Link celebrates reaching another important milestone—the completion of its long-planned expansion to become a kindergarten through grade 8 school. With the addition of fourth grade this past fall, this vision is now a reality. To mark the achievement, Link held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Penn campus, featuring the current 4th graders who have attended Link since kindergarten and Penn staff. LCCS Board members Richard Marshall and Melissa Boucaud, and Link Education Partners board members Dave Ferry and Rob Failla.
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From the Classroom to Broadway
Link 8th graders traveled to New York City to experience the Broadway production of The Outsiders, bringing their classroom study of S.E. Hinton’s classic novel to life. After enjoying lunch in the city, our scholars headed to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre for the performance. The experience culminated in an exclusive Q&A session with cast members, who shared insights about bringing the story to the stage. This unforgettable educational opportunity was made possible through a combination of student fundraising efforts and generous support from individual donors.
One student reflection of the play: “There are over 1 million words in the English language and that still isn’t enough to describe my amazement. From the songs to the choreography down to the littlest detail in the story I was amazed…Watching the amount of passion put into a show like that was unbelievable…I couldn’t bear to take my eyes off of the stage for even a second…I want to thank…the sponsors who were willing to donate money to make our dreams come true.” Victoria
Author of children’s books visits Link
Author and founder of Para Kids Books Daniela Palacios visited Link and read her book, Sara’s New Country and New Friends/ El nuevo pais y la nueva amiga de Sara, to students in K – grade 2, followed by discussion. The book is a bilingual picture book, and its theme revolves around making friend with other from different backgrounds. Thank you to New Jersey Children’s Foundation for providing an enriching opportunity for our young scholars and for donating a copy of the book to our K-2 students.
Penn scholars move to the Halsey campus for a day!
Students at Link’s Penn Campus recently had an unexpected adventure. Due to the emergency replacement of the building’s boiler, they relocated for a day to the Halsey campus. Fortunately, staff had a few days to prepare, allowing instruction to continue with minimal disruption in the temporary learning space. And, the younger students seemed to be excited to be in the new space! Both students and staff handled the transition exceptionally well, demonstrating flexibility, resilience, and a strong commitment to learning.
Fall Festival Fun at Penn
Link’s K-4 scholars had a fantastic time at the annual Fall Festival, thanks to our partners from the Greater Newark Conservancy, Food Corps NJ, and Link staff. This was a fun educational experience, with our students visiting several stations in the Garden Classroom. They learned about urban animals, the life cycle of pumpkins, tasted different apple varieties, made all themed bookmarks, and even participated in a scavenger hunt, all under the bright sun. We were excited to host preschoolers from @urbanleagueec Early Childhood Center, who enthusiastically joined in the activities…and some gym recess time…with Linkers.
Linkers attend mentoring program at Novartis
Fourteen LCCS 8th grade scholars were chosen to participate in Novartis' Teen Corporate Mentoring Program recently, an annual event that gives middle and high school students - over 150 students from 30 schools - exposure to the pharmaceutical industry through speakers, workshops, and collaborative projects. Participants heard from Junior Achievement, which emphasized the importance of budgeting for unexpected healthcare costs. Lt. Governor Tahesha Way offered inspiring words, and NFL Alumni Tiki Barber, Nate Burleson, and Rob Robertson discussed Mental Health Awareness and offered support. Prior to the two-day event, Novartis divided the scholars into small groups and then instructed them to connect remotely and then , at the event, in person, to research and develop presentations focusing on Financial Literacy and Healthcare Access. The 17 groups presented their findings on the evening of the second day, a number receiving awards. There was a celebratory dinner to which parents of the participating students were invited. Our scholars were amazing!
