HAS Weekly Update
October 3, 2025
HAS Teacher/Educational Professional of the Year Nomination Form 2025-2026
Please use this form to nominate a teacher or educational professional (CST member, counselor, paraprofessional, nurse, library media specialist, student assistance counselor) who fits the following criteria:
- Is an expert in the field who inspires students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn;
- Actively collaborates with colleagues, students, and families to create a strong culture of respect and success;
- Demonstrates leadership and innovation in educational activities at the school, district and/or state and national levels that take place both within and outside the school setting;
- Has the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues.
Submissions can be made by current/former students, parents/guardians, Cranford residents or district employees.
Staff members that have worked in the district for less than 4 years or have won in the past 5 years are ineligible for this award.
Elementary School Winter Concert
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 7:00pm
End of the Year Events
Kindergarten Stepping Up - Tuesday, June 16, 2026 @ 9:30am
Grade 5 Moving Up - Wednesday, June 17, 2026 @ 10:00am
Parent Teacher Conferences
We wanted to provide you with advance notice of our upcoming Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences. These meetings are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's progress with their teacher.
Conferences are scheduled for the following dates:
- Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (All day)
- Tuesday, November 11, 2025 (Afternoon sessions)
We have dedicated these two days specifically for these important conversations. Please make every effort to be available on one of these dates, as we are unable to accommodate requests for alternate conference days.
Grade 7 Field Trip - New York Broadway
HAS is excited to announce this year’s 7th Grade trip to Broadway to see Aladdin on Wednesday, June 3, 2026! Please see the letter and permission slip that was sent home with 7th grade students on October 1st. Students must return their letters, permission slips, and deposits to Mr. Willey in room 44 by Friday, October 17th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Willey at willey@cranfordschools.org
Middle School Winter Concert
Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 7:00pm
End of the Year Events
Grade 8 Class Night - Thursday, June 18, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Middle School Yearbook
To purchase a middle school yearbook visit: yearbookordercenter.com and use school code 8666.
PTA Class Parent Tea
- Rescheduled for Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 3:15pm
Box Tops for Education: Download the App, scan receipts, and support HAS PTA just by shopping for your regular purchases.
- Wednesday, October 8th - Walk to School Day
- Sunday, October 12th - HAS PTA Color Run
- October 13th - Single Session Day: School Schedule: K-AM Class ONLY: 8:40am - 11:20am; Grades 6-8: 8:00am - 12:25pm; Grades 1-5: 8:40am - 12:40pm
- October 14 @ 7 PM- Variety Show Information Meeting
2025 - 2026 District Calendar: https://4.files.edl.io/e34e/02/14/24/143255-d4854c17-6270-4e61-ac0e-415e8c0a1db6.pdf
End of the Year Events
Kindergarten Stepping Up - Tuesday, June 16, 2026 @ 9:30am
Grade 5 Moving Up - Wednesday, June 17, 2026 @ 10:00am
Grade 8 Class Night - Thursday, June 18, 2026 @ 7:00pm
Join Us for the 2025–2026 Building Bridges Year!
Dear Building Bridges Families,
We’re so excited to kick off another year of fun, friendship, and connection at Building Bridges! Our Cranford High School Ambassadors can’t wait to welcome back our K–4 buddies—and this year, we are offering more meetings than ever before.
Here’s a quick look at our themes and dates for the year:
October 7 – Fall Into Friendship
October 22 – Spook-tacular Connections
November 13 – Grateful Gatherings
November 25 – Gobble Up the Fun
December 11 – Holidays Around the World
January 8 – New Year Connect
February 5 – Share the Love
February 18 – Random Acts of Kindness
March 12 – Spring Is In Bloom
March 25 – Rainbows & Positivity
April 9 – Bloom Where You’re Planted
April 22 – Love Our Earth
May 7 – Hello, Sunshine!
