We are well into the 2025-2026 school year now, and the dedication and energy of our students and staff continue to be inspiring. We are grateful for a productive and engaging start to the year.
This month's newsletter includes updates covering key programs and initiatives across the district. Below is a quick look at what's inside:
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Around Our Schools: Recaps school events that happened in October.
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News You Can Use: Important information, including updates on our search for an Assistant Superintendent, the teacher shortage, and the LHS Holiday Market.
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Tech Tips & Updates: News from our Technology Department.
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Lions Caught Learning: Showcases student learning.
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Lions in the Wild: Features some of the month's field trips.
- Resources from the State of NJ
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In Case You Missed It...: Shares important links and information from previous newsletters.
Reminder:
- Tomorrow, November 4: All students have a delayed opening to allow for staff professional development.
- Thursday, November 6 and Friday, November 7: All schools are closed for NJEA Convention.
We look forward to an excellent month ahead for all our Leonia Lions.
Xanthy Karamanos, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
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The Leonia High School Boys and Girls Cross Country teams made history this weekend at the NJSIAA North 1 Group 2 Sectional Championship Meet at Garrett Mountain!
Girls Team Wins First-Ever Sectional Title
The Girls team, led by All-State superstar Dominique Cameron, won their first-ever team state sectional championship as they dominated the rest of the field.
- This was Dominique’s second consecutive individual title, where she ran a blistering 18:12. This time stands as the third fastest ever recorded at Garrett Mountain in Bergen County History!
- Twin sister Daniella Cameron had an incredible race, placing 3rd and running 18:55.
- Freshman phenom Eleanor Jang was close behind, finishing 5th.
- The duo of Annabel Sohn and Sophia Jorge continued their exceptional seasons, placing 20th and 21st.
Boys Team Secures First Sectional Title Since 1979
The Boys team pulled off a stunner against the heavily favored Lakeland Lancers, winning their first Sectional Championship since 1979! It was a complete team effort, with five runners finishing in the top 19.
- Junior Jeremy Garcia had an electrifying run for the win, becoming Leonia’s first individual sectional champion since 2008.
- Calvin Daou, who had an outstanding performance, finished second.
- Senior Luis Gonzalez continued his breakout season, placing 11th.
- Sophomores Diego Manzanarez and Jake Yoo placed 13th and 19th, respectively.
Congratulations to all the student-athletes, Coach Ryan, and Coach Shanno on this amazing and historic accomplishment! Up next for both teams is the NJSIAA Group 2 State Championship Meet on Saturday, November 8. The meet will take place at Holmdel Park, start time for the girls is 9:30 and the boys
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The state sectional brackets for Girl Volleyball, Boys Soccer and Girls Soccer were released last week. The schedule for these three programs are as as follows:
Girls Volleyball (12th Seed): The first round match will be at Lyndhurst High School on Monday 11/3. The start time for this match will be 4:15.
Boys Soccer (8th Seed): The first round game will be at Leonia High School on Tuesday 11/4. The team will take on Mendham High School with a 4:00 start time.
Girls Soccer (13th Seed): The first round game will be at Morris Knolls High School on Wednesday 11/5. The start time for this game will be 2:00.
We hope to see you there!
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Following a rigorous audition process, we are exceptionally proud to announce that 27 LHS students have been selected for the highly competitive Bergen County Honor Choir. This is a remarkable achievement, as our students not only earned exceptional individual rankings but also represent the largest number of accepted singers from any single high school in the county!
This success is a testament to the students’ dedication, discipline, and musical excellence, and it highlights the continued strength of LHS's choral program. The Music Department warmly commends all students for their commitment to choral performance and for upholding the school’s proud tradition of musical distinction.
Accepted Students (with Rankings)
Soprano 1: Valentina Colacurto (#4), Rebecca Herzig, Bellina Chung
Soprano 2: Audrey Sugiaman (#4)
Alto 2: Ash Devins (#11), Vera Lin-Alter (#13), Kennedy Meals, Lena Frost, Olivia Gwak, Sophia Gerecs
Tenor 1: Nico Park (#1)
Tenor 2: Halanc Hwang (#2), Dennis Piao (#4), Aidan Whang (#6), Gangmin Lee (#8), Aiden Yedidia, Miguel Cardenas, Andrew Siracuse-Parker, Anderson Adair
Bass 1: Bryce Yedidia (#3), Tristan Perri (#7), Juyoung Lee, Daniel Lee
Bass 2: Luke Vega (#8), Seungheon Oh (#10), Ronald Cho, Joshua Ha
Congratulations to all of our talented singers!
