This week, our classrooms have been filled with creativity, curiosity, and hands-on learning. From science experiments and engineering challenges to artistic expression and thoughtful discussions, our students continue to demonstrate their talents and enthusiasm for learning. I encourage you to explore this week’s newsletter for a look at the great work happening throughout LHS.
We also celebrate our students’ AP honors, which reflect their hard work and commitment to academic excellence. Thank you to everyone who supported our Double Good Popcorn fundraiser by selling or purchasing popcorn. With 373 supporters, we sold more than $21,000 in popcorn and raised over $10,500 to support our students and class activities!
Please remember that the new traffic pattern for the main LHS parking lot takes effect Monday, October 12. Vehicles must enter through the rear lane near student parking and exit through the lane closest to the school near visitor parking. Please review the map included in this newsletter to familiarize yourself with these changes. Student drop-off and pickup should take place at the main circle by the Peace Garden entrance, not in the main parking lot. These changes will help keep our students and staff safe.
Finally, Monday, October 12, is a delayed opening for students due to staff professional development. Students should arrive for a 9:50 AM start. There will be no zero period, and we will follow the delayed opening schedule for a C Day.
Thank you for your continued support of our students and school. Have a wonderful weekend!
Go Lions!
Chuck Kalender
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Our ninth-grade STEM Academy students received their lab coats this week, marking an exciting milestone in their STEM journey! This annual tradition celebrates the beginning of their exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at LHS.
A special thank you to our partners and neighbors at Kulite for providing lab coats to our ninth-grade students each year. Kulite’s generosity extends beyond this tradition, with up to five scholarships of $5,000 each awarded to graduating seniors annually. We are grateful for their continued support and investment in our students’ futures!
We also thank our Leonia Academy of STEM Advocate, Ms. Jessica Sim, for organizing this event and planning the upcoming field trips for our STEM students. We look forward to the opportunities these experiences will bring!
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Beginning Monday, October 12, Leonia High School will implement a new traffic pattern in the main parking lot on Christie Heights Street to improve safety for students and staff.
Please follow these new directions:
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Entrance: The rear lane near student parking will be the only entrance into the main parking lot. All other lanes will be closed to entering traffic.
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Exit: All vehicles must exit using the lane closest to the school, near visitor parking.
Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
Parents and guardians should use the main circle at the Peace Garden entrance for student drop-off and pick-up. Dropping off students or waiting to pick them up in the main parking lot is not permitted.
Student drop-off is also not permitted in the Ray Avenue parking lot along the baseball fields. Families approaching from that side of the building should drop students off on Ray Avenue, where they can walk onto campus.
Thank you for following these procedures and helping keep our parking lots safe for students and staff. Please share this information with anyone who drives your student to or from school.
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Please review these reminders to help us maintain accurate attendance records and ensure we know your student’s whereabouts.
Reporting an Absence
A parent or guardian must report all absences by 8:30 AM.
- Before 8:00 AM: Use the Parent Attendance Notes feature in the Genesis Parent Portal.
- After 8:00 AM: Call the Attendance Office at 201-302-5200, ext. 5204.
- Religious holidays: Call the Attendance Office directly to provide advance notice.
If an absence is not reported by 8:30 AM, the Attendance Office will call home to verify the student’s whereabouts.
Doctor’s Notes
All doctor’s notes for absences must be submitted within two weeks of the date of the absence. Notes submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.
Late Arrivals
Students arriving late must sign in at the Attendance Office or attend homeroom. Students who go directly to class without doing either will be marked absent for the full day.
Make-Up Work
Students are responsible for contacting their teachers to request missed work and arrange make-up assignments or quizzes.
Athletics and After-School Activities
Students must arrive at school by 10:30 AM to participate in that day’s after-school activities or athletics. Students who leave school early are ineligible to participate that day.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping your student stay on track with attendance and school responsibilities.
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Leonia High School is proud to announce that 47 students have earned academic honors through College Board’s 2026 National Recognition Program. These students join more than 300,000 recipients nationwide whose accomplishments are being celebrated through the annual program. This year marks the highest participation in the program’s history.
