authentic future-ready learning.
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Updated Website for Transparency. Our district Gifted & Talented webpage has been refreshed to provide families with clear, accessible information regarding our updated identification process, school-by-school offerings, and program goals.
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Get ready to connect with our schools in a whole new way with the official launch of the brand-new Leading Leonia Podcast! This podcast is your new go-to source for the stories, voices, and innovations that shape our district.
Our goal is to bring the community closer to our schools by sitting down with inspiring students, dedicated educators, and district leaders. In each episode, we will dive into exciting instructional projects, achievements, spotlights, and key district initiatives. Whether you are a parent, student, or proud Leonia resident, this podcast offers an insider’s look at the incredible journey of our learners.
👉 Head to one of our streaming platforms to listen: YouTube, Spotify. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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On May 7, our spring concert season officially kicked off in spectacular fashion as Anna C. Scott Elementary School hosted its third- and fourth-grade musical performances. The evening was a beautiful showcase of our youngest musicians' growing talents.
We are proud of all our students, whose hard work, practice, and enthusiasm were evident in every single note. Thank you to our elementary music department for their dedication to nurturing a love of the arts, as well as to our wonderful Leonia families for their support and attendance.
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Our Lions Spring Concert was a tremendous success! Students showcased their incredible musical talents through an evening filled with energy, creativity, and pride. From beautiful melodies to powerful performances, our musicians truly shined on stage.
A huge thank you to our talented students, dedicated music staff, and supportive families for making this special event such a memorable celebration of the arts at LMS!
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The LHS Spring Concert was a wonderful celebration of another outstanding year for our Music Department. Choirs, Bands, and Orchestra ensembles all took the stage for an evening filled with incredible performances. The concert also included a special viewing of the Williamsburg Music Festival video created by seniors Valentina Colacurto and Audrey Sugiaman, highlighting the unforgettable experiences and achievements from this year’s trip.
Congratulations to all of our performers on an amazing concert, and special congratulations to our seniors as they took the stage for their final LHS music performance. Thank you as well to our dedicated directors for their leadership, passion, and commitment throughout another remarkable year of music at LHS.
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Leonia High School hosted our much-anticipated Annual District Strings Festival on May 18. In a wonderful display of district-wide collaboration, LHS musicians teamed up with members of the middle school orchestra to put on an inspiring performance for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-grade students at ACS.
The fantastic event ended on a high note when Concertmaster and LMS extern Cindy Kim stepped up to the podium to conduct the combined group in a beautiful rendition of Danny Boy. Thank you to all of our talented student musicians for sharing your gifts with our younger learners!
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Congratulations to seniors Celeste Garzon and Isaac Mutumba, who proudly represented Leonia High School as this year’s NJIC Sportsmanship Award recipients!
This honor is awarded annually to student-athletes who demonstrate the highest levels of leadership, integrity, and respect for both teammates and opponents, serving as role models on and off the field. Both Celeste and Isaac have left a mark on our athletic programs throughout their high school careers, embodying what it means to be a Leonia Lion.
Thank you to Celeste and Isaac for representing our community with such distinction and wish them the best in their future endeavors!
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Congratulations to Ava Ng, LHS 10th Grader, who has been named as a finalist in the Bergen County 6th Annual Stigma-Free Sticker Contest!
Her artwork was selected from submissions across the county for its powerful message promoting mental health awareness and reducing stigma. We are incredibly proud of Ava for using her talents to support the Stigma-Free movement and represent our community at the county level.
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Congratulations to both Anna C. Scott Elementary School and Leonia Middle School on being officially recognized as a 2025-26 Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation! This designation is a wonderful reflection of our school community's ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability, and keeping our campuses healthy, green spaces for students to learn and grow.
Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this achievement possible, including our dedicated staff, Ms. Alia, Ms. Sullivan, and Ms. Badalamenti, as well as the Leonia Shade Tree Commission for their invaluable partnership.
