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🔥🚒 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵! 🚒🔥

𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙿𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙲 𝚂𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙾𝙻𝚂, 𝙽𝙹 -- As part of Fire Prevention Awareness Month in New Jersey, the Linden NJ - City Government Linden Fire Department is bringing their vital message of fire safety and prevention to our schools. This week, they visited School No. 1 and School No. 8, where students learned about the critical role of smoke alarms and how to prevent fires before they start.

Firefighters engaged students with hands-on demonstrations, showing them the tools and techniques used in real emergencies.

These interactive lessons are all part of the department's efforts to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe and respond effectively in fire emergencies. It's about building a safer, more fire-aware community!

𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙼𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚊 𝙸𝚗𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜, 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚌𝚝: �𝙼𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚎𝚕 𝙰. 𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚔𝚒𝚜, 𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚌 𝙸𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙾𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚛
𝙴𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚕: 𝚖𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚔𝚒𝚜@𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚙𝚜.𝚘𝚛𝚐
𝙿𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎: 𝟿𝟶𝟾-𝟺𝟾𝟼-𝟸𝟾𝟶𝟶, 𝚇𝟾𝟶𝟺𝟾
𝙼𝚘𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚎: 𝟿𝟽𝟹-𝟻𝟼𝟷-𝟽𝟹𝟸𝟶 ... See MoreSee Less

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𝙈𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙉𝙤. 4 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙨 𝙏𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙮 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙚: 𝙋𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙖 𝙫𝙨. 𝙏𝙖𝙘𝙤𝙨!

𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙿𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙲 𝚂𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙾𝙻𝚂, 𝙽𝙹 — While voters in states like Georgia and North Carolina are already casting early ballots in the U.S. presidential race, students at School No. 4 faced a different, but equally important, decision on October 17 — pizza or tacos? In a fun and engaging "mock election," students eagerly exercised their right to vote, deciding which delicious dish would reign supreme in the lunchroom.

Just an hour after the "polls closed," Principal Dr. Suzanne Oliver announced the much-anticipated results. Out of 400 votes cast, pizza emerged victorious with 266 votes, while tacos held their ground with a respectable 134 votes. The announcement was met with cheers from the pizza supporters, while taco enthusiasts vowed to make a stronger comeback next time.

A team of "election officers" from the Union County Board of Elections oversaw the process, setting up six large voting booths in the school gymnasium lobby on October 16. From 9 to 11 AM, students, organized by grade, eagerly lined up to cast their ballots in a process that mirrored real-world elections.

According to school officials, the mock election aimed to give students a hands-on experience in civic participation, blending fun with a valuable learning opportunity.

With the voting booths set up and the excitement in the air, students buzzed with enthusiasm as they lined up to cast their votes. The event wasn’t just about food preferences—it was designed to teach students the significance of elections and the power of individual choices.

"It’s all about giving them a practical understanding of the voting process," said one school representative. "And what better way to do that than through something they’re passionate about — food!"

The election's two savory contenders, pizza and tacos, sparked playful debate throughout the day. Students passionately argued their cases, with pizza fans calling it “the perfect food,” while taco supporters emphasized the versatility and crunch factor of their choice. Even teachers got involved, encouraging students to advocate for their favorite and participate in the democratic process.

A similar electoral exercise is scheduled to take place at School No. 10 on Thursday, October 17, where students will also cast their votes in a lively mock election.

With the excitement from School No. 4 still fresh, students at School No. 10 are eagerly awaiting their turn to decide which dish will take the crown in their cafeteria — will pizza maintain its winning streak, or will tacos make a comeback? ... See MoreSee Less

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𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲: 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝘆𝗹𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝘆 – 𝗔 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙽 𝙿𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙲 𝚂𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙾𝙻𝚂, 𝙽𝙹 -- As Sheyla Caly, a 17-year-old senior at Linden High School prepares for her second official meeting as the student representative on the Linden Board of Education, she brings with her a powerful blend of discipline, leadership, and a genuine desire to make a difference.'

Standing at just five feet tall, Sheyla may be small in stature, but her voice carries tremendous weight—both in her role as battalion commander of the school’s ROTC program and now as the student advocate on the board.

