Under sunny, balmy skies that seemed to mirror the warm spirit of the day, Linden Public Schools hosted its ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ-๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐ช๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐ก ๐ฟ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐๐ฎ, ๐ผ๐ช๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ 9 โ a groundbreaking community event designed to welcome multilingual families and connect all Linden Public Schools families with valuable resources for the new school year.
From 9 a.m. to noon, Tiger Stadium was filled with energy and excitement as bright orange tents ringed the football field, each hosting a community partner ready to assist parents and guardians.
๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ก๐จ, ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ข๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ-๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐.
Children enjoyed the bouncy houses, face painting, and balloons that brought bursts of color and fun to the day. When it came time to refuel, attendees sampled a variety of foods, refreshing drinks, and sweet treats โ including hot slices of Papa Johnโs pizza, icy smoothies from Tropical Smoothie Cafรฉ, and frozen delights from So Delicious Ice Cream of Clark. The district also thanked C&C Cola of Linden for keeping everyone cool with ice-cold beverages.
โWe realized year after year that the start of school was being interrupted because some students didnโt have the right immunizations or basic paperwork completed,โ explained Danie Orelien, Director of the Multilingual Learners Department. โThis orientation was created to lift that burden for families โ to get everything done in one place, ahead of time.โ
๐ผ ๐๐ฃ๐-๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐๐๐๐จ๐จ
The eventโs layout reflected its mission: efficiency and accessibility. Families could complete required vaccinations for both incoming and current students โ including sixth-grade immunization requirements โ while connecting with service providers from the district, county, and state.
Among the partners present were Union County, New Jersey FamilyCare, Prevention Links, and organizations offering mental health resources and behavioral support for children.
โThis wasnโt just for multilingual learners,โ Orelien emphasized. โIt was for all Linden Public Schools families. Whether youโre a newcomer or have lived here your whole life, these needs touch everyone.โ
๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐๐๐จ
While the day focused on back-to-school readiness, it also fostered a joyful community atmosphere. Parents received step-by-step help with systems like Genesis and school lunch applications, while children left with painted faces, balloon creations, and stories to tell.
Local businesses and community vendors played a major role in creating that welcoming environment. The district extended its gratitude to Papa Johnโs, Tropical Smoothie Cafรฉ, So Delicious Ice Cream of Clark, and C&C Cola of Linden for their generous donations, as well as all community resource vendors who provided critical support and information.
๐๐ค๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐
With more than 100 families attending, Orelien considers the day a resounding success โ especially given it was planned in less than a month. Still, she already has bigger plans for 2026.
โNext year, weโre going to be bold,โ she said with a smile. โNow that weโve proven it works, we want every family to benefit.โ
๐พ๐ค๐ข๐ข๐ช๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ
The inaugural Multilingual Department Orientation Day did more than prepare students for school โ it strengthened the connection between families and Linden Public Schools. By blending critical resources with a festive, family-friendly atmosphere, the event set a positive tone for the year ahead.
As Orelien summed it up:
โOur goal is to make sure every student walks into school on the first day ready to learn โ with nothing standing in their way.โ