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Congratulations to Leonia High School juniors Lydia Cho, Eunice Hwang, Lydia Chung, Ashley K. Kim, and Violet Park for their outstanding performance in the 2026 Harvard Political Review Essay Competition! This prestigious global event brought together 340 students from 140 schools and 24 nations, challenging young scholars to dive deeply into the nuances of political journalism.
Working seamlessly as a team, these five talented students collaborated to brainstorm complex ideas, assign focused research topics, and rigorously peer-edit each other's work. As a direct result of their dedicated collective effort, the Leonia team finished in the top 25% globally and was recognized with the Honors Recipient Award. We are incredibly proud of these students for representing our district so exceptionally well on an international stage!
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As part of our Green Team artifacts for our Sustainable Jersey recertification, our district submitted an outstanding instructional unit developed by Señora Wedlake for her Spanish IV class at LHS. The unit challenges students to examine Inca civilization's sustainable engineering and agricultural practices, including hydraulic systems, terraced farming, and the Andean concept of Pachamama, while producing evidence-based arguments in Spanish that counter colonial narratives.
We are proud to share that this unit was identified as an exemplar Education for Sustainability (EfS) unit design by Jaimie Cloud, the founder of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education and a leading national expert in the field. Furthermore, Señora Wedlake's work was featured on a recent Sustainable Jersey statewide webinar as a model resource for integrating sustainability into school curriculums.
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Our Pre-K students have been busy growing their very own lettuce! What began as seeds sprouting in cups of water in the classroom has now been transplanted and is thriving in our garden by the playground.
Last week, students had the opportunity to taste the lettuce they’ve been caring for, and everyone was brave enough to try it! While many agreed it tasted a bit bitter, the experience was a wonderful opportunity to learn about plant growth, patience, and where our food comes from.
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Our LMS grade six students recently put their creativity and scientific knowledge to work by designing and building model volcanoes as part of their Earth science studies. From carefully crafted mountain structures to explosive eruptions, the project gave students a hands-on opportunity to explore volcanic activity, chemical reactions, and the science behind Earth’s powerful natural forces.
The classroom was filled with excitement, teamwork, and plenty of lava-inspired creativity!
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Students from the Leonia Academy for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (LAHCA) Cohorts 10 and 14, representing both our seniors and freshmen, teamed up to prepare a spectacular lunch for the final district Administrative Team meeting of the school year. The talented culinary students crafted a mouthwatering menu featuring spinach and ricotta stuffed shells with homemade sauce, fresh garlic knots, and fruit salad and Banana S’mores cups for dessert.
Three senior students formally presented the meal to the administration and took the opportunity to share personal, meaningful highlights from their multi-year experiences within the LAHCA academy program.
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As part of the 🌏 Love Your Lunch initiative through APPI-NJ, students in grades K-2 explored and celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander cultures through books, conversations, and special experiences designed to build awareness and appreciation for diverse traditions and perspectives.
This hands-on opportunity helped connect culture, learning, and community in a fun and memorable way. Thank you to our ACS HSA for helping make the experience even more meaningful by donating generously prepared rice cakes for students to sample.
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LHS US History I students visited the New Jersey State House in Trenton yesterday for a tour of the Capitol. Students saw the Assembly Chamber, Senate Chamber, Rotunda, and several offices, including the Senate Majority Caucus Room. After the tour, students took part in the Make a Law program, where they participated in a simulated committee meeting focused on an actual New Jersey bill about high school start times.
The trip concluded at the New Jersey State Museum, where students viewed an exhibit celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The exhibit featured important documents from New Jersey’s history, including the original Constitution and Bill of Rights sent to New Jersey for ratification, as well as an original printing of the New Jersey Constitution.
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Our LMS Environmental Club recently enjoyed an amazing field trip to Sandy Hook, where students partnered with the conservationists from Clean Ocean Action for an unforgettable day of hands-on learning!
