Brookside Place School Reopens in Cranford

Brookside Place School re-opened their doors on February 27, 2012 to first and second graders. The school had been closed for the last six months due to damage from Hurricane Irene. Parents received letters from the Superintendent of Schools dated February 17th with the good news. The students in grades K, 3, 4 and 5 will return on March 5th. After the school suffered $3.7 million in damages, first and second graders were placed at Garwood’s Washington School and kindergarten; third, fourth and fifth graders attended various other schools in Cranford. Brookside Place School took four months to repair and was painted by Perfect Painting, local painters in the Cranford area. They also touched up the murals that are on the walls of the hallways. Students were excited to be returning to their school, according to principal, Mike Klimko. They were ready.

Students at Brookside Place School received new cubbies and the school has new floors – tiles now are being used in place of the carpets that were used before the hurricane. There are new doors and teachers donated some weekend time to organize the new classrooms. American Technologies, Inc. removed and salvaged what could be saved and returned items to their original places within the school.

In the letter received from the principal, the schedule was outlined for students returning to Brookside Place School. The first and second grade students that returned on February 27th resumed the regular school schedule from 8:35 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. Students in K, 3, 4 and 5 that are currently attending Bloomingdale, Hillside, Livingston and Orange Avenue school will return on Monday, March 5th at 8:35 a.m.

PRIME TIME returned to Brookside Place School on February 27th at 7:00 a.m. The students requiring after-school care are picked up by bus, as they were previously, at 2:55 p.m. and conveyed to the Helen Baldwin Prime Time facility on Springfield Avenue.