"I’m very excited to be working on the Board of Education," Sheyla says, her smile reflecting both her excitement and sense of responsibility.

Her journey to this position was driven by her determination to address a gap she noticed early in her high school career. "My freshman year, there wasn’t a lot done with my grade," she recalls. "So, my sophomore year, I decided to take the initiative and run for class president."

Her decision to step up paid off, leading to three consecutive terms as class president and now a position on the Board of Education, where she advocates for the voices of more than 6,600 students across the district.

ʟᴇᴀᴅᴇʀꜱʜɪᴘ ʀᴏᴏᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ꜱᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴘᴀᴛʜʏ
Sheyla’s leadership journey is deeply tied to her experience in ROTC, where she serves as battalion commander. This demanding role has taught her the value of both mental and physical resilience while honing her ability to inspire and lead by example.

"My mission, my goal, is always to impact the life of somebody else in a positive manner," Sheyla explains. This philosophy has guided her through her various leadership roles, and she now brings this same sense of purpose to the board.

For Sheyla, leadership is not about commanding others but about lifting them up. "It’s about making a positive difference in other people’s lives, and that’s what I always strive to do," she shares. Her approach to leadership is driven by empathy and a deep understanding of the needs of her fellow students.

ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴀʀᴅ
In her first official address to the board at its Sept. 26 meeting, Sheyla made it clear that she was there to make student voices heard. One of the key issues she tackled was the enforcement of the school dress code, a long-standing concern among students.
"I know that was an issue last year. It wasn’t really enforced, and I feel like it was just an issue with people actually following the dress code," she said.

Sheyla was quick to note that this year has seen improvements, particularly with staff taking a proactive role in ensuring compliance. "We’ve noticed that this year, it has been enforced a lot better.

"For instance, Mr. Koonce (principal) and other staff are always in the main lobby in the mornings, ensuring that students have their IDs on and that they're following the proper dress code," she said, highlighting the efforts of the administration to create a more structured environment.

Sheyla also addressed another concern close to students: cleanliness in shared spaces like the cafeteria. "The lunch duty staff has been very proactive, and they’ve been telling students to clean up after themselves, ensuring that they’re not leaving trash everywhere. This helps make it easier for the custodial staff as well," she said, emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility.

ᴀ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪꜱɪɴɢ ꜰᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ
As she prepares for her second board meeting, Sheyla continues to exemplify the qualities of a dedicated leader. Fellow board members and school leaders have already taken notice of her contributions.

Board President Dr. Marlene Berghammer emphasized Sheyla’s key role, stating, "As the student advocate on the board, Sheyla has the loudest voice in the room when it comes to student matters. Her presence is already making a difference, and she’s an incredible asset to our team."
Dr. Berghammer added, "We need voices like hers to ensure we’re meeting the needs of every student."

Board Member Samuel De La Cruz, who has known Sheyla since her Pre-K days, spoke with pride about her journey: "We go way back. I’ve seen you grow into a beautiful young lady, and I want to encourage you—reach for the stars. You’re going to go places."

De La Cruz also emphasized the importance of Sheyla’s role in bridging the gap between the board and students. "Whatever you have for us, bring it to our attention, because you are an extension of us—you will be our eyes and ears in the community."

Superintendent Atiya Perkins echoed similar sentiments, praising Sheyla’s leadership and contributions: "Sheyla’s insight into student life is invaluable, and she’s already introduced initiatives that reflect the needs of her peers. Her leadership qualities are evident, and I’m confident she’ll make a lasting impact." Perkins added, "Sheyla is a role model for her fellow students and an inspiration for us all."

Whether she’s addressing student concerns or organizing school events like the much-anticipated homecoming dance, Sheyla’s passion for making a positive impact is clear. With her mix of empathy, determination, and leadership, Sheyla Caly is well on her way to becoming an influential advocate for her peers.

For Sheyla, the sky is the limit. As De La Cruz reminded her, "You’re going to go places." And with her determination and passion for leadership, it’s clear that Sheyla is just getting started. ... See MoreSee Less