Students participated in seining activities, explored and studied fascinating horseshoe crabs, and searched the shoreline for unique beach shells while learning about marine ecosystems and coastal conservation. This exciting real-world experience gave our students the opportunity to connect classroom learning with environmental stewardship in a fun, interactive setting.
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Our Board of Education had a fantastic time setting up a district booth at Leonia Day and spending the afternoon talking with community members. The event was a huge success and provided a wonderful opportunity to share information and answer questions about district programs, sharing how to stay connected, and listening to community feedback. Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop by, grab some information, and chat with us. |
Being a Responsible Creator
As we integrate AI into our learning, we must also reinforce the pillars of Digital Citizenship. This month, we are teaching students that having access to powerful AI tools comes with a responsibility to be honest and ethical. This means being transparent about when AI is used and understanding the "Digital Footprint" we leave behind. We want our students to understand that AI can assist their work, but it should never replace their integrity. By focusing on "Ethical Use," we are helping students become leaders in the digital world who use technology to enhance their own unique voices, rather than hiding behind an algorithm.
Tech Tip: The "AI Disclosure" Habit
A key part of digital citizenship is transparency. Encourage your child to get into the habit of "citing" their AI help just like they would a book. If they used Gemini to help brainstorm an outline or explain a math concept, they can add a small note at the bottom of their work: "I used Gemini AI to help organize my initial thoughts for this project." This builds a culture of honesty and helps teachers see where the student’s own ideas took flight!
💬 Simple Topic for Home: The "Integrity" Chat
Try asking your child this question to spark a conversation about digital ethics:
"If everyone started using AI to do their work in secret, how would we know what people actually think or believe? Why is it important to show the world your own ideas, even if they aren't 'perfect'?"
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We know families are busy and may not always be able to read updates right away. To easily find our previous posts, use the search bar at the top of your screen to type in a keyword, phrase, or the poster’s name to quickly locate what you need to. |
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👉 Click here to access the 2025-2026 district calendar.
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👉 Food Services: To access more information on our food services and programs, as well as a "how to" video section, please visit our Food Services page.
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👉 Tech Help: Click here for information on how to submit a tech help desk ticket.
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👉 HIB FAQ Page: To help families better understand Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB), including key terms, processes, and what to expect during investigations, visit our HIB page.
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👉 Student Safety and Well Being: Nothing matters more to us than the safety and well-being of your child. Visit our Safety Page to learn more about how we keep our schools secure and supportive.
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👉 To Learn More about ParentSquare, check out these helpful pages on our district website:
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Every day counts! We want all of our students to show up to school, every day, and we are committed to working with families to ensure that every student attends school regularly and achieves their full potential. We are here to help you.
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We know that strong family partnerships are key to student success. Whether you’re seeking food assistance, mental health services, or community programs, you’ll find quick links and hotlines here. All of these resources are confidential and many are free of cost.
📞 Key Hotlines & Support Services
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988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 anytime.
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Child Abuse: Call 1-877-652-2873.
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PerformCare NJ Parent Crisis Hotline: 1-877-652-7624 – Free, in-home mental health support for children.
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2nd Floor Teen Support Line: 1-888-222-2228 – 24/7 access for students to speak with a counselor.
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Center for Hope & Safety: 201-944-9600 – Domestic violence support services.
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NJ 2-1-1: Dial 211 or 1-877-652-1148 – Connects families with local services and assistance programs.
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Center for Food Action: 201-569-1804 – Food distribution by appointment (Englewood).
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CarePlus NJ: 201-986-5000 – Counseling and wellness services.
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New Bridge Medical Center: 1-800-730-2762 – Counseling and inpatient care.
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Bergen County Family Services: Click here for more information.
- Additional Bergen County Resources
If you have questions or need help navigating these supports, please reach out to your child’s school. We are here to help families feel informed, supported, and empowered, every step of the way.
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