Among Leonia’s honorees, 17 students earned the First-Generation Recognition Award and 36 earned the School Recognition Award. Some students received both honors, bringing the school’s total to 53 awards among 47 students.
Available through College Board’s BigFuture platform, the National Recognition Program celebrates high-achieving students from schools and communities across the country. The awards give students a way to highlight their academic accomplishments on college and scholarship applications.
Students qualify during their sophomore or junior year by maintaining a cumulative GPA of B+ or higher and demonstrating strong performance on qualifying assessments. They must either earn scores of 3 or higher on at least two distinct AP Exams taken by the end of tenth grade or score among the top 10% of eligible PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 test takers within the applicable school or state comparison group.
The First-Generation Recognition Award honors eligible students based on academic achievement and their parents’ educational backgrounds. The School Recognition Award celebrates top-performing students in high schools nationwide.
Colleges and universities are eager to recruit National Recognition Program awardees who have demonstrated strong academic success across a wide range of schools and communities. Thousands of nonprofit colleges and scholarship organizations can connect with awardees who opt in to College Board Student Search Service to share more about their institutions and programs.
Leonia High School congratulates all 47 honorees for their hard work, dedication, and commitment to learning. Their achievements also reflect the support of the teachers, counselors, and families who help them pursue their goals.
To learn more about College Board’s National Recognition Program, visit bigfuture.org/NRP.
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Thank you to everyone who helped make our Double Good Popcorn Fundraiser a huge success! Whether you sold popcorn or made a purchase, your participation made a difference. With 373 supporters, we sold more than $21,000 in popcorn and raised over $10,500 for our school!
Congratulations to our top eight sellers, who each sold more than $1,000 in popcorn:
- Gillian Scarcella: $1,406
- Adelynn Looi: $1,385
- Vivian Luft: $1,328
- Jayda Kennedy: $1,189
- Leyla Mertoglu: $1,145
- Mia Palmieri: $1,061
- Sohana Jethani: $1,027
- Eda Son: $1,008
These funds will help support class activities and opportunities for our students. Thank you to our entire LHS community for your generosity, enthusiasm, and support!
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Students in Mr Braden's physics classes were busy figuring out how to construct their ramps for the famous Galileo experiment when the great scientist himself showed up to admire their work. After observing the students Galileo enthusiastically declared how he wished he had such capable lab assistants back in 1603!
In this lab students gather data about a ball rolling down a gently inclined ramp and then discover in their data the link between acceleration and the recursive form of a quadratic formula. Galileo was so amazed by this that he wrote a book called On the Creation of Two New Sciences (one being kinematics - what students are studying now). His discovery - the Law of Uniform Acceleration and the Squared Time Law - is considered the first empirical law in physical science.
Students demonstrated creativity and engineering design, figuring out how to use their iPads to capture the motion and analyze the time and distance relationships. Amazed, Galileo said 'and to think I had to measure time with the motion of a pendulum!! '
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Students brought creativity to their French vocabulary review with a fun, hands-on activity! Each student filled a model pencil case with school supplies, labeled the items in French, and decorated their creation. Students also designed two large backpacks to brighten the classroom.
The activity helped students review school-related vocabulary and practice the indefinite articles they learned in French 1. It was a colorful way to reinforce language skills and put their creativity on display!
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AP Studio Art students are thinking big as they create large-scale charcoal self-portraits featuring dramatic lighting. Working on a much larger scale challenges students to capture a recognizable likeness while exploring how light and shadow define facial features. Through this process, students are building their skills in proportion, contrast, and shading while bringing their portraits to life. |
Ms. Wilson and the Leonia High School Service Club are proud to launch the Leonia Legacy Project, a special initiative designed to spotlight the wonderful senior citizens who make our community so special.
Through one-on-one interviews, Leonia High School students are learning about the lives, experiences, accomplishments, and memories of local seniors. Students are turning these conversations into thoughtful biographical profiles that celebrate the unique stories and contributions of Leonia’s older residents.
We invite the community to visit the Leonia Public Library, where the first installment of the Leonia Legacy Project is proudly displayed on the downstairs level. Stop by, read their stories, and help us celebrate the remarkable people who have helped shape our community!
