Mt. Pleasant Elementary to celebrate the life of Henry Chang

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Mt. Pleasant Elementary School community will celebrate the life of student Henry Chang, who died in July following a long battle with cancer. A special event has been scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the school, located at 9 Manger Road, in conjunction with West […]

‘Liv Bits’ star shares her story of hope and love

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Olivia VanLedtje, age 11, has visited more than 30 schools, spoken to more than 25,000 people and traveled to 19 states to share her message of hope and love under her brand “The Liv Bits,” along with her mom, Cynthia Merrill, a literacy consultant. The dynamic duo are halfway through a […]

Legionella bacteria found in several school district water fixtures

WEST ORANGE, NJ — After finding low levels of legionella bacteria in some water samples from Redwood Elementary School in August, West Orange School District contracted with Garden State Environmental to test all schools and district facilities for legionella bacteria, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease. According to a Sept. 25 update from the district, testing […]

West Orange students head back to school

WEST ORANGE, NJ — It was back to the classroom for West Orange public school students on Sept. 6 and, despite the sweltering temperatures, there was excitement and smiles. Superintendent of Schools Jeff Rutzky spent the day visiting the district’s 12 schools, beginning his morning at Gregory Elementary School, where he welcomed students, staff and […]

NJ law mandates up to 20 min. of recess

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Board of Education discussed New Jersey’s new recess legislation and how the law will affect the school day at each of the district’s seven elementary schools at its Aug. 27 meeting at West Orange High School. The law, P.L. 2018, c. 73, which was signed by Gov. Phil […]

Ailing Mt. Pleasant student passes away

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Mt. Pleasant Elementary student Henry Chang, age 7, passed away on July 21 after a valiant battle with childhood cancer. Henry is survived by his mother, Heather Young, an art teacher at West Orange High School; his father Henry, an instructional aide in the West Orange School District; 5-year-old brother Derrick; […]

Students enjoy Career Day at Mt. Pleasant

WEST ORANGE, NJ — What do a magician, a baseball coach and a microbiologist have in common? They, along with several other parents and community members, stopped by to share about the work they do at the Mt. Pleasant Career Day on June 8. Students were excited to hear about different careers from a wide […]

17th annual Mt. Pleasant Flag Day honors veterans

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Mt. Pleasant Elementary School held its 17th annual Flag Day ceremony on June 14, bringing the school community together to honor local veterans. Flag Day is celebrated in the United States on June 14 and commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. National Flag […]