WELCOME

Dear HAS Community,

Thank you to all of our elementary parents and guardians who attended Back-to-School Night on Wednesday. It was wonderful to see so many of you and to hear how impressed you were with your child's teachers. There are amazing things happening in their classrooms every day! Speaking of amazing, we are so proud of the number of our Cougars who are being acknowledged and celebrated for exhibiting the qualities of H.E.A.R.T.! From following class community expectations, to being kind to a classmate who may need a little extra encouragement, to reaching out and welcoming a new Cougar to HAS, we are seeing countless ways in which our kids are showing up and being awesome humans. Keep it up, Cougars!!

Sincerely,

Nicole Vaccaro, HAS Principal

Jamie Geltzeiler, HAS Assistant Principal

Thank you to our PTA for organizing such a fun HAS Family Picnic! Between the super bubbles and DJ-provided music, it was a great time! We were also able to have a ribbon cutting to celebrate our new basketball court and personalized brick paver walkway - they are both beautiful additions to HAS and we are so grateful to our PTA for making all of these wonderful improvements possible!

• Scholastic Book Fair - Wednesday, September 30 and Thursday, October 1, 2026

• HAS Picture Day - Wednesday, October 7, 2026

• National Walk, Bike, or Roll to School Day - Wednesday, October 7, 2026

This week, for Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum. Before she worked in government, she was a scientist who studied how to keep our air clean and protect our planet Earth. She worked hard, asked big questions, and listened to others to solve problems. In 2024, she made history by becoming the very first female President of Mexico! Dr. Sheinbaum reminds us to work hard in school, care for our planet, and know that you can grow up to be a great leader.

* Elementary School students during school hours

* Middle School students after school from 3:00pm-3:30pm on both days

Purchase Options:

• Parents may set up a Scholastic eWallet in advance, giving students an easy, cash-free way to purchase their books.
• Students may also bring cash (in a sealed envelope with student name/grade/teacher) to the Fair.
• Families can also shop the HAS Book Fair online from home and support our Fair!

To parents, students, and staff across the district, please join us in wearing your “We are enough” or SEL related t-shirts on Monday, September 28th as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month comes to an end. Thank you for your support.

https://familyconnectionsiowa.com/building-confidence-for-a-new-school-year/

Pomptonian Allergy Statement Letter

PaySchools Link for Prepayment

Welcome to a new and exciting school year!

I would like to outline some important Health Office guidelines. Please be sure to keep this letter for future reference, questions and/or concerns.

To report an absence, please call 908.709.6983 or email has-attendance@cranfordschools.org.

If your child is experiencing a fever, vomiting or diarrhea, they must stay home. Students must be symptom-free for 24 hours (without the use of medication) before returning to school.

New Students:

If your child is new to the district and you have received an email regarding missing health documents, please submit the requested documents as soon as possible. Health documents for new students must be submitted within 14 days of starting school. Timely submission helps ensure that your child's health records are complete and up to date.

Medications:

If your child needs to take medication during the school day either on a daily basis or as-needed:
- An Authorization for Medication Administration Form must be completed by your doctor and submitted to the health office.
- Medication must be in its original prescription container with the child’s name clearly labeled.
- All medications must be delivered by a parent or guardian only.

Inhalers and Nebulizers:
- Inhalers are kept in the school nurse's office unless your child has doctor’s orders allowing them to self-carry.
- A nebulizer machine is available at school, but parents/guardians must supply tubing, mask, and medication, as prescribed.
- An Asthma Action Plan must be submitted with the medication including for self-carry.

Allergies & EpiPens:
If your child has any allergies including life-threatening allergies (food, medication, insect, etc.), please inform the school nurse:
- An Allergy Action Plan must be completed by your doctor if an EpiPen is required.
- Submit both the plan and the EpiPen to the Health Office—delivered by a parent or guardian.

All medication forms can be found on the Nurse’s Corner on HAS's webpage.

Health Screenings:
The following screenings will be conducted throughout the year as required by state law:
- Height, Weight, Blood Pressure: All grades
- Hearing: K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 11th grades
- Vision: K, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th grades
- Scoliosis: 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th grades

If any concerns arise, a referral letter will be sent home. To opt out of any screenings, please notify the school nurse in writing by October 3, 2026.

Gym Excuses:
If your child is unable to participate in gym, a doctor's note is required. Please send all gym notes to the nurse first.

Immunizations:
If your child received any immunizations over the summer, please send documentation so I can update their health record accordingly.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Wishing your child a safe, happy and healthy school year!

Visitor Entry - The District continues to use a digital visitor management entry system (Raptor) at each of the school building entrances. Please review the Visitor Entry Protocols. Thank you for your continued partnership in keeping our schools safe!

During morning arrival and afternoon pick up please make sure you are alert, driving slowly, and looking before driving in and out of the parking lot. Many families walk to and from school. Even if you are running late it is imperative that you take your time and proceed with caution to ensure the safety of all.

In the afternoon, please make sure to not double park (block) in the staff parking lot. Our Middle School Staff ends the day at 3:05 PM. Cars should not be blocking staff from leaving at the end of the day.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping to keep everyone safe.

• Visitor Entry Protocols

• Permitted Items at Board-Sponsored Public Events Policy #9160.1

• 2026-2027 School District Calendar

• Emergency/Crisis Protocol information

• HIB Specialist information ---- District HIB Policy #5512

• Internet Safety and Technology Policy #2361

• Student Records - FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) Policy/Regulation #8330

• Student Use of Vehicles on School Grounds Policy #5514

Email: vaccaro.nicole@cranfordschools.org

Website: https://has.cranfordschools.org/

Location: 125 Hillside Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016

Phone: (908)709-6229