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Leonia’s Varsity Debate Team opened its season with a strong performance Tuesday at Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest, competing against seven other schools. Seniors Olivia Gwak and Christopher Lau earned fourth place overall out of 24 teams!
Olivia also earned third place in the Top Speakers category, scoring 69 points among 48 debaters. This marks the first time in years that a Leonia student has earned an award in this category. Congratulations to Olivia, Christopher, and the entire team on an exciting start to the season!
The JV Team will compete in its first match on Tuesday, October 13, at Becton Regional High School. Varsity returns to competition on Thursday, October 22, at North Bergen High School. Go Lions!
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LAHCA Cohort 12 visited Riamede Farm for a day of hands-on learning and community service. Students explored the differences between eco farming and organic farming, learned about apple varieties, and discovered how weather can affect apple growing and picking.
The group also harvested 250 pounds of vegetables to donate to the Food Shed Alliance! To round out the experience, students tried pawpaw for the first time, enjoying a fruit with flavors reminiscent of banana, mango, and pineapple. It was a great opportunity to try something new, learn about agriculture, and give back to the community.
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Consistent attendance and punctuality are two of the most important factors in a student’s success at LHS. At Leonia High School, absences and tardies are tracked closely, and students risk losing credit for courses if they exceed the allowed number of absences. Being on time to school and to every class is just as important, as it minimizes disruptions and helps students stay fully engaged in their learning. Regular attendance builds strong academic habits, keeps students connected to their teachers and peers, and ensures they don’t fall behind. We encourage families to schedule all appointments after school hours whenever possible to limit time away from class. Please take a few minutes to review the full attendance policy and guidelines in the Student Handbook so that expectations are clear for both students and parents. |
A reminder for families: All students are required to use their district-issued iPads while in school. Students should bring their iPad to school every day, fully charged and ready for use. Personal tablets, iPads, laptops, or MacBooks may not be used during the school day.
If a student forgets their district-issued iPad at home, a loaner device will not be issued. Loaner iPads are reserved only for students whose district-issued iPad is being repaired by the school.
Additionally, to help maintain a focused learning environment:
- Cell phones, AirPods, earbuds, and headphones are not permitted at any time.
- Meta glasses and other smart glasses are not permitted at any time.
Thank you for partnering with us to ensure that students come to school prepared, engaged, and ready to learn each day.
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- October 12 - Delayed Opening for Students/Staff PD
- October 16 - LHS HSA Pocketbook Bingo
- October 19 - LHS HSA Meeting
- October 22 - "Pretty in Pink" Day for Breast Cancer Awareness
- October 28 - LHS PSAT Day
- October 29 - LHS Open House for grades 7 & 8
- October 30 - Single Session Day
- November 3 - Delayed Opening for Students/Staff PD
- November 5/6 - NJEA Convention All Schools Closed
- November 12 - Academy Open House Grades 7/8
- November 13 - Homecoming Dance
- November 16 - LHS HSA Meeting 7PM
- November 19 - College Planning Night
- November 20 - Celebrating 250 Years: Through the Mists of Time-Washington's Retreat Reconsidered
- November 25 - Single Session Day
- November 26/27 - Thanksgiving Break All Schools Closed
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Come out to LHS tomorrow, Saturday, October 10, at 10:00 AM to cheer on our Lions in two home tournament matchups!
⚽ Boys Soccer takes on Westwood in the County Tournament.
🏐 Girls Volleyball faces Glen Rock in the Bergen Invitational Tournament.
Bring your friends, wear your Leonia gear, and help give both teams a strong home crowd. Let’s hear that Lion pride!
Go Lions!
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Come out and show your Lion Pride by supporting our LHS athletic teams! Click here to view the schedule and cheer on our Lions! |
Click to access the 26-27 Modified Rotating Block (MRB) Schedule. |
If you haven’t already, take a minute to download the ParentSquare App to your phone. The app makes it easy to stay informed and engaged with what’s happening at Leonia High School. You’ll receive real-time notifications and have all school updates, newsletters, and event information right at your fingertips.
Search for ParentSquare in your app store and stay connected wherever you are!
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To learn more about our schools, follow us on:
100 Christie Heights Street
Leonia, NJ 07605
Phone: (201) 302-5200
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