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Our Farm to School program had a fantastic month! Last week, Maschio's held an Apple Stand at ACS, giving students fresh apples and popular Jersey-grown salad bags, with red and green leaf lettuce, radishes and grape tomatoes. Across the district, students will see locally grown produce, like corn, green beans, peppers, blueberries, and other fresh produce for the salad bar. Maschio's is committed to bringing fresh, local flavor to our students! |
Last month, we hosted our first Leonia-Edgewater Administrator Summit, with the core purpose of building stronger professional relationships between the leadership teams of both districts. Our teams had a productive session where we brainstormed opportunities for collaboration across our schools. We were delighted to host our Edgewater colleagues and left the summit with many exciting ideas for joint projects and collaborative learning opportunities that will ultimately benefit our students. We look forward to continuing this important partnership and discussion at our next meeting in January. |
Leonia High School proudly welcomed 127 new students into our seven distinguished academy programs during the annual Academy Induction Ceremony. Each inductee was recognized for their commitment to academic excellence and dedication to pursuing their passions.
Students were formally inducted into one of the following academies: the Leonia Academy of STEM, Leonia Academy for Hospitality and Culinary Arts, Marketing & Business Leadership Academy, Leonia Humanities Academy, Leonia Music Conservatory, Leonia Arts Conservatory, and the Academy of Vocations & Trades.
Congratulations to all of our new academy members on this exciting milestone. We look forward to seeing the great things you’ll accomplish throughout your time at LHS and beyond.
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Leonia's Mayor's Youth Advisory Council held its inaugural meeting of the year, marking the start of a new term for its high school members. This important committee is designed to actively engage Leonia's high school students in municipal affairs, giving them a direct voice on community issues and priorities. The kick-off meeting served to formally introduce the members, outline their civic responsibilities, and set the agenda for future discussions centered on key municipal services. As part of their introduction to local governance, the members also received a tour of the new police station. We are proud to see our students step up to take on these civic leadership roles. |
The 2026 Niche rankings were recently released. While this isn’t a DOE official ranking, it does use our DOE data. Leonia Public Schools earned an Overall Niche Grade of 'A' and is recognized as one of the top districts in Bergen County and New Jersey.
Our noteworthy rankings include:
- #678 out of 10,394 Best School Districts in America (Top 6%)
- #43 of 243 Best School Districts in New Jersey.
- #11 of 40 Best School Districts in Bergen County.
- Excellence in Teaching: The district received an 'A+' for Teachers and is highly ranked for teacher quality.
- #11 of 59 in Districts with the Best Teachers in Bergen County.
- #37 of 358 in Districts with the Best Teachers in New Jersey.
- Top College Prep High School in Bergen County: LHS is ranked #9 of 49 Best College Prep Public High Schools in Bergen County.
- Top 20% in New Jersey: The high school is ranked #82 of 428 Best Public High Schools in New Jersey.
- Diversity: LHS is recognized for its inclusive environment, ranking #5 of 52 in Most Diverse Public High Schools in Bergen County.
- LMS: Top 15% in New Jersey: #89 out of 751 Best Public Middle Schools in New Jersey.
- ACS: Top 20% in New Jersey: #256 out of 1422 Best Public Elementary Schools in New Jersey.
Congratulations to all of our schools!
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On October 24th, LHS had the privilege of welcoming 125 freshmen, 7 teachers, and the principal from Gimhae International High School in South Korea to Leonia High School. The visit was part of a cultural exchange that gave students from both schools the opportunity to share their talents and learn about one another’s school experiences.
The day began with performances from both schools. LHS students showcased their talents through outstanding performances by the Jazz Band and Chorus. Gimhae students shared a video highlighting a typical day at their school, followed by a beautiful traditional Korean song and a lively dance from their school’s dance team.
After the performances, Student Council members led Gimhae students on guided tours of LHS. They visited classrooms to see what a typical day looks like for our students and had the chance to eat lunch together in the cafeteria. The visit ended with group photos in the Peace Garden to mark a memorable day of friendship and cultural exchange.
It was a wonderful experience for our students and staff, and we look forward to continuing to build connections with our friends from Gimhae International High School.
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We are thrilled to introduce our new Assistant Superintendent, Mr. Andrew Coban, who will be officially joining our district on January 5, 2026.
Throughout the comprehensive multi-round interview process, Mr. Coban distinguished himself as an innovative and dynamic educational leader with a proven track record of driving student achievement and programmatic solutions in diverse districts. With over a decade of experience in key leadership roles, Mr. Coban's expertise in data-driven decision making, organizational and systematic leadership, and technology integration will be a great fit for our district and for advancing our strategic goals.
We look forward to officially welcoming him to our district leadership team and are excited for the contributions Mr. Coban will bring to our entire school community.
