What a great start to the 2025-2026 school year!

The first few weeks have been incredibly productive and positive. Our students have quickly settled into their routines, and the halls are filled with the sound of engaged learning and enthusiasm.

This update is packed with updates, information, and resources. From Roaring Achievements and News You Can Use to updates from Around Our Schools, our monthly newsletter gives a glimpse into the great things happening across our schools.

We look forward to a fantastic fall season for all of our Leonia Lions.

Xanthy Karamanos, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

LHS is thrilled to welcome students to their brand new Media Center! This beautiful space is designed to be a quiet hub for studying, reading, and research, providing a focused and calm environment for everyone. This new resource underscores our commitment to providing students with the best possible tools and spaces for their academic success. We can’t wait to see our Lions making the most of this amazing addition to the building.

We are excited to announce the installation of modern, ergonomic furniture in several classrooms across the district. This new flexible seating is designed to support various teaching methods, from collaboration to individual focus, and helps create a more dynamic and comfortable learning environment for our students. This investment reflects our ongoing effort to enhance physical spaces to promote student engagement and well-being. Furniture for ACS will be arriving soon.

Our annual Leonia Day celebration on Tuesday, September 9, was a fantastic display of Lion pride! The day was packed with high-energy athletics, including tennis, boys soccer, and volleyball matches, a girls evening soccer game to wrap up the day, plus food trucks and a dunk tank. It was a wonderful day for our entire community.

We hope to see you there next year!

👉 Click here to access the 2025-2026 district calendar.

👉 Visit our Calendar of Events page to stay up to date with events happening in our schools. Click the "subscribe" button to add our events to directly on your calendar.

In the event of a school closing, delayed opening, or emergency announcement, Leonia Public Schools will share information through multiple channels to keep families informed

👉 Visit our Inclement Weather page to see your school's schedule for delayed opening and early dismissals.

As required by the NJDOE, our annual Parent Notification of Assessments document is now available on the district website. This document shares our state and local assessment dates for the 2025-2026 school year, and includes the grade levels testing, time allotments, and resources for families.

👉 For more information, visit our state assessment page.

Earlier this year, the Board of Education approved a revised "Use of Electronic Devices" Policy to help create a more focused and respectful learning environment for all students. The policy limits the use of personal devices, including cell phones, smart watches, earbuds, and recording devices, during the school day. To protect privacy and safety, recording audio, video, or images of students or staff without permission is strictly prohibited. Consequences for violations will increase with repeated offenses.

👉 For more information about how the policy impacts your child, please review your school’s student handbook or visit the updated policy and regulations online.

Every day counts! We want all of our students to show up to school, every day, and we are committed to working with families to ensure that every student attends school regularly and achieves their full potential.

We are here to help you. Strong partnerships between families and schools are essential for ensuring student success. We understand that there are many reasons why your student might miss school. Our goal is to set you and your family up for success.

We are thrilled to announce that Leonia High School (LHS) has achieved a high national ranking in the prestigious 2025-2026 Best High Schools report released by U.S. News & World Report.

By ranking in the top 40% of nearly 18,000 public high schools nationwide, LHS has earned the distinction of being named a U.S. News Best High School.

This honor reflects the dedication of our students, staff, and entire community. You can find more details, including our metro-area ranking and school profile, by visiting the official U.S. News page.

We're pleased to share that LMS has once again been recognized as a Tree Campus K–12 by the Arbor Day Foundation, for the second year in a row! LMS remains one of the few schools in Bergen County and across New Jersey to receive this distinction, which highlights our continued commitment to environmental education, tree stewardship, and community engagement.

Tree Campus K-12 is a national recognition program that helps schools bring the power of trees into the classroom and the community. Schools earn recognition by meeting four core goals throughout the school year. Through hands-on learning, service projects, and campus engagement, students of all ages connect with nature and grow as environmental stewards.

To commemorate this achievement, the Shade Tree Committee has generously provided a plaque recognizing our designation. Thank you for your continued support of our environmental initiatives!

Leonia High School is proud to celebrate the achievements of its students who earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Program. 

The program, available on BigFuture®, helps students stand out on college and scholarship applications based on their achievement on College Board assessments, including the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and AP® Exams. In 2025, the program offered three awards to students of all backgrounds and across schools nationwide: FirstGeneration Recognition Award, Rural and Small-Town Recognition Award, and the School Recognition Award, to honor top-performing students in every high school.

Congratulations to our LHS students! We're so proud of you.

Our 3rd graders put their problem-solving and creativity to work with pattern blocks! Students built intricate designs, explored shapes and symmetry, and discovered how math and art connect. Activities like these help strengthen spatial reasoning while encouraging imagination and collaboration.

Our 1st and 2nd graders tapped into their creativity last week through watercolor painting! Students explored blending colors, expressing their ideas through art, and enjoying the calming, joyful process of painting. Their beautiful artwork brightened our classrooms and reminded us how important it is to make space for imagination and self-expression in learning.

In Ms. Alia's Science Lab, students investigated the characteristics of water. Students modeled and explained, at the molecular level, why water behaves as it does, gaining a deeper understanding of its unique properties.

Eighth Graders in Mr. Muench's class engaged in a lively discussion during a recent social studies lesson, exploring and examining various world religions. This interactive session empowered students to delve into history, comparing and contrasting the different patterns by which these religions expanded across the globe over time.

In Ms. Kelty's World History class, students took part in a hands-on simulation of World War I diplomacy. Divided into eight groups, each representing a different country, students worked to form as many alliances as possible, just as nations did in the early 20th century. The activity took unexpected turns as students received “twist” slips every five minutes, revealing threats, secret strategies, or surprising shifts in loyalty.. These unexpected developments forced them to rethink strategies on the spot. The exercise gave students a firsthand look at the fragile and complex nature of alliances, and how these relationships played a major role in the outbreak of World War I.

In Ms. Rovelli's Art class, students dove into hands-on learning and creative expression. Students practiced the pinch pot technique, shaping clay into pumpkins and vases. This exercise helped them develop fine motor skills and an appreciation for form, texture, and three-dimensional design. Students showcased their creativity and skills as they continue to explore different artistic mediums.

The New Jersey Commission on the Effects of Social Media has released findings urging action regarding adolescent social media use. The report indicates that excessive social media use can negatively impact student well-being by contributing to anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and challenges with academic performance, attention, and self-regulation.

Key recommendations for caregivers include modeling healthy digital habits, setting clear time limits, teaching responsible online behavior (like protecting privacy and seeking help when needed), and focusing on in-person activities to counterbalance screen time.

The goal is to empower teens to engage meaningfully and constructively online while ensuring they are protected from potential harms and addictive design features.

👉 Click here to read the complete report.

During National College Savings Month, the state of New Jersey is encouraging NJ families to save for their child's future education endeavors by opening an NJBEST 529 College Savings Plan. Not only can these plans be used to help cover tuition and other expenses in a variety of educational settings, but many residents can also access helpful incentives such as a college scholarship, matching grant opportunity, and/or tax deductions offered by the State when they open and contribute to an NJBEST 529 account.

👉 Click this link to learn more.

Click this link to learn more about the state of New Jersey's "Lead Remediation and Abatement Program" grants for homeowners.

The purpose of this grant program is to help support the removal of lead-based hazards from low- to moderate-income households.

👉 Visit the website to learn how you can apply for this grant.