Dear ACS Families,
Despite beginning the week with two unexpected snow days, our students and staff returned ready to learn and quickly found their rhythm again! Classrooms were filled with strong instruction, collaboration, and meaningful learning experiences as we closed out the week on a high note. It was wonderful to see our students reengage so positively, demonstrating resilience, focus, and enthusiasm for learning.
We are also excited to welcome parents into our classrooms next week for read-aloud visits in celebration of Read Across America Week! Be sure to check out below for additional ways our students can participate and celebrate reading from home.
Have an amazing weekend!
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The world-famous Harlem Wizards are coming to town for an unforgettable night of basketball, laughs, and high-flying tricks — and they’re taking on our very own Leonia Teachers!
Saturday, February 28th
Doors open at 6:00 PM
Tip-off at 7:00 PM
Leonia High School Gym
This is a family-friendly event packed with jaw-dropping shots, crowd-pleasing fun, and tons of school spirit.
Tickets are on sale NOW — and they’re going fast!
Don’t wait… this event always sells out! Come cheer, laugh, and support our Leonia community. We can’t wait to see you there!
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Mrs. Park’s class partnered with Ms. DaSilva’s PreK students to help guide them through their first poetry contest. Across several visits, students collaborated to complete poems, enjoyed time playing together, and wrapped up the experience by sharing the PreK students’ final poetry pieces. |
Mrs. Fisher's classroom turned into a busy bakery as students became bakers for the day! Using their fraction skills, they filled cookie orders by measuring and problem-solving to make sure every order was just right. This hands-on activity helped bring fractions to life while mixing math with creativity and teamwork. |
Students in Ms. McQuade’s class explored colonial life by making their own butter as part of their Social Studies unit. This hands-on experience helped students better understand daily life in colonial times while connecting history to real-world learning. |
Join us tonight for the Korean Cultural Festival! Leonia students have been working hard to prepare, and they are excited to share an evening of dance, music, and traditions with our whole community.
Location: Leonia High School Little Theatre
Time: 6:30 - 8:00PM
We hope to see you there!
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The ACS Home & School Association joyfully invites you to Global Feast 2026. We warmly welcome all members of our community to participate in celebrating Leonia's rich cultural mosaic. What better way to recognize the diverse heritage that thrives within our community than through the universal language of food that fills us with pride. Join us for an evening of global cuisine and fun performances!
The event will be held on Friday, March 27, 2026 at 6:30pm at the Leonia Middle School Gym.
To make this event a success, we need volunteers to represent their countries in the following format: food representation, song submission to add to the global music playlist, and fashion show with traditional clothing.
The list of countries is based on previous representations but we would love to have new countries represented. Please pick "Other" and add the country name in the comment.
If you have other suggestions or comments, please reach out to Louise Spence: diversity@acshsa.org .
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Please join the ACS HSA for the annual Spring Gala, on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 6-10pm at Hudson Manor in Fort Lee. This year's theme is Masquerade!
This annual event is our biggest fundraiser to support the school and all ACS students. There will be dinner, drinks, and dancing, as well as a silent auction with exciting items to bid on and some special raffle prizes!
*This event is for adults only*
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Celebrate your graduating 4th grader with a heartfelt message in the 2025–2026 ACS Memory Book/Yearbook!
This is a special opportunity to share words of love, pride, encouragement, and support as they prepare for their next chapter. Friends and family messages are welcome!
Submit your message here:
How to Participate:
- Submit a message of support, praise, and encouragement
- 50-word maximum
- $5 per message
- Deadline: Monday, March 2 (No exceptions!)
Have questions? Please email:
jen.montagnino@acshsa.org
tina.rudolf@acshsa.org
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Onwards and Upwards!
Justine Choi & Melissa Freeman
Co-Presidents, 2024 - 2026
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* Click here to learn how to get ParentSquare messages in the language of your choice * Click here to support our school and donate to the ACS HSA
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Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is now live! Here's what you need to know:
📅Register by April 2, 2026 to guarantee placement for Leonia residents.
Who's eligible? Pre-K 4 → Turns 4 by October 1, 2026 | Kindergarten → Turns 5 by October 1, 2026
Already in Pre-K 4? If your child is currently enrolled in Pre-K 4 as a Leonia resident, you do not need to register — they'll be automatically promoted to Kindergarten.
3 Steps to Register:
- Complete the online registration & Home Language Survey at www.leoniaschools.org/prek-k-registration (registration checklist available in English, Korean, and Spanish)
- Gather your documents (birth certificate/passport, proof of residency, medical forms — full list on the registration page). Please have all documents ready — incomplete packets cannot be processed.
- After completing your online registration, you'll be directed to schedule your in-person appointment. All appointments must be booked by April 2 before 1:00 PM.