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As you may have heard, New Jersey is experiencing an intensifying teacher shortage. State data confirms there is a dramatic decrease in the teacher workforce, especially in subjects like Math, Science, and World Languages. Additionally, Special Education remains one of the hardest areas to staff, often forcing schools statewide to use temporary solutions just to cover essential student services.
Despite this statewide challenge, our Leonia teachers are exceptional. We are proud to share that Niche recently ranked our district in the top 10% of districts with the best teachers in New Jersey. This high ranking is a direct testament to the quality, passion, and expertise of our staff, making Leonia a great place to learn and grow.
However, like all districts, we have critical vacancies to fill. We assure you we are doing everything possible to recruit the highest-quality candidates, but the lack of available teachers statewide sometimes requires us to use temporary, "band-aid solutions" to ensure student coverage. Please know that measures like using virtual instruction platforms or schedule changes, are a final resort, implemented only after every other option has been exhausted.
To tackle this shortage head-on, we are actively developing long-term solutions for recruitment and retention- a goal also aligned with our strategic plan. This includes researching and implementing innovative strategies designed to attract and retain the best possible staff for our students.
If you know of any qualified individuals interested in joining our district, please share our district recruitment page for more information.
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The Holiday Market at Leonia High School returns for its 3rd year! We're excited to spread cheer, bring our community together, and support the incredible local businesses that make the season bright. This year's market will be held on:
Date: Saturday, November 22
Time: 10am-3pm
Location: 100 Christie Heights St. Leonia, NJ 07605
$5 admission fee includes a raffle ticket
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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.
In the event your child needs to miss school, we’re excited to share a convenient way for parents to report student absences. The Notify Attendance Office feature in the Genesis Parent Portal allows you to let us know if your child will be out of school, no phone call or note required. To use this feature:
- Log in to your Genesis Parent Portal.
- Click Attendance in the menu
- Then select Notify Office
- Select the date(s) and reason for your child’s absence. If you have more than one student in the building or across the district, click the checkbox for the appropriate student.
- Click the green button "Submit to Office"
The attendance office will receive the information instantly.
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We are committed to providing a safe, secure, and modern learning environment for all students. Here is an important technology update for our school community. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain an optimal learning environment for all Leonia students. |
Leonia is actively working to help our students use Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) responsibly and ethically as a tool for learning.
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Clearer Guidance: We have created and posted guidelines in classrooms for each building to clearly inform students of when and where they can use AI to enhance their academic work.
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Approved Tools: To maintain security and focus, the school has limited the use of AI to two education-focused platforms: Magic School AI and Google's Gemini.
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To ensure a focused learning environment and a stable network for all academic activities, we are reinforcing our device usage for the school day:
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In-Class Requirements: Students must use their school-issued Chromebooks during all academic class periods to access the school's Wi-Fi network.
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Personal Devices: Other personal electronic devices are permitted only during non-academic periods.
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Personal Hotspots: To access the internet, students are permitted to use their own personal hotspots to provide internet access to their personal devices.
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Accidents happen, and we want to ensure your student's learning is not interrupted by a broken device or an unexpected cost.
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Coverage Available: Chromebook insurance is available for the 2025–2026 school year through Smart Tech.
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Cost and Protection: The annual coverage fee is only $26, which provides protection against accidental damage, theft, liquid damage, and battery issues.
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Repair Costs: Please note that without insurance, repair or replacement costs can be significant. For example, a broken screen is $98, and a lost Chromebook is $295.
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Enrollment Deadline: The final deadline to enroll is December 1, 2025.
- Insurance does not cover damage prior to the enrollment date.
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Students in 3rd Grade Orchestra spend the first month of class learning to play their string instruments using a technique called pizzicato, an Italian musical term meaning “to pluck the strings.” By mid-October, students are awarded their Bow License, which signifies that they have a solid understanding of the pizzicato technique and are ready to begin playing with their bows. This is a big milestone in elementary strings! These students from Ms. Chernick’s class were very excited to be the first 3rd graders at ACS this year to earn their Bow Licenses. |
After reading The Tiger Rising, students in Ms. Daley's class took on lively reading debates—using text evidence to support their positions and defend their thinking like true literary scholars! |
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Our students have been diving into the exciting world of physical and chemical changes! In the experiment shown, they combined hydrogen peroxide and yeast to observe an exothermic reaction. Not only did they witness bubbling and fizzing as the reaction occurred, but they also felt the cup warm up as energy was released. Using thermometers, students recorded the before and after temperatures to measure just how much the temperature increased, turning science into a hands-on experience! |
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Students brought their imagination to life using Pixlr to create Spooky Me portraits! Starting with a photo of themselves, they experimented with multi-layer editing, blending techniques, and creative color effects to craft hauntingly cool digital transformations, then proudly presented their eerie masterpieces to the class. |
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Members of the Engineering Club are hard at work preparing their entries for the Engineering Tomorrow Bridge Event. Each team is designing and building a model bridge that will be judged on both cost efficiency and strength, with materials like popsicle sticks and skewers assigned a set “price.” Along the way, students are learning about truss designs and key engineering principles such as loads, force, stress, and strain.
