LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NJ -- ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ School No. 2 ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ข ๐๐ก๐ข ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐., ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐, ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ .
The donation supports ๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ข ๐๐ก๐ขโ๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ, and aligns with the New Jersey Bridge Builder Foundationโs mission to invest in childrenโs education.
Guest readers Mr. Eric Teel and Mr. John Conkin, representing the New Jersey Bridge Builder Foundation and Iota Xi Nu Chapter of Omega Psi Phi, visited eight classrooms, where ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ.
๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ:
-- Kindergarten Teachers: Ms. Colacitti, Ms. Williams, Ms. Calcagno, and Ms. Squeglia
-- Grade 1 Teachers: Ms. Alba, Ms. Mazula, Ms. Pagan, and Ms. Mustafa
In addition to the books, students also received six backpacks filled with school supplies, generously donated by the New Jersey Bridge Builder Foundation.
Omega Psi Phiโs local chapter, Iota Xi Nu, serves the communities of Linden, Elizabeth, Hillside, Union, Rahway, and Roselle. Chapter President Curtis Humphrey Jr. emphasized the impact of literacy-focused initiatives.
"Reading is the foundation of success, and we are proud to not only provide books but also engage with students directly," Humphrey said. "Our goal is to foster a love of reading that will last a lifetime."
The New Jersey Bridge Builder Foundation, founded by military veterans and law enforcement officers, is dedicated to empowering children through education. Chief Operations Manager Eric Teel highlighted the foundationโs commitment to literacy.
"Our mission is to invest in our countryโs greatest resourceโour children," Teel said. "Reading to students and providing them with books is one way we can make a lasting impact on their educational journey."
The foundationโs president, Colonel (Ret.) Giles, a 1987 graduate of Linden High School, played a key role in organizing the donation. Though currently based in Atlanta, Giles remains committed to giving back to his hometown.
"Giving back is one of the core principles of our organization," Teel added.
Also in attendance was John Cyrus, a proud Linden alumnus, who expressed excitement about seeing community partnerships benefiting local students.
As part of National Read Across America Month, the event reinforced the importance of fostering literacy at an early age. With Dr. Seuss's books in hand, engaging read-aloud sessions, and essential school supplies, the young students of School No. 2 were inspired to continue their journey as lifelong readers.