💳Pre-K tuition details and payment schedule are on the registration page under the Pre-K Tuition tab.
We can't wait to meet our newest Leonia Lions!
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This is a friendly reminder of the ACS Policy from our student/family handbook:
Cell Phones/Electronic Devices
- Cell phones are not permitted during school hours.
- Cell phones or other devices must be turned off and kept in students’ backpacks during the course of the school day.
- Cell phones or other devices shall be confiscated by any staff member if seen, heard, or used during the school day.
- This may result in the family being contacted and asked to pick up the phone from the main office.
- During school hours, cell phones and other electronic devices are not permitted in classrooms (including when there is a substitute teacher), the gym, the cafeteria, hallways, locker rooms, restrooms, or during recess.
- Earbuds and headphones may not be worn during hallway passing times or when moving throughout the building.
In the event you need to contact your child, please contact the main office. If your child needs to contact you, they will be sent to the main office by their teacher to make a phone call using our office line.
You can also learn more about the District wide policy here
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Please see topics for the month of March & April
March
K- 4 Unit: Nutrition
Kindergarten: What are the different food groups? Why are some foods healthier than others?
1st Grade: What is the difference between healthy and unhealthy eating habits?
2nd Grade: What happens if you don’t have any food and clean water? Where can you go?
3rd Grade: What kind of food does your body need to stay healthy? What kind of food does your mind need to stay healthy?
4th Grade: How do we develop a healthy meal plan based on our nutritional needs?
April
K- 4 Unit: Growing Our Bodies and Minds
Kindergarten: What does it mean to be well? What are different types of feelings you may have?
1st Grade: What kinds of things can reproduce? How do parents take care of their children?
2nd Grade: What are the medical names for different body parts?
3rd Grade: There is no health unit for Grade 3 in April
4th Grade: How does our body change physically, socially, and emotionally during puberty?
For questions related to our District Health Curriculum, please contact Steve Perrotta at Steven.Perrotta@leoniaschools.org..
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Good attendance and class participation are essential ingredients for academic success. Excessive absence from class is detrimental to the learning process.
Classroom lessons foster and require social interaction, development of effective communication skills, critical thinking, and subject mastery.
While we recognize there are times that your child may need to be absent, we want to encourage parents to be aware of their child's attendance and monitor how absences are or may impact on your child's learning.
Research shows that absences that exceed more than 10% (18 days) of the school year could have a lingering impact on that child's academic progress.
Below, please find the ACS Attendance Policy and Procedures for reporting absences.
Parents of students who have excessive and/or unexcused absences, tardiness or early departures will be notified by telephone and by mail.
The school will:
- Maintain accurate daily record-keeping for attendance, absence, tardiness or early departure of each student.
- Utilize data analysis systems for tracking individual student attendance and individual and group trends in student attendance problems.
- Develop incentives to encourage student attendance.
- Develop early intervention strategies to improve school attendance for all students.
- Parents will be contacted for all student absences, even one-day absences. A call is not necessary if the parent contacts the school. A reasonable attempt must be made to reach the child's parent/guardian.
Type of Absences
Absence: Failure of a student to be physically present in school/class or an approved school activity/program.
**Please note that if your child is absent for any reason, excused or unexcused, your child’s attendance record will show an absence. Attendance is a legal record of whether or not your child is in our care; if they are not in the school building, they will be marked as absent. Communicating why your child is absent, and providing documentation when available, creates a story of your child’s attendance and helps our school to determine if more supports are needed.
Excused Absence: An absence for any portion of the day that meets the conditions specified under "Excused Absence;"
Unexcused Absence: An absence for any portion of the day that does not meet the conditions specified under "Excused Absence. "
Excused Absences:
- Illness of student
- Absence must be reported by the parent via phone or written communication
- Religious observance
- The student’s required attendance in court and supported by documentation
- Participation in observance of Veterans Day
- Participation in district board of election membership activities
- Take Your Child to Work Day
Unexcused Absence: Absence for any reason other than listed above will be deemed unexcused
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Procedures for Reporting Absences
If a child is going to be absent, you can contact the school in one of two ways - in both instances, please provide your child’s name, teacher and reason for absence
For absences that last for an extended period of time due to illness, the school nurse may reach out for more information. For extended absences, home instruction may be offered.
In cases where your child must be released from a school prior to the end of the school day, parents must report to the main office to sign their child out.
In the event your child arrives after 9:00am, they should report to the main office.
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Looking to set restrictions your child's meal purchases?
Need to add money to your child's account?
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We know families are busy and may not always be able to read updates right away. No worries!
You can easily find posts later using the search bar at the top right. Just type in a keyword, phrase, or the poster’s name to quickly locate what you need to.
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To learn more about our schools, follow us on:
281 Broad Ave.
Leonia, NJ 07605
Phone: (201) 302-5200
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