Astronaut Brothers To West Orange Students: Welcome Back

WEST ORANGE, NJ — It’s an auspicious beginning to the school year when you get a message of hope from an astronaut.

On Thursday, Sept. 6, students in the West Orange Public School District gathered up their bookbags and got ready to resume learning on the first day of class. (See the 2018-19 calendar here)

This year, students at recently renamed Kelly Elementary got a message from West Orange's hometown astronauts, Mark and Scott Kelly:

"Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful summer and if you are new to Kelly Elementary School it’s great to have you as part of the crew. Education is a mission and you need to be focused but we also want you to have fun too. We started in the 2nd grade in that same building in 1972. The school you attend today got us on a path that led to the stars. We got a great education there and you will too. So pay attention to your teachers. They know what they are doing. If you need extra help you should always ask. Best of luck for the 2018-2019 school year.”

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photos: West Orange Public School District