May 26 – Celebrating Our Year of Friendship
Registration Information
Please complete your registration online here: 2025–2026 Registration Form
The registration fee is $20 per child and can be:
Sent with your child to the first meeting, OR
Mailed to:
Cranford High School – ATTN: Mrs. Savino Mulcahy
201 West End Place, Cranford, NJ 07016
Stay Connected!
All families must join our GroupMe so we can stay in touch and manage RSVPs for each session: Join the GroupMe
We can’t wait to see all of our Building Bridges friends for another amazing year of Character, Courage, and Connection!
Warmly,
Mrs. Savino Mulcahy
No Dogs on School Grounds
Please be aware that dogs are not to be on school grounds.
We ask that you please do not bring your dogs to arrival and/or dismissal.
Thank you for helping to keep everyone safe.
Absences
If your child is absent for any reason, please call our absence line at 908-709-6983 (24/7) or email has-attendance@cranfordschools.org (copy-paste email address)
Appointments and/or Early Pick Up
Please make sure you email the attendance office (HAS-attendance@cranfordschools.org) or call 908-709-6229 or 908-709-6983, if your child has to be signed out early to attend an appointment.
Visitor Protocols
The safety of our students is of the utmost importance and we ask that all our visitors follow our procedures.
- If you are picking up your child for an appointment, please notify the office ahead of time by emailing (HAS-attendance@cranfordschools.org) or calling 908-709-6229 or 908-709-6983. The nurse may also call to have you pick up your child if they are feeling ill.
- During pick up, have your ID ready and ring the main entrance intercom bell. State your name and the reason for your visit, then present your ID to the camera.
- You will be buzzed into the vestibule.
- Please wait in the vestibule.
- We will bring your child to you in the vestibule, where you will sign them out.
Attendance
Attendance Philosophy
Regular daily attendance is critical to effective learning and a successful school experience. Our attendance policy is designed to promote student responsibility while adhering to guidelines required by the State of New Jersey for official reporting. To be considered present, students must be in attendance for a minimum of four hours.
Understanding Absence Categories
For official state reporting, absences are classified as follows. It is essential for parents/guardians to report all absences to the school, regardless of the category.
Category 1: State-Excused Absences - The following reasons are the only ones officially recognized by the state as excused absences:
Religious Observance
Civic Event: One day per year (Grades 6-12) for an approved event.
College Visit: Three days per year (Grades 11-12).
Take Your Child to Work Day
Participation in observance of Veterans Day
District Board of Election Activity
Transportation Failure: When a student's home busing district is closed, leaving them without transportation.
Category 2: Documented Absences - Other legitimate reasons for an absence, such as illness, medical appointments, or a death in the family, are not on the state's list of excused absences. However, when a parent/guardian properly reports these absences, they are recorded as "Documented Absences." This confirms the student was absent with parental permission.
Category 3: Unexcused Absences (Truancy) An absence is considered unexcused (truant) if the reason provided does not fall into the categories above or if it is not reported by a parent/guardian.
How to Report an Absence
To report your child's absence, please contact the main office before 9:30 a.m. using one of these methods:
24/7 Absentee Hotline: (908) 709-6983
Email: has-attendance@cranfordschools.org
When leaving a message or sending an email, please clearly state your child's full name, grade, and the specific reason for the absence.
If you must call after 9:30 a.m., please use the main office line at (908) 709-6229.
For planned absences of several days, please notify the office in writing in advance.
Participation in After-School Activities
A student must be present in school for a minimum of four hours to be eligible to participate in any after-school or evening activities on that day, including sports, clubs, concerts, and plays.
Please note that when any student reaches a combined total of 10, 15, 20, etc absences (excused, unexcused and documented combined), parents/ guardians will receive a letter notifying them of the total number of absences.
Communication Devices (Cell phones/Earbuds/Smartwatches and Other Electronic devices)
Cell phones and electronic devices must be off and away during the school day. Cell phones are not to be used until the end of the school day. Smartwatches are only to be used for telling time during the school day.