The club meets every other Thursday in Room 218—new members are always welcome!
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Students in the AP Computer Science Principles classes recently completed their first app design project and the results were impressive. Students followed every step of the software development cycle: brainstorming ideas, creating prototypes, designing interfaces, and coding their apps using pair programming.
Once their apps were built, students tested them, exchanged feedback with classmates, and made thoughtful updates based on that input. The project gave them a hands-on look at how professional developers turn ideas into real, working applications while sharpening both their coding and collaboration skills.
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Fourth graders visited Waterloo Village, a beautifully restored 19th-century canal town along the Musconetcong River. Students explored historic homes, mills, and shops that showed what life was like when the Morris Canal was bustling with activity. As they toured this scenic and educational site, students got a glimpse into New Jersey’s rich past and how communities once thrived along the canal. |
This month, the LMS Environmental Club visited the Hudson River Field Station for an engaging, hands-on learning experience. Students collected and filtered water samples to examine the presence of microplastics and even inspected their own clothing for microplastic fibers, learning that clothing is one of the leading sources of microplastics in the environment. Students also participated in seining, a field method used to collect aquatic life. Using large nets called seines, they worked together to catch fish and other small organisms from the shallow water. They then used a dichotomous key to identify and classify the species they found. It was an incredible opportunity for our students to apply their environmental knowledge in a real-world setting and to deepen their understanding of local ecosystems and human impact. |
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Our Leonia Academy for Hospitality & Culinary Arts (LAHCA) Cohorts 11 and 12 students kicked off the semester with two phenomenal field trips centered on agricultural sustainability and community impact.
Cohort 11 spent a beautiful fall day at Riamede Farm in Chester, NJ, where they learned about sustainable practices in apple orchards. Students fueled their hands-on learning with fresh apple cider donuts before heading into the fields to pick apples for their next project: baking homemade apple pies!
Meanwhile, Cohort 12 traveled to The Battery Conservancy Farm in Battery Park, New York. There, they learned how vegetables can be grown naturally without harmful pesticides. The farm serves a powerful mission, producing over 3,000 pounds of fresh food each year for New York City food pantries. Students had a unique tasting opportunity, sampling unusual vegetables, including buzz buttons, cucamelons, and marabel spinach.
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The NJ Office of Food Security Advocate is sharing two ways for families to still access food assistance after SNAP Benefits are stopped on November 1.
👉 Click here to learn more about your options.
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The NJDOE is sharing a handbook for parents to guide them in establishing safe, abuse-preventing structures within child athletic programs. This resource focuses on best practices to ensure a healthy environment for their children.
👉 Click here to access the "Parent and Guardian's Handbook for Safer Sport"
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A new report from the NJ Commission on Social Media's Effects highlights that excessive social media use harms student well-being, linking it to increased anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and academic challenges. The Commission recommends caregivers model healthy digital habits and set firm time limits, teach responsible online behavior, and prioritize in-person activities over screen time. The ultimate goal is to ensure teens are protected from potential harms while engaging constructively online.
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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. |
👉 Visit our Calendar of Events page to stay up to date with events happening in our schools. Click the "subscribe" button to add our events to directly on your calendar.
👉 In the event of a school closing, delayed opening, or emergency announcement, Leonia Public Schools will share information through multiple channels to keep families informed. Visit our Inclement Weather page to see your school's schedule for delayed opening and early dismissals.
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👉 Parent Square: To learn more about ParentSquare, review FAQ's, or learn tips and tricks to the platform, visit the ParentSquare page on our district website.
👉 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.
👉 Tech Help: Click here for information on how to submit a tech help desk ticket.
👉 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.
👉 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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In Leonia, we believe no single test defines a student's potential. We use a variety of assessments to gain a comprehensive picture of student needs, ensuring instruction is responsive and challenging.
This fall, we are participating in a mandatory NJSLA-Adaptive field test, required by the New Jersey Department of Education. This is a field test only, designed to help the state develop their future computer-adaptive assessment (starting 2026). Students will not receive individual scores or results.
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We know that strong family partnerships are key to student success. On our website, we've added a page that connects families with trusted supports in our community, so you always know where to turn.
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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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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