Thanks to the students and staff who dressed in PINK on Friday in observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and made donations toward breast cancer research! A great way to “give back” to others! Here are some of our Linkers – students and staff – at the Pennsylvania Avenue location decked out in PINK!
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Lower House students go apple-picking!
Lower House (K-2) enjoyed a bright and beautiful day at Alstede’s Farm in Chester, NJ, where they picked apples to bring home. They drank fresh apple cider, meandered through the evergreen maze, saw some farm animals, and climbed a high pile of hay bales! Additionally, an employee for Alstedes spoke with students about seasonal vegetables. We are happy that our 5th and 6th graders will have the chance to go to Alstede’s later this month!
Celebrating our amazing custodians!
Mr. Lui Pacheco and Mr. Vidal Carrasco, Link's school maintenance staff, were celebrated last week on National Custodian's Day. In a gathering in the gym, students and staff expressed their appreciation to our custodians for keeping our buildings clean, operational, and well-maintained, contributing to a positive work and learning environment.
Linkers learn about Puerto Rican music
During Hispanic Heritage Month, our Lower House scholars were treated to a special assembly! Mr. Carlos Maldonado, father of Link Teacher Ms. DeJesus, explained some of the Puerto Rican culture and, with his friends, played live music called Bomba y Plena which delighted the audience. Bomba y plena, percussion-driven musical traditions from Puerto Rico that move people to dance have rich histories and are the defining musical sounds of the Afro-Puerto Rican population. Mr. Maldonado invited the scholars to participate by dancing or playing instruments, like hand drums. He spoke about the different kinds of dance moves and the meanings behind the dance. The scholars enjoyed this wonderful musical experience.
Girls on the Run takes off at Link!
Twenty three female Link scholars are participating in this year’s Girls on the Run (GOTR), led by Link staffers Ms.Paszkowski and Ms. Bell. GOTR, a non-profit organization, provides the structure for an after-school program for girls that “considers the whole person – body, brain, heart, spirit, and social connection” and during which “team members feel supported and inspired to explore their emotions, cultivate empathy, and strengthen their physical and emotional health. “ Once a week, our Linkers meet to work on a lesson based on the GOTR theme and then prepare for a 5K run at the end of the season, either at Link or Weequahic Park. The 5K will be held at Branch Brook Park on November 18th. This program will be offered to young ladies in grades 5 and 6 in the spring. Go, Girls!
Link expands to a second facility!
As a result of the addition of the elementary school, specifically K-2 now and 3rd and 4th grades in the future, Link needed more space to accommodate the school’s growth and to ensure an optimal learning environment for our scholars. Link Education Partners, the non-profit public foundation that helps fund Link’s mission, found a temporary solution by renting a school building at 230 Halsey Street in Teacher’s Village, a planned multi-use neighborhood in the heart of Newark for the next two to three years until a permanent solution is found.
The entire team at Link worked together to relocate the two grade levels and outfit the new site for scholars and staff. Classrooms were thoughtfully planned and decorated to welcome scholars on Tuesday, September 5th to an inviting and stimulating instructional space. The building at 230 Halsey Street is a lovely, modern facility with many spacious, well-lit classrooms, numerous offices, built-in lockers, a large gym, a cafeteria, and an elevator. The administration has been planning all summer for the move, including purchasing furniture and equipment and allocating human resources to support the students.
Maria Pilar Paradiso, Link’s head of school, shared her excitement about Link’s continued expansion and the strengthening of the program with this new space. “It has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm on the part of our entire instructional team as they pulled together to prepare and plan for the start of the school year in this great new space. The school is under new leadership with our principal, Hannah Kennedy, who has done a wonderful job this summer to prepare for a strong start to the school year. With a great temporary site, Link Education Partners is now working on a long-term solution–building a second facility to serve as the middle school.”