June 2025
The best preparation for tommorow is doing your best today.
CHS Senior Prom Tonight! Wishing our Seniors an enjoyable, memorable and safe celebration tonight! Remember that you are a part of an amazing community that supports you. Represent your community with dignity and respect. We look forward to seeing you all next week as we gear up for your Commencement Ceremony! Have a wonderful evening, Seniors! You've worked hard, you deserve it!
Cranford Dialogue
Cranford Dialogue publishes multimodal content that fosters spirit and pride in all members of the Cranford High School community; student-driven content reflects the diverse beliefs, interests, passions, and skills found amongst the individuals and groups that make up our community. Dialogue seeks to be the intersection that celebrates these with the world.
School Property Returns Book/Material/Equipment Returns: All students should prepare to return books and other school property from 6/16 through 6/18/25 directly to their subject specific teachers, including book returns checked out from the Library. Any items that were lost during the course of the year will be assigned a fine amount. Fine payments are due to the issuing teacher by June 18, 2025 to avoid grade or graduation ticket holds. Please see policy #5513.
Year End Letter from the Nurse's Office
Updated Absence Reporting Community Message
CHS Community, In an effort to provide a more efficient and user-friendly process when reporting absences, we have updated our Absence Reporting process. Parents may log into their PowerSchool Parent Portal, navigate to “Forms,” and submit the “CHS Absence Reporting Form.” This digital approach is meant to save time for you while ensuring accurate and timely communication of student absences. CHS PowerSchool Parent Portal: Powerschool. Doctor’s notes, college visit notes, or other applicable documentations to support absences can be send to CHSAttendance@cranfordschools.org. You can still report your child absent by calling the CHS Attendance Office or emailing CHSAttendance@cranfordschools.org for the remainder of this school year. We plan to move to a full implementation of the CHS Absence Reporting Form through the PowerSchool Parent Portal at the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
We’re Good Neighbors at CHS! Cranford High School is pleased to offer the Open Campus and Open Lunch privilege to our students. This program is one that is designed to accommodate students in good standing who have satisfied the requirements of the program. With students coming and going from the building consistently throughout the day, there is increased foot traffic around the campus, and in the surrounding neighborhood. The Administration would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the standards of conduct that should be adhered to while out participating in Open Campus/Open Lunch. Students should continue to be mindful of parking properly, not discarding any trash on the ground, refraining from excessive idling in front of homes and in general, being a good neighbor and CHS representative to the community. This is our neighborhood and we proudly share it with residents, friends and visitors. It is our responsibility to always care for it appropriately.
June SEL Attached below is a family SEL Resource for your June Newsletters. This article from the Harvard Graduate School of Education provides helpful tips for families to continue to promote SEL and wellbeing during the summer months.
Dress Code Reminder Student dress is an important part of student expression that we value. We have to remember that, as in any profession or workplace, there are standards of appropriate dress at school. The dress code committee has submitted updates that are currently under review for the 2025-2026 school year. However, at the moment, we need to respect the dress code as stated. Specifically, shoes without a backing, clothes that show undergarments, low cut tops, and/or clothes with offensive language are prohibited at CHS.
Please feel free to share this in your Weekly Newsletters. It has been shared with our SEL Facilitators and counselors. This will be a living document updated with new links and documents of information and our school celebrations of themed weeks. In addition this also highlights our Family Academy Nights. 24-25 District SEL Calendar
Prevention Links
- Cranford High School Counseling Department is excited to present a monthly series of workshops in conjunction with NJ4S Prevention Links aimed at helping parents and guardians navigate the process of being a parent in today's world. Our next workshop will be virtual on Wednesday, October 9th at 7PM workshop and will be focused on "Parenting Styles: Navigating Parenting with Care and Confidence”. Please Click Here for Detail.
Gratitude Grams
Supports the Class of 2028 by purchasing Gratitude Grams!! Purchase using the linked form: Grams Here!!
Click here for Principal's Welcome Letter 2024-2025!!
Community Partner Memberships - Please join the CHS community partners, support and sign up today! Click the links below: PTSA Friends of the Performing Arts Booster Club
The CHS Program of Studies has been prepared to acquaint Cranford High School students and their parents with the many course offerings that are available at the high school. Committed to academic excellence and advancement in all areas, we are continuing to work on the proactive growth model that stresses fulfillment of goals. Please review pages 19-21 to become familiar with the CHS CTE Academy Programs.