Any student who has an urgent reason for using the phone during the course of the school day is to obtain permission from the classroom teacher and then report to the school’s main office.
While students are permitted to have cellular phones on their persons during school hours, cell
phones should be off and not visible during the school day. The administration
encourages students to leave their phones in a safe/secure place, such as their lockers. After the school day, students are permitted to use their cellular devices.
Note: Cell phones may be used in the morning before class and after school, however, no videos or photos may be taken nor music played aloud.
Parents/guardians/students are responsible for lost, misplaced, or stolen items. The school encourages parents/guardians to talk with their child about securing all communication devices.
Improper possession and/or use of a cell phone or other electronic device will result in
confiscation for the remainder of the school day, with additional consequences for repeat
violations:
1st violation: Taken away and kept in the Main Office until the end of the day. Student signs book and retrieves phone/earbuds/smartwatch/electronics
2nd violation: Taken away and kept in the Main Office until the end of the day. Student informs the parent/guardian and has them sign a notification slip.
3rd violation: Taken away and kept in the Main Office until the end of the day. Student informs the parent/guardian and has them sign a notification slip. Student serves Lunch Detention.
4th violation: Taken away and kept in the Main Office until the end of the day. Student informs the parent/guardian and has them come in and sign. Student serves After School Detention.
5th + violation: Student will drop off phone in front office or guidance dept. for a week or longer as determined by the administration. Parent/guardian meeting may be requested.
Communication with your Child during the School Day
Parental communications with their child should take place only when there is a family emergency and via the main office or guidance phone numbers, NOT via cell phone. Parents are asked to refrain from sending any text messages during school hours, which is a distraction and disrupts instructional time.
Dress Code
Students should come to school dressed appropriately for a school environment. Clothing must be neat, clean, safe and worn properly. Safe footwear must be worn. Footwear that poses a hazard may not be worn in school. Students may not attend school with cleated shoes, “flip-flops,” shoes without backs or bare feet. Clothing that is not school appropriate (sunglasses, hats, bare midriffs, exposed underwear, etc.) should not be worn in school. Shorts and skirts must be the appropriate length. Any clothing which displays excessive nudity should not be worn to school.
Articles of clothing with offensive slogans, inappropriate images, abusive language, which promote tobacco products, drinking alcoholic beverages, or drug use are subject to removal and should not be worn.
Students who engage in school-related off-campus activities should dress appropriately since they are representing the school during the activity. Students who are in violation of the dress code will be asked to change followed by parent notification and possible detention for chronic violations.
Bikes and Scooters
Dear parents and guardians,
On our morning announcements, I have been reminding middle school students to walk their bikes and scooters on all sidewalks around the school, including the path to and from the tunnel.
We ask for your partnership in reinforcing this message at home. This simple step is crucial for the safety of our younger students and all pedestrians sharing our walkways.
Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe.
Due to the 8th grade entry door change this year, we have an increase in bikes/scooters parked by the playground bike racks. We currently do not have enough racks to support all the bikes. Please know that more bike racks are on their way to help alleviate this issue.
Parking Lot
Dear Parents and Guardians,
For the safety of all our students, this is a friendly reminder about our drop-off and pick-up procedures.
Please help us maintain a safe environment by refraining from double parking. Double parking creates significant blind spots and can force children to walk between cars into the lane of traffic.
Let's all work together by being patient, driving slowly, and using extra caution during these busy times.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our children safe.
HAS Weekly Update
On Fridays, I will continue to send the HAS Weekly Update Smore via email and text. I encourage you to read this every Friday as it contains important school information and updates. All school information that we send out via email will be posted on the website as well (https://has.cranfordschools.org/). Parent involvement is very important at Hillside Avenue School, and I welcome you to be involved in your child’s educational experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at deacon@cranfordschools.org or 908-709-6229.
Hillside Avenue School
Email: deacon@cranfordschools.org
Website: https://has.cranfordschools.org/
Location: 125 Hillside Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016
Phone: (908)709-6229