Dear ACS Families,
As the temperatures climbed this week, the energy and excitement at ACS only continued to grow! Our students and staff stayed focused, engaged, and full of school spirit while enjoying several memorable events across our community. Highlights included the District Strings Festival, an exciting trip for our Global Citizens students, and our talented 4th graders taking the stage for their performance of We Are Monsters!
We also celebrated two very special members of our school community this week — our Educational Service Professional of the Year, Ms. Jacquie Almeida and our Teacher of the Year, Mr. Levi Vaughn!
Please note that school will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. We extend our sincere gratitude to the brave service members who have sacrificed for our country and honor their dedication and commitment.
We wish all of our ACS families a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable long weekend.
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Please join us in congratulating 🌟 Jacquie Almeida and 🍎 Levi Vaughn on being recognized as ACS’s Educational Service Professional of the Year and Teacher of the Year!
On Tuesday evening, both were honored at the Board of Education meeting and celebrated alongside colleagues from across the district at the BCEA luncheon held at Biagio’s. We are so thankful for their continued dedication to our students, families, and school community.
Congratulations to all district award recipients on this meaningful and well-earned recognition! 🎉👏
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Bravo to our amazing 4th grade students for their outstanding performances of We Are Monsters! 🎭🎵 Families enjoyed a wonderful evening show on Wednesday, followed by a special school-day performance for our students today. Their enthusiasm, dedication, and courage on stage made this production a huge success. We are so proud of all of our 4th grade performers and thankful to everyone who helped bring the show to life! 🌟👏 |
Mrs. Armstrong’s second graders are officially published authors! 📚✨ We are so proud of these amazing students for sharing their “All About Me” stories with confidence, creativity, and big smiles. 💙 From writing to illustrating, each student put their unique voice on the page and celebrated the joy of storytelling. What a wonderful accomplishment for our young authors! 🌟👏 |
Ms. Daley’s class spent time this week adding beautiful new flowers to our school’s pollinator garden! 🐝🦋 The flowers, generously donated by our Home & School Association, will help create a vibrant space that supports butterflies, bees, and other important pollinators. Students enjoyed getting their hands dirty while learning about caring for the environment and helping nature thrive. Thank you to our HSA for supporting this meaningful project! 🌼🌿 |
Cream and Cookie are getting bigger every day! 🐥✨ Our students have enjoyed checking in on the chicks and observing all the changes as they continue to grow and explore their surroundings. These feathered friends have quickly become a favorite part of the school day, bringing lots of smiles and learning opportunities along the way! 💛🐣 |
As part of our 🌏 Love Our Lunch celebration, and 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.
To make the experience even more meaningful, our HSA generously prepared rice cakes for students to sample! 🍱🥢 This hands-on opportunity helped connect culture, learning, and community in a fun and memorable way.
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Our kindergarten 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. This week, students got 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. 🌿✨ |
Our students are showcasing their creativity in the art studio this week! 🌟 Third graders are carefully painting wood assemblage plaques, exploring color, design, and composition as they bring their unique pieces to life. Meanwhile, fourth graders are channeling their inner artists with Romero Britto-inspired puppy portraits 🐶🎨, using bold patterns and bright colors to celebrate joy and expression. We love seeing our young artists grow their skills and confidence through such imaginative projects! ✨ |
Our Global Citizens Club is sharing weekly recycling tips to help our community make more environmentally friendly choices.
Through student leadership, we’re building lifelong habits of responsibility, sustainability, and care for the world around us.
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We’re excited to help every student get their own library card! Having a Leonia Library card opens the door to endless books, free resources, and fun summer reading opportunities.
If your child does not have their own library card, please take a moment to fill out the Google Form to sign your child up. Once completed, your child will receive their library card during their class visit to the library.
Let’s get everyone ready for a summer full of reading adventures!
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ACS kids remember Field Day for years. Be a part of it. Sign up to Volunteer - it’s not too late!
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Come browse books as a family on Tuesday June 2 from 6-7pm and don't miss the special Story Time! |
* 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 April
May
K- 4 Unit: Summer Health and Safety:
Kindergarten - 4th Grade: How can we keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe?
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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