To review all of the important CHS protocols, policies and programs click on the Student Handbooklink.
Gaggle - Please click this LINK to view the Gaggle website and click HERE to view a short video to better understand how Gaggle works.
Facebook - Follow Mr. Cantagallo on Facebook
Sincerely,
Mark Cantagallo
Principal
Safety Protocols
- Environmentally safe and allergy free disinfectant will be used by both staff and students to wipe down desks between classes. Students may also bring wipes to use as long as they are environmentally friendly and allergen free
- Sanitizing stations will be available in all classrooms and in the hallways, offices and bathrooms. Students may bring sanitizers for themselves
- Handwashing
- Students should wash hands for at least 20 seconds at regular intervals, including before eating, after using the bathroom, and after blowing their nose/coughing/sneezing. Students will use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) if washing with soap and water is not possible
- Lunch- Recess will take place in grades Prek-5.
- Extra-Curricular Activities and Clubs- We are committed to running these opportunities as close to normal as possible, in accordance with current guidelines and orders.
Fresh Updates
Freshman Passport
This program is intended to encourage positive academic and social activities for 9th grade students during the day, particularly during the lunch block.
Goal: Motivate students to engage in positive academic and social activities in order to earn Open Lunch as a 10th grader while building excellent habits to reach their full potential.
Schedules and Events
2024-25 Rotate/Drop and Bell Schedules
You can also use the helpful Period Notifier to keep track of the schedules (including during half-days, delayed openings, homerooms, and midterm/finals).
Open Lunch:- 9th Grade Students do not have Open Lunch but can earn it during their 10th grade year
- 10th Grade Students "in good standing" have Open Lunch on Tuesday and Thursday
- 11th Grade Students "in good standing" have Open Lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- "in good standing" for 10th and 11th grade students will be explained at their grade level assemblies the first week of school. Then a letter and form will be sent to parents explaining the requirements related to behavior, attendance, and achievement similar to the 12th grade requirements.
Other Information
Important lunch/food service information:
- All parents/visitors will need to enter and exit from the main door. Please ring the bell, state your name and purpose for the visit, and have your ID ready.
- Lockers and Locker rooms - Students will receive locker assignments and combinations on the first day of school.
- All students are assigned a locker with a combination lock to secure their school supplies. Due to security reasons, only school-issued locks may be used on lockers, and this lock should be kept throughout high school and returned upon graduation. Students are expected to keep the lockers neat and clean. Students will be responsible for damages and may be assessed the cost of repair. Any damage to lockers should be reported immediately. Loss of a lock will result in a ten-dollar replacement fee.
Updates:
- Students that ride their bike should lock them up next to the "Bridge" for safety reasons; the West End bike racks have been removed.
- A Delayed Opening at CHS will start at 9:30 AM.
- If you or anyone you know is interested in being a Lunchroom Assistant at CHS (10:30 AM - 12:30 PM) or another school in the district, please reach out to me or visit the application site: HERE.
Surveillance Cameras
Cranford High School has security cameras inside the building and around the perimeter of our school to ensure the safety of all staff, students, and visitors and to safeguard our facility from vandalism and theft. Cameras will be used in locations as deemed appropriate by the administration. Video recordings will be reviewed if there is evidence that a violation of board policies, administrative regulations, building rules, or laws has occurred.
Links
In addition, important information can be found on the right navigation as well as below. I encourage you to take a few moments to review the following documents, and please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
- Family Life and HIV/AIDS Curriculum and Grade 9, 11 and 12
- Student Handbook 2024-2025
- Student Handbook 2024-2025
- Policy 5600: Student Discipline/Code of Conduct
- Regulation 5600: Student Discipline/Code of Conduct
- Academic Integrity Procedures
- Cranford High School Office Phone Numbers
- Family Life and HIV/AIDS Curriculum and Grade 9, 11 and 12
- ADAPT-Alchohol Drug Assistance Program for Teens-REMINDER-a student may be entered into the ADAPT Program based on the criteria below in addition to the possession or use of drugs or alcohol.