WEST ORANGE, NJ — Hazel Elementary School celebrated Juneteenth with drum and dance performances, games, storytime, and arts and crafts on June 18 as part of West Orange Township’s Juneteenth programs across town. The event also featured books by African American authors, food and singalongs. Photos Courtesy of Fatou Mbaye-Halsey
WEST ORANGE, NJ — On Saturday, April 30, the Traffic Safety Youth Advisory Board from West Orange High School, members of the Nikhil Badlani Foundation, WOHS urban arts and AP arts students, West Orange Township Council members, West Orange Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board members, “Art Alchemist” Elijah Minton and hundreds of West Orange residents of […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Elijah Minton, aka the Art Alchemist, a West Orange High School graduate and up-and-coming urban artist, partnered with West Orange High School AP art students and the Nikhil Badlani Foundation to design “Hope,” a street mural to slow down traffic near Hazel Elementary School. The community was invited to join in […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Hazel Elementary School welcomed “NED” on Jan. 24 for an assembly that helped students address challenges through character education. The 45-minute assembly featured a character named NED, whose name represents the three components of the type of mindset that can help students overcome obstacles: N: Never give up — understand the […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Students from preschool through senior year returned to school in West Orange on Sept. 9, many for the first time in nearly 18 months. Mask protocols were in place in all schools. After months of planning, the district hopes to return to some level of normalcy. Though Hurricane Ida caused some […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The June 21 end-of-year Board of Education meeting featured its semiannual Parade of Honors recognitions for the notable achievements of staff and students. Roosevelt Middle School students Rhianna Giuliano and Violet Kohlstein won the Outstanding Community Service Award for their environmental health work; Liberty Middle School students Natalia Feliz, Justin Lopez […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — June 2 marked a special sendoff at Hazel Elementary School, as students gathered collectively for the first time during the school year and soon-to-be retirees were recognized. “Retiring school counselor Lelia Tirado-Smith emphasized the theme of the school year, ‘All Are Welcomed Here,’ with a reading of ‘The Big Umbrella,’ by […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Members of the West Orange School District community spoke out at the April 19 Board of Education meeting against the elimination of Hazel Elementary School librarian Joyce Soto and Liberty Middle School chorus teacher Craig Sanphy in next year’s budget, advocating for the district to keep the positions on the payroll. […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — Following the presentation of the preliminary school reopening plan at a West Orange Board of Education meeting in July, Superintendent of Schools Scott Cascone and a panel of other school officials held a virtual town hall on Aug. 6, revisiting the plan and introducing changes. The plan that the BOE will […]
WEST ORANGE, NJ — With Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement that public school buildings would remain closed through the rest of the school year, the staff of Hazel Elementary reached out to its students to spread the love at a special community parade in recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week. “It was a spectacular event,” Hazel Principal […]